Application of Real-Coded Genetic Algorithm in Ship Weather Routing

Solving the problem of ship weather routing has been always a goal of nautical navigation research and has been investigated by many scientists. The operation schedule of an oceangoing ship can be influenced by wave or wind disturbances, which complicate route planning. In this paper, we present a real-coded genetic algorithm to determine the minimum voyage route time for point-to-point problems in a dynamic environment. A fitness assignment method based on an individual's position in the sorted population is presented, which greatly simplifies the calculation of fitness value. A hybrid mutation operator is proposed to enhance the search for the optimal solution and maintain population diversity. Multi-population techniques and an elite retention strategy are employed to increase population diversity and accelerate convergence rates. The effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated by numerical simulation experiments.