Tag: ENC

The Admiralty team recently attended the Shipbuilding, Machinery and Marine (SMM) Technology Fair in Hamburg where they held a series of workshops on digital integration. Captain Paul Hailwood, a renowned expert on ECDIS and integrated bridge operations, was there to answer delegates’ questions, which ranged from “What is the most important part of the transition?” right through to “What do we do when ECDIS fails?”

Shipping is getting smarter. It no longer exists in a vacuum – now shipping is entering a new era of data collection, reporting and analysis, with untold opportunities now in clear view. It’s a process with multiple drivers – and the usual combination of carrot and stick.

Regulation means that data on ballast and oily water management, high/low sulphur fuel switching and emissions monitoring must be recorded. All of this alongside the day-to-day requirements for planned maintenance, tighter record keeping and inspection compliance which serve to make ships more visible than ever.

Earlier this year we talked to UKHO’s Hugh Phillips about the problems identified by the International Hydrographic Bureau (IHB) whereby some, especially older, ECDIS were subject to software anomalies, which might result in some navigation data not displaying correctly.

The IHB developed and issued a check dataset in late 2011 to alert mariners to these problems and last month it issued a further circular advising that of about 500 responses received, only one third of ECDIS units tested functioned completely as expected.

“Why exactly are you writing about S-100?” asks Jonathan Pritchard, more in amusement than suspicion. I get the impression that he and colleague Barrie Greenslade don’t get many requests to talk about their efforts to develop a completely new standard for the way ECDIS handles and displays information.

My explanation – that it’s Admiralty’s job to be interested in this sort of thing – seems to do the trick and before long the pair are chatting in detail about the process and what it will mean to mariners, finishing each other’s sentences and trading anecdotes as people who work closely tend to do.

Late last year, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) issued a notice advising shipowners and crews to check that their ECDIS systems were capable of displaying all the necessary symbols and features of an electronic chart.

At issue was the risk that some older ECDIS software might be unable to display certain data and while the problem was not thought to be widespread, the chance that the ECDIS display might not be 100% reliable was taken seriously.

The IMO NAV 57 meeting in London last week provided plenty for e-Navigation watchers to chew over – not least the first opportunity for many to review the report of the e-Nav intercessional working group, chaired by John-Erik Hagen of Norway.

At close to 80 pages, it will take some digesting and was chewed over by a working group during proceedings.  For anyone with a complacent view of e-Navigation and the approaching Ecdis deadline, there were two clear messages, delivered in the IMO version of plain text.

Admiralty Vector Chart Service (AVCS) now includes complete coverage of Colombia’s two largest trading ports, Cartagena and Buenaventura, following the release of 20 new ENCs.  The new charts cover large expanses of the Central and Southern American coast, providing greater navigational detail of the region.

The new ENCs answer increasing demand from mariners for fully compliant chart data for the region, which has seen consistent growth in recent years.  Leading industry analyst house Business Monitor International (BMI) predicts that Cartagena will see a growth in volume of 6.9% in 2011 (year-on-year) to 9.98mn tonnes, while Buenaventura’s volumes will grow by 4% – taking volumes to 12.8mn tonnes. While short of the double-digit growth seen in 2010, it is clear that the Colombia will be seeing significantly more traffic in the coming years.

Amid all the talk of new frontiers for technology in shipping, there is a subject which has not yet seen much discussion; user-generated content (UGC). As the use of the internet at sea grows, so does the need to maintain standards. Unofficial, user-generated content– a staple of the internet on dry land – could be perceived as a threat to safety.

This conundrum came up during a conversation with maritime consultant, Dr Andy Norris, whose contributions to DigitalShip always provide plenty of food for thought.

The ‘Ask Admiralty’ feature on the Future of Navigation website provides our customers with the opportunity to get in touch with our team of industry experts. They’re available to answer questions or provide advice on a range of maritime navigation subjects, whether it’s the impact of the ECDIS Mandate on navigation operations, to information about Admiralty products and services.

In March, Ask Admiralty is focusing on ENCs and the recently launched Admiralty Information Overlay.  Jason Scholey, Electronic Charts Product Manager and one of the driving forces behind the development of both AVCS and the Admiralty Information Overlay (AIO), will be on hand to answer any questions you may have on ENCs and AIO.

Training has been in the news of late, particularly as it’s an area of increased focus for many shipping companies as the first of the deadlines for compliance with the ECDIS Mandate approaches. Every shipping company that has to comply with the Mandate needs to ensure that their crews can navigate confidently, efficiently and safely using ECDIS. With anything up to an estimated 500,000 personnel requiring training over the next 8 years, that presents a huge challenge for the shipping industry.

In Seatrade last month, a spokesman from Lilley and Gillie warned that those ships that do not have the necessary trained crew may not be able to sail once the ECDIS mandate comes into force for their class of vessels. “You have to realise that there will be a rush for training ahead of the deadline and there are not going to be the resources to meet the last minute demand,” he said.