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SOLAS allows an ECDIS to be accepted as meeting the chart carriage requirements provided that a back-up system is in place and that they both conform to the relevant performance standards. Importantly, it also defines a nautical chart or publication as a specially compiled database that is issued officially by or on the authority of a Government - ENCs and RNCs. All nautical charts and publications on board must be adequate and up-to-date.

ECDIS integrates all navigation systems onboard, such as:

• Cartography ( Charts ),
  
• GPS ( Global Positioning System ),
  
• Automatic Radar Plotting Aid ( ARPA ), and
  
• Any other data the vessel has, like weather and bathymetrics, etc.

ECDIS

IMO approved amendments to SOLAS mandating the fitting of ECDIS in June 2009. ECDIS gives navigational information as an extra layer on top of a radar / computer screen. This information is to be regularly up-dated, same as paper charts have been up till now. Paper charts will continue to exist and they must be kept onboard and up-dated as before even if the navigator doesn't use them. Except when the ship has two independent ECDIS installed, out of which one is a full back-up with a separate power source. Get 2nd edition of guide to charts and carriage requirements

All new large passenger, tanker and cargo ships will be obliged to fit ECDIS onboard according to a rolling timetable beginning in July 01, 2012. The first of the new ships will be passenger vessels over 500 GT. The requirements are included in the amended STCW 2010 coming into force on Jan. 01, 2012.

However, existing Passenger ships, Cargo ships and Tankers which are operating exclusively on Indian Coastal voyages need not be fitted with ECDIS. Source: circular is issued with the approval of the Director General of Shipping [MCA - UK M.S. NOTICE NO. NT(1) 2011 - March 11, 2011]. All Indian ships engaged on International voyages shall however be required to be fitted with ECDIS according to STCW 2010 requirements..

ISM code requires that ship officers have familiarisation training for all safety equipment fitted onboard ( including navigational equipment ). It will also mean additional training and new mandatory certificates for bridge officers ( navigators ). PSC will be checking to ensure compliance with the new regulations.

If a PSC Officer finds a navigational officer unable to provide ECDIS training certification or be able to adequately maintain or use an ECDIS as required by SOLAS, the PSC Officer may take action under STCW for the inability of a navigational officer to safely use a chart. After January 01, 2012, this will be a clear breach of STCW ECDIS competence.

Successful implementation requires a re-write of the company's safety management system ( ISM ). See also 10 steps to ECDIS mandation     (0.6 KB) and ECDIS as Decision Assistance Tool

Acronyms :

ECS = Electronic Chart System = electronic charting systems which use scanned raster images of nautical charts.
ENC = Electronic Navigational Charts = electronic nautical charts used by ECDIS are resource-intensive and time consuming to produce.
ECDIS = Electronic Chart Display Information System
RCDS = Raster Chart Display System - ECDIS in RCDS mode shall only be used in conjunction with appropriate up-to-date paper charts.

In order for a chart to qualify as an ENC, it must be specified as an ENC by a national hydrographic office. National hydrographic offices follow specifications established under the aegis of the International Hydrographic Office. The so-called derived electronic charts produced by commercial producers or suppliers are not recognised under SOLAS Chapter V as meeting the relevant chart carriage requirements   [850 KB ].

For more information on electronic charts and their carriage see: Facts about electronic charts from International Centre for ENCs, which are the national ( official ) Hydrographic Offices, i.e. the "chart makers" themselves.     [958 KB]. The ENCs onboard are up-dated diectly via satellite / Internet e-mail service.

See also: DNV have a Worldwide overview of electronic charts and their usability. John Clandillon-Baker at Pilot Magazine is running an absorbing multi-part series on electronic chart display and information systems that is a must-read.

ECDIS Vulnerabilities

The Royal Academy for Engineering ( UK ) has done jamming and disturbance tests with GPS and found GPS vulnerable   [ 984 KB ]. The next step for positioning in ECDIS seems to call for a developed Loran system ( Long Range Navigation ), i.e enhanced Loran [ eLORAN ], which is independent of GPS or other satellite navigation systems ( GNSS ). The General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland ( GLAs ) fully support the findings of the Royal Academy of Engineering's paper on the dangers of heavy dependency on GPS.

LORAN is a terrestrial ( earth bound ) light power, hyperbolic navigation system operating in the 90-110 kHz frequency band. The LORAN system came into operation in 1958 and have been used for maritime navigational purposes since then - mainly as back up to GPS. In January 2010 US Coast Guard ( USCG ) certified that termination of the Loran-C signal will not adversely affect the safety of maritime navigation and that decommission will begin on February 8 when all US Loran stations were expected to cease transmitting the Loran-C signal by October 01, 2010.

