The comparison of Model Predictive Control (MPC) and Sliding Mode Control (SMC) are
presented in this paper. This paper investigates the performance of each controller as the navigation system
for IFAC benchmark ship models (cargo vessel and oil tanker). In this investigation the navigation system
regulates the heading angle of the two types of marine vessel with reference to a desired heading
trajectory. In this investigation, the result obtained from MPC is compared with a well-established control
methodology, namely Sliding Mode control theory. Wave disturbances and actuator limits are
implemented to provide a more realistic evaluation and comparison for the proposed control structure
