ECDIS

Question 1

Which vessels must have ECDIS

Answer 1

Ships engaged on international voyages :
- Passenger Ships, 500GT+
- Cargo Ships, 3,000 GT +

Question 2

When will the production of paper charts stop?

Answer 2

by 2026

Question 3

What makes an ECDIS approved
(4)

Answer 3

1. Copy of type approval certificate and performance standards applied
2. Maintained to be compatible with the latest IHO standards
3. Connection to emergency source of electrical power, gyro compass, speed log and GPS receiver
4. Back up arrangement
   - When navigational charts are supplied as a back up, the charts should be updated

Question 4

52: to view, 57: transfer session

IHO Standards

Answer 4

S-52: Specification for chart content and display of ECDIS
S-57: IHO transfer standard for digital hydrographic data.

Question 5

Updating ENCs on ECDIS?

Answer 5

ADMIRALTY Chart Agent supply weekly AVCS update data. (cumulative)

To update the ECDIS, just load the ENCs from the latest AVCS discs that you hold.

Read the ‘READ ME’ file before installing update.

Question 6

ENC v RNC

Answer 6

ENC:
-seamless joins between charts
-safety depth and contour defined and displayed.
-alarms are automatically activated
-chart features can be interrogated
-data displayed selectively
-different symbols for clarity
-may be rotated

RNC:
-familiar presentation
-important information cannot be hidden
- worldwide coverage
- cannot be used as paper chart equivalent
- display can be cluttered.

Question 7

AVCS. what is it?

Answer 7

Admiralty Vector Chart Service

• ENCs provided under a licence agreement for defined periods of time:
• 3, 6, 9 or 12 months
  OR
  -PAYS (Pay As You Sail) only charged when your vessel tracks across the coverage of each ENC.

Question 8

ECDIS back up
(2 options)

Answer 8

Option 1: a second fully compliant ECDIS, independent of the main ECDIS.

Option 2 : a folio of paper charts, fully corrected, showing intended passage plan.

Question 9

ECDIS Symbols key ones

Answer 9

isolated danger- pink cross

CATZOCs

caution areas

dredged area

question mark- insufficient information to symbolise feature

Regular v hairline sounding (circled)

(see AVCS photo)

Question 10

Limitations of ECDIS
(4)

Answer 10

1. over reliance
2. alarm management
3. incorrect settings and scale
4. screen clutter

Question 11

Safety Depth

Answer 11

Value set by mariner
used by ECDIS to portray soundings as
black if equal to or shallower than the value and
grey if they are deeper.

Question 12

Safety Contour

Answer 12

a specific depth contour set by the ECDIS.
It marks the boundary between “safe water” and shallow water with an
extra wide isoline and is used to give
an alarm if the ship, within a time specified by the mariner,
is going to cross the safety contour.

Question 13

How to check ECDIS is up to date?