T0 be able to ditch the paper charts totally there are a number of conditions that have to be fulfilled:

The ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System) is type ap-proved by class.

The Flag State approves paperless navigation.

There is a backup ECDIS with an in-dependent power source.

There are electronic charts avail-able for the voyage, installed both on the primary and the backup ECDIS.

The officers are trained and know how to use the ECDIS.

The company’s SMS (Safety Man-

zation onboard is even more impor-tant than before. Most well trained navigation officers are able to do a proper passage plan on a paper chart even if he/she is new onboard the ves-sel.

With an ECDIS he/she must know how to use that specific type of ECDIS.

The generic ECDIS training that all bridge officers must have is specified in IMO model course 1.27. It shall in-clude knowledge of the capability and limitations of ECDIS operations, pro-ficiency in operation, interpretation, and analysis of information obtained from ECDIS and management of op-erational procedures, system files and data.

In addition to the generic train-ing, type specific training or famil-iarization is needed, but there is no standard for this. Some manufactur-ers of ECDIS offer type specific train-ing in simulators, but many shipping companies choose to execute the type specific training onboard.

The advantage of executing the

ECDIS improves safety

By Eddie Janson,eddie@shipgaz.com

agement System) includes instruc-tions and proce-dures for the use of the ECDIS.

The IMO (In-ternational Mari-time Organiza-

tion) has created a “Performance Standard for electronic chart display and information system”.

Unfortunately the standard does not cover the user interface. It means that an ECDIS developed by one man-ufacturer can have a total different way of for example planning a route than another. Therefore the familiari-

Spotlight Safety

Safety: Eddie JansonCaptain Eddie Janson of MariTrain AB, instructor and consultant in maritime safety, points the Shipgaz spotlight at safety related matters.

»Unfortunately the standard does not cover the user inter-face«

A quam ratisit omnim in nobis dit enis dem rae mag-nis si alit que do-luptatur aut aliae-cte ducia pedit que nonsequas.

training onboard is that the officer can be sure that he/she is trained on the correct type of ECDIS. If the train-ing is carried out onboard this must be done before the officer is taking over the watchkeeping responsibili-ties.

When the ARPA (Automatic Radar Plotting Aid) was introduced there were a number of collisions referred to as “ARPA assisted collisions”. They (the collisions) were all due to overre-liance on the ARPA.

There have already been a number of “ECDIS assisted groundings”. In 2008 a cargo vessel ran aground on route to Grimsby, England. The depth of the vessel was 6,9 meters, the pas-sage plan passed over charted depth of less than 2 meters.

When entering shallow waters the Master who was in his cabin felt the vibrations and called the bridge. The officer on watch checked the ECDIS and replied that there was no cause for concern. The scale of the ECDIS was then set to 1:100 000. When changing the scale to 1:50 000 the of-ficer on watch realized that the vessel had ran aground.

My personal experience when car-rying out inspections is that the big-gest problem is on vessels that are using paper charts as their primary mean of navigation and also have an ECDIS or electronic chart display on-board. They are doing their passage plan on the paper chart as intended, but use the electronic charts to navi-gate where there are no safety con-tours, and in most cases the plan have not even been tested before departure.

I am sure that ECDIS will give us a safer navigation if used properly.

ECDIS

An Electronic Chart Display and Information Sys-tem (ECDIS) is a computer-based navigation infor-mation system that complies with International Maritime Or-ganization (IMO) regulations and can be used as an alternative to paper nautical charts.Source: Wikipedia

»My personal experience when carrying out inspections is that the biggest problem is on ves-sels that are using paper charts as their primary mean of navi-gation«

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”I am sure that ECDIS will give us a safer navigation if properly used”, says Captain Eddie Janson.

24 Shipgaz no 5 2011 no 5 2011 Shipgaz 25

INTERIOR INSULATION VENTILATION

PIPINGELECTRICAL

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