UnDocked: The Maritime Transformation Show

Raal Harris and Nick Chubb

Undocked is a weekly podcast where Nick Chubb and Raal Harris explore what’s changing in maritime and technology. Through candid conversations and guest interviews, the show unpacks emerging trends, overlooked stories, and strategic insights, offering a fresh, unfiltered perspective on the evolving future of one of the world’s oldest industries.

  1. 1d ago

    Extreme Heat Hits Trade, Ships Generate Green Hydrogen, and AI Content Gets Watermarked

    Nick Chubb and Raal Harris examine how extreme heat is reshaping trade, from Rhine water levels and Panama Canal draught limits to pressure on energy systems. They also explore Drift Energy’s hydrogen-generating sailing vessels, Singapore’s Pier 71 startup programme, and the EU’s emerging rules on AI transparency and human oversight. CHAPTERS 04:18 Rhine water levels and inland shipping07:04 Panama Canal drought and draught restrictions10:17 Drift Energy and green hydrogen at sea18:39 Maritime innovation and the ocean economy23:18 Singapore’s Pier 71 startup programme30:52 The gap between research and commercialisation35:14 The EU AI Act and transparency requirements45:08 AI disclosure, watermarking and content quality51:59 Human oversight and the future of knowledge work The episode begins with extreme heat and an unlikely supply-chain indicator: Nick talks about its direct maritime consequences, with exceptionally low water levels at Kaub restricting cargo capacity on the Rhine and drought reducing permissible draughts through the Panama Canal. The conversation then moves from climate impacts to potential solutions. Raal introduces Drift Energy’s concept for sailing vessels that generate electricity at sea and convert it onboard into green hydrogen. The discussion broadens into tidal power, onboard carbon processing and the wider ocean economy, asking whether ships can become energy-producing assets rather than simply consumers of cleaner fuels. Attention then turns to Singapore’s Pier 71 programme and what its alumni suggest about the value of sustained, government-backed maritime innovation. Nick and Raal contrast that model with the persistent difficulty of moving promising technologies from research funding into viable commercial businesses, particularly in the UK and Europe. The episode closes with the EU’s developing approach to AI transparency. They examine watermarking, disclosure obligations, human oversight and the implications for companies using generative AI professionally. The central question is less whether AI was involved than whether the finished work is accurate, useful and properly scrutinised. EPISODE PARTNER This episode is sponsored by Insight, in partnership with SmartSea.  Getting new technology onto one ship is an achievement. Getting every ship the same benefit is where most digital transformation programs lose momentum. On the Aroya refit, Insight delivered the largest cruise IT transformation in EMEA — on schedule, in 11 months, across 33-plus workstreams — built on a single connected architecture designed to be repeated on the next vessel, not rebuilt from scratch. That's the model Insight and SmartSea bring to fleet-wide rollouts: pilot once, deploy consistently, and cut the time and cost of getting every vessel to the same standard. Because transformation only counts once it reaches the whole fleet. Start your digital transformation journey with Insight.

  2. Aug 13

    Why AI Could Make Markets More Volatile and Bridgetown’s $500k Port Transformation

