Simulation of sea state parameters process to study the profitability of a maritime line

This paper deals with a method of studying the profitability of a maritime line under the service of a specific ship when the data describing the sea state along it are available only for a short period of time or are missing. As a specific example, the line Piraeus Heraklion at Aegean Sea is considered, where wave data are available for a very short period (3 years). The method developed is based on the use of another larger wind database (11 years) providing realistic artificial sea-state conditions for a wider time period. This is accomplished in two steps: First, by developing a stochastic simulator of wind conditions in a point corresponding to the most severe conditions of the line (this is performed using a non-homogeneous Markov model) and second, by establishing a simple non-parametric method associating the simulated wind conditions at this point to sea-state conditions along the line. Finally, the profitability of the line is examined by combining the simulated sea-state conditions along the line with the seakeeping behavior of the ship presented in the form of a suite of polar diagrams which provide the operable regime of speed and heading of the ship for each sea-state condition.