Taking Command Amid Collision News
I took command of a VLCC in Fujairah, ballast condition, but still a 300,000-ton floating beast. Iran-Israel tensions simmered in the background, and just days earlier, two tankers. Frontline’s Front Eagle and the shadow fleet’s Adalynn had collided 15 nautical miles offshore. Early reports blamed navigational error, with spoofed GPS and unreliable AIS signals suspected as contributing factors.
As we prepared to enter the Gulf, the bridge called:
“Captain, both GPS units are jammed. Spoofed. Useless.”
We were surrounded by high-stakes traffic in a geopolitically charged zone, without position data.
Back to Basics: Navigating Blindfolded
In an age where even landlubbers rely on GPS to get around, we reverted to the fundamentals:
- Dead Reckoning (DR)
- Parallel Indexing (PI)
- Manual position offsets in ECDIS
- Visual bearings and radar plotting
BIMCO’s recommended transit corridors gave us a general framework. But real-world traffic was far from structured.
The game-changer was Radar Information Overlay (RIO).
RIO overlays live radar returns directly onto the ECDIS chart. Unlike a GPS-derived position, which can lie or vanish, radar can’t be spoofed. RIO lets you align what you see on radar with what should be on the chart. Buoys, shorelines, traffic … it all snaps into place, or tells you when something’s off.
For those ashore who still see RIO as “optional” in ECDIS think again.
VTS’s Pop Quiz
Before reaching Das Island, VTS called in:
“Report your position and identify nearby vessels.”
We responded honestly:
“We’re as blind as you. GPS spoofed. No AIS. We can only help with vessel type and size by radar.”
No shortcuts. Just seamanship and discipline.
Das Island: Precision Without Satellites
At Das, a pilot boarded and raised an eyebrow.
“No GPS? In this mess?”
I showed him our radar overlays, plotted fixes, and how we were sticking to the corridors using nothing but DR, PI, and radar.
“We drill for this,” I told him.
He looked like I’d shown him a spacecraft.
We completed partial loading and shaped course for Ras Tanura, still without GPS.
Ras Tanura: Blind Entry, Precise Exit
We approached Ras Tanura with the same tools ie. radar, DR, PI, visual bearings, and RIO.
We asked the pilot why the anchorage wore such a deserted look.
“Traffic’s down about 30%,” he said, “thanks to the ongoing skirmish.”
We loaded to a departure draft of 20.10 meters and sailed out safely. Just as we cleared the channel, GPS signals returned, like satellites poking their heads back out after a ceasefire.
The Spoof That Reached Home
Mid-voyage, I checked my phone.
Twenty missed calls. All from my wife.
She’d been tracking our position online, as she often does when I’m at sea, and saw our vessel showing up in Iran.
Cue the conversation:
AIS spoofing, signal hijacking, radar overlays, DR, ECDIS.
She’s a dentist, but sharp enough to know something was off. After a crash course in maritime spoofing, she nodded, unimpressed …mostly with the tech, not with me (hopefully).
Final Thoughts: When Tech Fails, Training Doesn’t
This wasn’t a heroic escape. It was professional navigation under pressure.
The Persian Gulf has always been complex. Now it’s digitally contested too.
And when GPS fails, because it will …it’s not the tech that saves you. It’s your people. Your drills. Your backup plans. Your understanding of the tools many overlook, like RIO.
In a world where satellites lie and ships collide, a prepared crew turns a high-stakes passage into a steady watch.
Thanks for reading. If you’re a mariner, manager, or just maritime-curious, I’d love to hear your thoughts below.
The Deep Draft 
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