    Nick and Raal examine what good maritime digital transformation looks like, from Bridgetown Port’s low-cost community system to shared vessel inspections and procurement pooling. They then explore AI’s tendency to flatten decisions, the value of proprietary data and primary research, and why real-world observation still matters in an automated industry. CHAPTERS 03:38 Bridgetown Port’s $500k digital transformation07:52 From 52 paper documents to a port community system10:05 RightShip, NorthStandard and inspecting once13:33 Can vessel inspections become a shared data standard?18:59 The case for asking for maritime data only once23:13 Oceanic Alliance and procurement pooling27:18 What happens when AI starts making the decisions?29:28 AI forecasting, broking and market feedback loops37:31 Finding an edge when everyone has the same data42:36 Marketing claims versus primary research44:26 Where to look for maritime technology’s real frontier47:29 Why asking customers to pay changes the feedback52:01 Shadow AI and the EU AI Act59:19 Why a subsea cable was rerouted for Dobby The episode opens with a new candidate for Undocked’s “Under the Radar” series: Bridgetown Port in Barbados, which has built its own cloud-based port community system. The numbers make the case unusually tangible: a reported $500,000 investment, 52 physical documents reduced to none. From there, Nick and Raal move onto a collaboration between RightShip and NorthStandard raises a deceptively simple proposition: inspect once, then make better use of trusted evidence.  The same logic appears in another form through Oceanic Alliance’s procurement pooling model. By aggregating purchasing demand across hundreds of vessels, smaller owners can potentially access some of the economies of scale traditionally associated with large third-party managers while retaining control of ship management. The conversation then turns to AI and a more uncomfortable problem: what happens when everyone feeds similar data into similar models? In broking, product design, hiring, marketing and investment research, AI can improve analysis while simultaneously pushing participants towards the same conclusions. Once those conclusions begin influencing the underlying market, better forecasting can create new feedback loops and potentially new blind spots. Finally there is the less predictable operational challenge of subsea infrastructure: a $600 million cable route reportedly altered to avoid the fictional grave of Dobby the House Elf. EPISODE PARTNER This episode is supported by Insight and SmartSea, powered by SITA. AI is reshaping maritime — but a model is only as good as the data and systems behind it. Too many AI initiatives stall because fleet data is fragmented and disconnected from day-to-day operations. Insight and SmartSea, powered by SITA, connect data, applications and onboard operations through one fleet architecture — so operators can identify opportunities, prove value, and scale what works, rather than running another isolated pilot. The outcome isn't "we tried AI." It's AI embedded in daily operations, driving measurable efficiency, resilience and business results. Turn AI ambition into measurable outcomes with Insight and SmartSea.

  3. Aug 6

    Are We Making Seafaring Harder Than It Needs to Be? With Steven Jones

    Steven Jones joins Nick Chubb and Raal Harris to examine what the latest Seafarers Happiness Index reveals about life at sea, crew relationships, shore-based wellbeing. Chapters 02:16 The origins of the Seafarers Happiness Index04:45 A decade of changing seafarer sentiment08:16 What the latest results reveal09:19 Technology overload and operational futility11:34 Control, agency, and wellbeing at sea14:08 Why younger seafarers have more choices16:30 The erosion of shore leave18:45 Making technology work with seafarers22:12 Balancing traditional and digital skills24:58 Understanding the futility trap26:39 Wellbeing among shore-based teams28:43 Compliance theatre and disconnected policies31:47 Putting seafarers inside decarbonisation decisions34:05 Training, competence, and personal investment39:48 Trip length and emotional adjustment41:46 Why crew relationships still matter45:14 Food quality, weather, and life onboard48:50 Why captains report lower happiness50:16 Measuring welfare across the industry54:01 The Seafarers Pledge The episode opens with Steven Jones explaining how the Seafarers Happiness Index grew from a simple attempt to hear directly from crews into one of the industry’s most closely watched measures of life at sea. More than a decade of responses now provides a view across connectivity, shore leave, wages, food, workload, welfare, health and relationships onboard. The latest results point to something deeper than routine quarterly movement. Steven describes a growing sense of futility as seafarers face geopolitical instability, expanding compliance demands and technology that is frequently added without removing existing work. The discussion examines the operational gap between systems sold ashore and the reality of implementing them onboard. Nick, Raal and Steven also consider the loss of agency at sea, the decline of meaningful shore leave and the changing expectations of younger seafarers with credible career alternatives ashore. The conversation closes on the areas where progress remains possible. Strong relationships between shipmates continue to underpin wellbeing, while better food, protected downtime and genuine consultation can make an immediate difference.  BE PART OF THE SURVEY Contribute to the Seafarers Happiness Index Take part in the Shore-Based Happiness Index EPISODE PARTNER This episode is sponsored by GTT Marine. By 2027, EU ETS will cover 100% of reported emissions.  FuelEU Maritime will be in full force. And CII corrective action plans will be a regular part of the conversation. The operators best positioned for that moment aren't necessarily the ones buying new systems right now.  They're the ones using 2026 to connect what they already have. The Great Integration, the new report from GTT Marine and Thetius, is a practical blueprint for getting decision-ready before the deadlines stack up.  Download it now.

