Standing Orders Flashcards
General flash card about standing orders
The Master should provide his own standing orders, which will be supplemented on a daily
basis by night orders, to spell out to his officers his own personal requirements.
What would normally be contained in standing order
This is the opportunity for the Master to set down quite simply the ground rules for exactly
what he expects the officers to do in different circumstances, to reinforce practices that he
expects to be followed and to create a relationship in which a mutual confidence is
established. The officers will know when the Master wants to be called and the Master will
know that they will do so.
Night orders
Night orders would give courses, rpm, ETA’s and any additional instructions.
• Which vessels must have ECDIS
Passenger ship <500GT
Cargo ship <3000GT
Engaged in international voyage
When will the sunset on Paper charts
2026
What makes an ECDIS approved
Essentially, where an ECDIS is being used to meet the chart carriage requirements of SOLAS, it must have:
Copy of type approval certificate and performance standards applied;
Emergency source power, gyro, speed log, GPS receiver
Back-up arrangement
Maintained so as to be compatible with the last applicable International IHO standards
• When navigation charts are supplied as a backup, the charts should be updated
• IHO Standards
S-52 Specifications for chart display and content of ECDIS
S-57 IHO Transfer Standard for digital Hydrographic Data
How to check ECDIS is up-to-date
IHO S-52 Presentation Library edition 4.0 by opening the ECDIS Chart 1 datasets. ECDIS Chart 1, which includes a legend of symbols used in ENC’s, should be installed on all type approved ECDIS.
ECDIS Chart 1
Viewing ECDIS Chart 1, “Information about chart display (A, B)” within the ECDIS will only display the new symbols if the IHO Presentation Library edition 4.0 is installed. The beacon and buoy features below (approx. position is 1507.0’N 00506.5’W) display the date dependent magenta ‘d’ symbol when the ECDIS date range is set between 01.04.2014 and 27.08.2014. It will not be possible to view the new symbols if the ECDIS software has not been updated to use the S-52 Presentation Library Edition 4.0.
This is the IHO recommended method for checking that the ECDIS system can display the new symbols correctly. There is no intention for the IHO to issue a check data set for IHO Presentation Library edition 4.0.
ENC Versus RNC
The mariners’ attention is drawn to the following limitations of the RCDS mode:
• Unlike ENC, where there are no displayed boundaries, RNCs are based on paper
charts and as such have boundaries which are evident in ECDIS.
• RNCs will not trigger automatic alarms (e.g. anti-grounding). However, alarms and
indications can be generated with the manual addition, during passage planning, e.g. of clearing lines, ship safety contour lines, isolated danger markers and danger areas to mitigate these limitations.
• Horizontal datums and chart projections may differ between RNCs. Mariners should understand how a chart’s horizontal datum relates to the datum of the position fixing system in use. In some instances, this may appear as a shift in position. This difference may be most noticeable at grid intersections.
• A number of RNCs cannot be referenced to either WGS-84 or PE 90 geodetic datums. Where this is the case, ECDIS should give a continuous indication.
• The display of RNCs features cannot be simplified by the removal of features to suit a particular navigational circumstance or task at hand. This could affect the superimposition of radar/ARPA.
• Without selecting different scale charts the look-ahead capability may be limited. This may lead to inconvenience when determining range and bearing or the identity of distant objects.
• Orientation of the RCDS display to other than chart-up, may affect the readability of chart text and symbols (e.g. course-up, route-up).
• It is not possible to interrogate RNC features to gain additional information about charted objects. Whether using ENC or RNC, in the planning process a mariner should consult all relevant publications (such as sailing directions, etc.).
• With RNC, it is not possible to display a ship’s safety contour or safety depth and highlight it on the display unless these features are manually entered during route planning.
• Depending on the source of the RNC, different colours may be used to show similar chart information. There may also be differences in colours used during day and night time.
• An RNC is intended to be used at the scale of the equivalent paper chart. Excessive zooming in or zooming out can seriously degrade the displayed image. If the RNC is displayed at a larger scale than the equivalent paper chart, the ECDIS will provide an indication.
• ECDIS provides an indication in the ENC which allows a determination of the quality of hydrographic the data. When using RNCs, mariners are invited to consult the source diagram or the zone of confidence diagram, if available.
AVCS what it is
ADMIRALTY Vector Chart Service (AVCS) is produced and distributed according to well- defined international standards.
The ENCs in AVCS are provided under a licence agreement that allows their use for defined periods of time. AVCS Folios and ENC Units may be added to an AVCS licence at any time for periods of 3, 6, 9 or 12 months (where data supply agreements allow). This offers maximum choice and the flexibility to match your chart holdings to your operational patterns.
• ECDIS back up
The following back-up options are generally accepted as meeting SOLAS carriage requirements:
Option 1
A second, fully compliant ECDIS which must be independent of the main ECDIS and connected to the ships main and emergency power supply (refer SOLAS Regulation Chapter II-1). It must also be connected to systems providing continuous position fixing, gyro compass and speed and distance measuring devices. The back-up ECDIS must have the chart database and voyage plan loaded before commencement of the voyage.
Option 2
A folio of paper charts that satisfies SOLAS carriage requirements, corrected to the latest available notices to mariners, covering the intended voyage and showing the intended passage plan.
ECDIS Symbols Key ones
Limitation of ECDIS
ECDIS in operation comprises hardware, software and data. It will go wrong!
• Over-reliance on equipment with the potential to threaten the safety of navigation.
“Blind faith that the system must be right” too much faith in just one system
• Over-reliance on one type of position fixing type (GPS)
• Vulnerability of power supplies
• Screen size v’s Paper chart Too small!
• Undetected errors loss or failure of an electronic input may not be detected by the
OOW in time to take action
• The passage plan was not properly checked for navigational hazards using the ECDIS
check route.
• Inappropriate depth and cross-track error settings were used, and the scale of ENC in
use was unsuitable for the area.
• Alarm issues from deafness to uncertainty
• Retrofitting of ECDIS making its location non-user friendly
• ECDIS training undertaken by the ship’s Master and deck officers had not equipped
them with the level of knowledge necessary to operate the system effectively.
• A number of ECDIS operating anomalies have been identified. Due to the complex
nature of ECDIS, and in particular because it involves a mix of hardware, software and data, it is possible that further anomalies may exist.
