www.sea-technology.com March 2017 / st 35
I
t is an understatement to say that the art of marine navi-
gation has undergone a revolutionary transformation,
driven by ubiquitous, highly accurate satellite positioning
and advances in digital cartography. In a single lifetime,
the state of the art has gone from celestial observations,
dead reckoning, noon reports and manual plotting on pa-
per nautical charts to modern electronic chart display and
information systems (ECDIS) showing real-time positioning
and routing on a computer-generated nautical chart.
There are several important deadlines for ECDIS imple-
mentation looming this year. They include: an extension
of the ECDIS carriage requirements to more existing cargo
ships in July; a new technical performance standard for
ECDIS products in August; and new crew training require-
ments in January. This article will focus primarily on the new
performance standards, but will also look at the carriage
requirement and training issues. It will also touch brie‚y on
how ECDIS compliance is being enforced.
Implementation of ECDIS Carriage Requirements
The ECDIS carriage requirements adopted by the Inter-
national Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2011 called for a
phased implementation schedule, starting with newbuilds
and extending gradually to the existing ‚eet. Currently, all
new passenger ships over 500 GT, new tankers over 3,000
GT and new cargo ships over 3,000 GT must be Œtted with
an approved ECDIS. Also, all existing passenger ships over
500 GT, tankers over 3,000 GT and cargo ships over 50,000
GT must now be in compliance with the ECDIS carriage
requirement. The rule will be extended to all existing cargo
ships over 20,000 GT July 1, 2017 and to all existing cargo
ships over 10,000 GT July 1, 2018.
Note that the regulations require backup for the ECDIS
as well—either in the form of a second ECDIS running on
a different power supply or a portfolio of up-to-date paper
nautical charts. In most cases, it is expected that shipown-
ers will opt for a full ECDIS solution so as to eliminate the
ECDIS Compliance
Requirements
New Rules in Effect in 2017 for ECDIS Carriage, Performance
By Hans Ottosen
ECDIS carriage requirements.