  4. Jul 30

    The Trust Problem Behind Digital Training Records and Maritime’s Third Mobile Ecosystem

    Mintra’s integration with Norway’s competence registry opens a wider discussion about digital training records, trust and interoperability in maritime. Nick and Raal revisit failed technology forecasts, consider AI’s long-term impact on work, and examine how Huawei’s HarmonyOS could create a third mobile ecosystem for maritime software providers worldwide and ashore. CHAPTERS 00:36 Mintra connects 2.8 million training records04:09 National competence registries and maritime careers07:15 Who controls seafarer training data?12:32 Creating an international trust layer15:43 The career risk of lost paper certificates18:24 Discharge books and multi-flag complexity20:50 Mintra, Safebridge and digital credentials21:56 Maritime technology predictions that failed27:10 Weak signals and the next decade of shipping31:21 AI, productivity and changing maritime jobs37:44 Why maritime adopted native mobile apps40:40 Huawei, HarmonyOS and a third ecosystem45:58 Export controls and unintended consequences50:00 Domestic systems meet international shipping The episode begins with Mintra’s decision to connect 2.8 million training records to Norway’s national competence registry. The initiative raises a broader question for shipping: whether digital records can move securely between employers, industries and jurisdictions without replacing fragmented paper bureaucracy with equally fragmented digital systems. Nick and Raal examine the distinction between certified qualifications and the wider training data held inside company learning systems. They discuss ownership, consent and the practical value of allowing records to follow an employee throughout a career. In a global industry without a single governing authority, the more difficult challenge is establishing trust between flags, training providers, employers and technology platforms. The discussion then turns to maritime technology forecasting, before closing with Huawei’s HarmonyOS. Maritime software has largely been designed around two mobile ecosystems, Android and iOS. A credible third platform—particularly one supported by China’s large seafaring, shipbuilding and industrial base—could create substantial development and security choices for vendors relying on native apps and seafarers’ personal devices. EPISODE PARTNER This episode of UnDocked is brought to you by KVH. Connectivity is critical, but it’s what sits behind it that makes the difference. KVH goes beyond bandwidth, offering managed IT services, cybersecurity, and compliance support designed specifically for maritime operations. Combined with LEO connectivity and intelligent network management, this creates a complete communications ecosystem for your fleet. Secure, scalable, and built to adapt as your needs evolve. So whether you're upgrading your network or rethinking your entire communications strategy, KVH provides the foundation to do it right. Discover more at kvh.com

  5. Jul 23

    The Battle for Shipbuilding Capacity and Private Equity Targets Vessel Operations

    Nick and Raal explore shipbuilding’s geopolitical revival, friendshoring, autonomous vessel insurance, and the risks of an overheated global orderbook cycle ahead for shipping. They also examine how seafarers are already using AI beyond formal governance, why MF Shipping’s people-first digital strategy stands out, and what maritime technology consolidation means for operators. CHAPTERS 00:44 The human element of maritime AI 04:03 Treating AI like a new employee 06:33 Seafarers, shadow AI and governance 13:55 MF Shipping’s people-first digital strategy 17:43 Transparent KPIs and operational priorities 27:50 Why most AI projects show no measurable return 32:39 Agentic AI at the Digital Ship Summit 35:17 A decade of maritime technology consolidation 40:19 Insurance pathways for autonomous vessels 46:45 A seven-billion-dollar week in shipbuilding 50:06 China’s dominance of the global orderbook 53:16 National shipbuilding strategies and friendshoring 55:39 AI-enabled shipyards and software-driven vessels 57:38 The risk of renewed vessel oversupply The episode opens with Raal’s reflections from a maritime roundtable on AI and the human element. Seafarers are already using consumer AI tools for spreadsheets, emails, administrative work and personal support, often beyond the visibility of company policies.  MF Shipping offers a more deliberate model. After surveying around 900 seafarers, the company is shaping its digital strategy around simpler workflows, reduced administrative burden and better operational decisions. Its public KPIs also challenge the industry to measure digital success by its effect on people, rather than the number of systems deployed. Nick and Raal then examine the accelerating consolidation of maritime technology, including private equity interest in vessel operations, autonomy, cybersecurity and safety. Broader platforms may simplify fragmented technology stacks, but they also raise questions about integration, competition and control of maritime data. The episode closes with shipbuilding’s return as a geopolitical concern. New investments in India, Bangladesh and the United States sit against China’s dominant share of global orders. Governments are responding with industrial policy, allied shipbuilding partnerships and friendshoring, while Korean and Chinese yards develop AI-enabled design and production systems. The strategic race is intensifying just as the global orderbook approaches another potential cycle of oversupply. EPISODE PARTNER This episode of UnDocked is brought to you by Insight Enterprises. Every vessel runs its own mix of devices, software and support arrangements. Without a common view across the fleet, a small IT issue on one ship can turn into a major operational problem across all of them. When the cruise ship Aroya was in refit, Insight tracked and deployed over 650 devices and 2,000 Wi-Fi access points on a single vessel — a day-in-the-life view of what's possible when every device on board sits on one architecture. Insight's Ship-to-Shore IT Asset Management brings that same standardised architecture to your whole fleet, so shore teams get real visibility, digital assets are managed consistently, and vessels stay connected to shore instead of running blind. Because better visibility leads to better decisions, made sooner. Simplify your fleet IT with Insight and SmartSea.

