The new 'J' Class FiFi 1 AHTSVs are amongst the first offshore support vessels of their size operating in the Arabian Gulf to have a totally paperless class approved chart system.

The initial order placed by Nico Middle East was for eight systems. Four are allocated to a series of J-class 5,150 bhp AHTSVs being built in China. The first installation, on 'Topaz Jumeirah', was completed in Singapore late last year and the three other vessels in the series, 'Topaz Jebel Ali', 'Topaz Jaddaf' and 'Topaz Jafiliya', will all have been equipped by the end of 2008.

Three existing dynamic positioning (DP2) vessels, the 1999 built cable layer 'Team Oman', the 2002 built subsea construction barge 'Team Siam' and the 2002 built 7,400 bhp maintenance support vessel 'Team Muscat', are also being fitted with dual ECDIS systems, the installations on Team Oman and Team Muscat having been completed in February of this year.

The eighth vessel to be fitted with a Navmaster dual ECDIS will be 'Topaz Fujairah', a 30m catamaran crew boat that is due for delivery in October 2008.

PC Maritime has provided initial training in the Gulf onboard NMEL vessels and has arranged for two NMEL superintendents to come to its headquarters in Plymouth for a three day 'Train the Trainer' ECDIS training course.

To assist companies with the requirement for ECDIS training, PC Maritime is developing some new services and will be introducing a Type Specific ECDIS training product by the end of 2008.