During the summer 2011 there were extensive tests of GPS vulnerabilities in USA. The test results show clearly probable effects on GPS of a proposed broadband network: widespread debilitating interference to GPS receivers. There was also strong interference from FM / TV transmissions, AM transmitters, and mobile telephone networks. The test is reported in Inside GNSS, Jul / Aug Issue 2011.

eLoran is a low frequency terrestrial navigation system based on a number of transmission stations, which emit precisely timed and shaped radio pulses centred at 100 kHz radio frequency. eLoran works in much the same way as GPS but it is an independent and complementary system, offering a navigation system with no such failure modes as are common with GPS or other satellite based systems. IMO is developing e-Navigation as the future approach to marine navigation.

GPS Technical Vulnerabilities

GPS signals are particularly weak and are susceptible to interference. These problems are being discussed at the LinkedIn discussion group.
- Too few satellites,
- Satellite clock errors,
- Interference from solar storms, ionospheric effects and atmospheric conditions.
- Unintended interference comes from TV antennas, GPS antenna cables, etc.
- Deliberate interference ( terrorist or pirate attack ).

Human Factors

Ship officers are conditioned to expect excellent performance and reliability from a GPS by having used it for long time in different conditions. With ECDIS positioning based very much or solely on GPS this can translate into "over reliance" on the system.

ECDIS Training

The overall objective of an ECDIS training course is to enhance navigational safety. The skills gained with this course include the safe operation of ECDIS equipment, proper use of various types of ECDIS-related information, and knowledge of the capability and limitations of ECDIS. Thus the ECDIS effectively shifts position keeping away from ARPA, position plotting from the paper chart, and offers primary detection of set and drift. Mastery of all ECDIS functions requires continual use.

The UK Marine and Coastguard Agency ( MCA ) has issued a Marine Information Notice ( MIN 405 (M+F) ) [   88 KB ] specifying that all ECDIS users are required to complete both generic ("general") and type specific training, i.e. two separate training certificates. It is especially pointed out that "trickle down" information, i.e. when an older officer instructs a younger one, is not accepted. It means specific and separate certificates for each type of ECDIS installation.

All navigating officers serving on ships fitted with an approved ECDIS must have completed approved training on use of ECDIS ( IMO model course 1.27 or equivalent ); ECDIS training as contained in the STCW Convention ( as amended 2010 ). The generic course is delivered by colleges, training centres or mobile training companies. The type specific course generally by the specific manufacturer or his authorized representative. The Type specific training can be on a laptop or desk top, onboard or ashore.

The phrase "Operational Use of ECDIS" sometimes used by some training institutes, is the title of the IMO 1.27 model course and when this phrase is used, you should expect a full 40 hour course on the generic operation of ECDIS. If this is delivered on a particular manufacturer's type-approved system, the course will satisfy the type-specific training requirement. Also, be wary of courses claiming to be in accordance with STCW, because a course must be approved by the Flag State - i.e. the proper maritime authority in the country where the training institution is localized or ship is registered.

In addition to basic ECDIS information on Rules, Regulations and Standards, the website also gives some advance information on ECDIS (at times). Then there is also Nautical Institute's ( London ) Forum: ECDIS - Issues / Problems. And the collection of ECDIS rules and regulations, including different flag states' training / certification rules.

A sample of ECDIS Training Centres / Institutions around the world:

On-line Training

The new STCW 2010 includes provisions for distance learning / e-learning, also called Computer Based Training ( CBT ).

• German training centre ( Safebridge ) have Transas ECDIS type specific online training course with online simulation facility. The Centre also have an agreement with Raytheon Anschütz for type specific ECDIS training with Raytheon equipment.

Off-line Training

The training centres listed below are a small sample only. They are by no means guaranteed to be the best ones.

• Furuno Training Centre in Copenhagen: ECDIS simulator based generic course, 5 days.
  
  
• Transas Marine has built up an International chain / network of partnering ECDIS training institutes ( GET-Net Partners ). Get their Training catalogue [1.43 MB]   and their ECDIS brochure [1.53 MB]   . 2 day course conforming to STCW 2010 requirements.
  
  Transas have offices in Sweden, United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany, France, Greece, the UAE. Through the training Institutes, certificates are certified by Germanischer Lloyd.
  
  GET-Net partners are in Denmark, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, The Netherlands and Philippines [July 2011 ].