  6. Jul 16

    Freedom of Navigation Under Fire, China's Unexpected Green Push, and Trusting AI at Sea

    Freedom of navigation comes under renewed pressure as proposals to charge for transit through the Strait of Hormuz raise profound questions about international maritime law. The conversation then turns to China's accelerating maritime decarbonisation strategy before exploring how AI is reshaping shipping, and why its biggest challenge may be governance rather than capability. CHAPTERS 00:00 Freedom of navigation under pressure05:04 Why charging for the Strait of Hormuz matters08:12 China's accelerating electric shipping strategy12:20 Smart ships, autonomy and China's maritime infrastructure17:02 AI, geopolitics and competing development models21:14 AI ends shipping's copy-and-paste era25:03 Why maritime software is beginning to look the same32:22 Emergence World and AI societies39:44 Explainable AI and the human element44:36 Shipping's next digital bottleneck50:08 A lesson from computer-based training This week begins with the deteriorating security situation in the Strait of Hormuz, following renewed attacks on merchant shipping and proposals to introduce charges for transiting one of the world's most important waterways. Nick and Raal examine what this could mean for the long-standing principle of freedom of navigation, and why weakening that norm would have consequences far beyond the Middle East. The discussion then shifts to China, where rapid investment in electric vessels, autonomous shipping and digital maritime infrastructure paints a more nuanced picture of the country's decarbonisation strategy than many in the West assume. Rather than simply replacing one fuel with another, China appears to be redesigning parts of the maritime system around new technologies and long-term industrial planning. From there, the conversation moves into artificial intelligence. Recent consolidation across maritime software providers prompts a discussion about whether competitive advantage will come from owning proprietary data or building the best interfaces to it. As AI increasingly becomes the layer connecting multiple systems, attention turns to the quality of underlying data, explainability and the limits of automation. Finally, an extraordinary AI experiment, where different frontier models were allowed to govern virtual societies, provides a springboard into a wider debate about AI behaviour, accountability and what safe deployment should look like in highly regulated industries such as shipping.  EPISODE PARTNER This episode of UnDocked is brought to you by IEC Telecom. Connectivity today goes far beyond a single service. IEC Telecom delivers a fully integrated ecosystem for modern maritime operations, combining multi-orbit connectivity, cybersecurity, network management and crew welfare into one platform. Learn more at https://iec-telecom.com

