If the vessel is equipped with an electronic chart display and information system all navigational Officers shall have received a training course according to IMO Model 1.27 and in addition a type specific training for the on board system which can be done on board directly using
the ISM form F-4 (also refer to IMO STCW.7/Circ.24/Rev.1). Was the IMO Model Course carried out on that type of ECDIS which is installed on board the vessel a crew member serves at,
same is considered as the type specific training which is following STCW.
All navigational Officers shall be duly familiar with the System and function to ensure a safe
navigation at all times.
Due to screen resolution of ECDIS precision of charted objects on ECDIS may not be substantially different from that of paper charts.
When planning a passage on ECDIS the following should be considered carefully:
Availability of and access to the required updated and charts for the intended voyage. This
should include identification of areas where ECDIS may need to be in Raster Chart display
system.
Passages and voyage plans can be reused but need to be checked, updated and verified that
they remain safe and do not require any changes. When planning the voyage, the largest scale
shall be used.
A maximal acceptable cross track distance (XTD) should be applied to each leg of a route. This
should comply with any requirements in the SMS and be appropriate for the area.
Safety depths and safety contours should be calculated and setup in accordance with the UKC
requirements in the SMS.
ETA information should be set up manually or using route planning tools. If this is set incorrectly it may affect tidal data and time dependent information associated with the route.
Current and tidal data, if integrated with ECDIS and up to date, should be applied to the route
and information relating to the vessel´s characteristics should be checked and confirmed as
correct. This includes information about draught, rate of turn radius and vessels dimensions.
Where ECDIS is integrated with radar and a radar image overlay (RIO) feature available the
alignment of the radar picture with charted features can be used to further verify the ship´s
position.
A detailed review of the passage plan route should always be carried out in conjunction with
an automated route scan when using ECDIS.
The passage plan should be saved and backed-up to ensure unauthorized access. The passage
plan may be inserted directly in the ECDIS System but then need to be confirmed by a Logbook
entry with signature of all navigational Officers.
Over reliance on ECDIS should be avoided particularly if detrimental to keeping of a proper
look out.
All Officers shall be familiar with update procedures and adjusting waypoints if deemed necessary.
ECDIS Anomalies:
A few ECDIS operating anomalies have been identified and subsequently addressed through
software updates.
An integrated “ECDIS Data Presentation and Performance check in Ships” alerts watch keeping officers to the possibility, that the installed ECDIS may require an update from the manufacturer.
ECDIS is a complex system and it is possible that further anomalies may be identified. However, it is also possible that through misinterpretation of information and inappropriate system settings OOW´s can also affect the safe and efficient operation for navigation and related systems.
In case of an ECDIS failure all navigational Officers shall be familiar with restart and failure
handling procedures according to the maker´s manual.
Depth Contours and Safety Depth
Before commencing any voyage, the navigational Officer must set an appropriate value for
the Safety Contour, Safety Depth, Shallow Contour and Deep Contour, based on the vessel’s
draft and required UKC, taking into consideration the quality of the ENC data available and
expected operating conditions. The above-mentioned values must be evaluated and carefully
checked along the voyage. Below, you find the calculation for each value.
CATZOC accuracy correction - Height of Tide
of water available); in any case not less than 20m
The Safety Contour marks the division between
„safe‟ and „unsafe‟ water. If the navigational
Officer enters a specific value for Safety Contour,
the ECDIS may automatically choose the next
available deeper depth contour as Safety Contour.
If ECDIS can accept only whole values without
decimals, then the Safety Depth must be rounded
to the next higher whole number.
Considering the above guideline on setting the
contour values, it becomes evident that the area
between Shallow Contour and Safety Contour may
be navigable but can be dangerous and shall be
navigated with extreme caution only.
Whenever a vessel must cross a Safety Contour, it shall be done safely and the OOW must
ensure that suitable display settings are enabled and all possible dangers are shown. Alarms
for crossing Safety Contour and Safety Depth must be kept on.