June 11, 2007 1:14 PM PDT
Nestled in the bridge of the MV Explorer is its control room. The captain can steer the 590-foot passenger ship by wheel or joystick (pictured here). To drive, the captain also has access to detailed electronic maps and charts that are informed by GPS and radar. A system called AIS (for automatic identification system) also helps the captain keep track of other nearby vessels.
Once a foreign ship appears on the radar, the captain can click on the object in the chart to access AIS, which calls up all the relevant information on that ship, such as owner and voyage details. What about pirate ships? "You don't encounter many of those," said staff captain Mats Nelson.
Photo by Stefanie Olsen/CNET News.com