  7. Jul 9

    Compliance Over Competence, Human APIs, and Cognitive Load

    This week, Nick and Raal explore two new research reports examining the gap between maritime systems as they're designed and how they're actually used at sea. They discuss cognitive overload on modern bridges, alarm fatigue, shortcomings in competence-based training, and why culture, leadership, and teamwork matter far more than compliance alone. CHAPTERS 00:24 CEO departures continue across container shipping02:37 New research into human factors and operational reality05:06 Why interviews often reveal more than surveys16:39 Alarm fatigue, cognitive overload, and the modern bridge20:23 Digitalisation, distraction, and unintended consequences25:08 Fatigue, simulation, and operational decision-making34:03 What competence really means at sea42:07 Why compliance training can create capability gaps44:41 Leadership, culture, and why every ship is different52:29 AI update: Fable returns53:16 Holiday sign-off The episode opens with another round of senior leadership changes across container shipping before turning to two new research reports examining one of maritime's most persistent problems: the gap between how systems are designed and how ships actually operate. Nick shares findings from primary research with serving seafarers, masters and fleet managers, revealing how disconnected bridge systems increasingly rely on humans to act as the interface between technologies. The discussion explores cognitive overload, alarm fatigue and why bridge teams are often managing software rather than navigation during periods of highest risk. The conversation then shifts to competence. The research suggests today's compliance-focused training is increasingly detached from operational reality, with situational awareness, decision-making under pressure and teamwork emerging as the industry's biggest capability gaps. Nick and Raal argue that leadership, culture and effective familiarisation have a greater influence on operational performance than certificates alone. Read the Thetius report here: https://thetius.com/competent-or-compliant-seafarer-readiness-in-modern-maritime-operations/ EPISODE PARTNER This episode of UnDocked is brought to you by KVH. From commercial shipping to offshore and government fleets, KVH enables consistent, high-performance connectivity across every environment. Their integrated approach means hardware, airtime, and network management all work together seamlessly. Learn more at kvh.com

  8. Jul 2

    $600 Ship Data Collection, Digital Literacy, and Preventive Healthcare

    Nick and Raal discuss leadership change at Hafnia, falling costs for onboard vessel data collection, the continuing debate over software ecosystems versus single platforms, digital literacy and STCW reform, AI governance after Anthropic’s Fable withdrawal, and why preventative healthcare could reshape medical screening for seafarers and maritime professionals. CHAPTERS 00:52 Michael Skov steps down as Hafnia CEO03:27 Episode Partner: GTT Marine04:12 A $600 shipboard data logger changes the economics of vessel data07:25 Edge computing, bandwidth and why raw data isn't the answer10:05 Best-of-breed software versus the single platform vision13:15 Why maritime technology moves in cycles of convergence and divergence16:25 Software procurement, organisational silos and buying decisions22:20 Nick's Neko Health scan and the future of preventative medicine27:45 Could advanced health screening become standard before going to sea?30:33 Digital literacy: shipping's overlooked transformation challenge34:25 Data literacy, statistics and why dashboards can mislead38:35 Compliance versus competence in maritime training42:15 STCW reform and preparing seafarers for technologies that don't yet exist47:55 Anthropic's Fable model and the AI capability leap53:20 AI infrastructure, government intervention and vendor dependence This week Nick and Raal begin by reflecting on Michael Skov's departure as CEO of Hafnia after sixteen years leading the company from startup to the world's largest chemical tanker operator. They discuss the leadership lessons behind that journey before turning to one of the more significant technology developments of recent weeks: dramatically cheaper onboard data logging that could make high-frequency vessel performance data accessible across a much larger share of the global fleet. The conversation then returns to one of shipping's enduring technology debates—whether owners should pursue integrated software platforms or assemble best-in-class ecosystems connected through APIs. Drawing on recent industry commentary, they explore vendor lock-in, procurement strategy, organisational silos and why AI may make interoperability easier than ever. Nick also shares a firsthand experience with an AI-enabled preventative health assessment, prompting a wider discussion about the future of seafarer medical screening, preventative healthcare and whether technologies of this kind could eventually reshape the ENG1 process. Finally, the discussion turns to digital literacy, data literacy and the ongoing revision of STCW. The hosts examine why technology adoption remains fundamentally a people challenge, why understanding data is becoming as important as using software, and what the industry's latest research reveals about the growing gap between formal training and operational reality at sea. They close by exploring the brief release—and rapid withdrawal—of Anthropic's Fable model, considering what it means for AI governance, cybersecurity and the future of critical digital infrastructure. EPISODE PARTNER  This episode of Undocked is brought to you by GTT Marine. Download The Great Integration, the latest report from Danialk and Thetius, exploring how fragmented technology systems affect decision-making across shipping, and what owners can do about it. Learn more at https://gttmarine.fr.

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Undocked is a weekly podcast where Nick Chubb and Raal Harris explore what’s changing in maritime and technology. Through candid conversations and guest interviews, the show unpacks emerging trends, overlooked stories, and strategic insights, offering a fresh, unfiltered perspective on the evolving future of one of the world’s oldest industries.

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