ChartCo provides online update tool for regulations

Taking advantage of its digital distribution infrastructure, ChartCo has joined up with Regs4Ships to provide timely, online updates of marine regulations for ship operators

Data supplier to ships ChartCo has formed a partnership with Reg4Ships, a company that maintains a comprehensive marine regulations database, which will give the former sole distribution rights to Reg4Ships updates. Until now, Reg4Ships has delivered critical updates on regulatory matters to ships via CD-ROM. However, under the new partnership, these will be supplemented with online distribution via ChartCo’s Broadcast and Select services.

After a one-off initial installation, all RegsManager data will be held on board ship in a fast database, which allows extensive keyword searching of regulations, acts, codes of practice and notices. Together, these are designed to provide the documentation needed to meet the 2002 Safety of Navigation regulations.

Technical director at Reg4Ships, Richard Eastham explains: “Today, the regulatory burden on ship operators takes a pyramid structure. At the top, there are international standards issued by IMO – such as Solas and Marpol – which everyone is required to follow. Below that, we have rules from individual flag states, while the bottom tier consists of internal company procedures, such as ISM systems.”

“The challenge for a ship operator is to know which rules apply where and when, and moreover, how they interact and/or overlap. RegsManager is designed to remove the guesswork element by providing a single, organised repository of this information.”

Significantly, documents on related topics but from different authorities are hyperlinked to provide additional context. Regs4Ships has considered how to improve the relevance of search results. Capt Eastham continues: “If a user types in a generic term, such as ‘fuel oil’ for instance, a simple global text search of the database would throw up hundreds of false negatives. That is to say, while the document contains the term, it is not the core subject.”

To stop this from happening, Regs4Ships tag documents with various metadata, ie, keywords explaining the semantic meaning of the document. Documents with ‘fuel oil’ in the metadata would be ranked much more highly in the search results than in one where it is only mentioned, say in the appendix.

To be useful, the database has to be updated on a regular basis to ensure that new rules and amendments to existing legislation are included. “While CD-Rom distribution works, it was not ideal. Apart from the logistics of sending out the discs to ships all over the globe, someone would have to remember to install it. However, the advantage of the ChartCo infrastructure is that with faster satcom links becoming increasingly common, timely and seamless update becomes a much more realistic proposition.”

“RegsManager complements ChartCo’s existing products,” commented ChartCo manager Steve Mariner. “It will provide a valuable aid to vessels wanting to avoid the traditional time-consuming paper products. Online distribution and automated updating will provide the mariner with the most accurate and up-to-date information around the clock.”

Capt Eastham believes partnering with ChartCo will enable his company to enhance and develop new services, in particular Regs4ships intends to offer all major flag state legislation, coupled with all maritime conventions and standards, by taking advantage of ChartCo’s expertise in software development and data management and delivery. He adds: “We are looking forward to assisting ChartCo in providing a comprehensive suite of electronic data for all vessels at sea.”

ChartCo Broadcast uses the Inmarsat point to multi-point service and has been operational since January 1999, while the more recently introduced ChartCo Select allows data to be delivered through broadband or dial-up Internet access. In addition to RegsManager, both connection types give mariners access to:
• ChartManager, a package of digital ‘notices to mariners’ and chart correction tracings, automatically delivered directly to the ChartCo decoder on board ship. This service covers a wide range of paper charts from various hydrographic offices.
• oceanXpress, a range of services for delivery of updates to electronic chart and navigation data to support the ever-increasing use of electronic navigation data in place of conventional paper charts and publications.
• MetManager, a weather forecasting and routing service based on data from US government sources.
• news services, daily electronic newspapers, regional supplements and sport events special editions.

The ChartManager and oceanXpress chart update services help vessels to comply with international standards by providing a chart correction audit trail and the safety and operational benefits of shore based ship management. Automatic reception and data assessment are a feature of all the services, allowing the system to operate on a ‘fit-and-forget’ basis. The software package allows the vessel to self-manage folios and view historical data.

Fixed weekly subscription charges can include rental of the decoder, satellite communications costs and information supply, which ChartCo claims, makes RegsManager one of the simplest marine information services in the world. MEC