After lobbying by ecdis manufacturers and some owners, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is expected to delay the requirement to comply with new ecdis standards beyond the fourth quarter of next year. The global organisation has introduced new standards for presenting electronic navigational charts (ENCs) on ecdis which, as things stand, ships need to be using from the beginning of September 2016. They were introduced to address the problem of anomalies on ENCs and the different approaches that ecdis systems use to display the charts. The IHO has also addressed concerns from the shipping industry that there were too many alarms coming from ecdis, which meant they were ignored by bridge crew.
The IHO has used the knowledge and experience of ship operators, chart suppliers and ecdis manufacturers to produce the new S-52 presentation library standard. The chairman of IHO’s ENC standards maintenance working group, Tom Mellor, told the European shipping community in early November that the new standard will reduce the generation of alarms and deliver new functions on ecdis.
He said that notification bodies and classification societies were testing ecdis using the IHO’s new ENC test data sets (publication S-64) to ensure that the updated presentation library standards are followed. He also acknowledged the problem that shipowners and manufacturers may have of updating software, or even replacing older ecdis, in order to implement the new standards. Owners would need to demonstrate to port state control officers that ecdis is operating to the new standards in order to remain compliant with IMO rules.
Industry association Comité International Radio-Maritime (CIRM) has called for a year’s extension to the enforcement of the standards changes to allow ecdis manufacturers more time to update software, gain class approvals and upgrade existing ecdis units on ships. “Older ecdis may need to be replaced if they are not capable of having the new software installed, and this is expensive and time-consuming,” said CIRM president and Jeppesen director of maritime services Michael Bergmann. “We have submitted a proposal asking for a 12-18 month extension to introducing new ecdis presentation library standards to give owners more time to update software and get it recertified, or even to replace the old ecdis and get the whole bridge recertified.” Shipowners will also need time to train navigators on a new ecdis or new software.
Mr Mellor agreed that the deadline for implementing the IHO standards should be extended. “The timeline is aggressive as ecdis manufacturers are still in the implementation phase, and trying to get type approval, so they are not yet ready for their customers,” he said. “The main ecdis manufacturers are looking to be ready in the second quarter of 2016. But it could take longer. The IHO is looking at a new timeline for the retirement of the old standards.” When a decision is reached about this, the IHO will need to tell IMO about extending the timeline. Mr Mellor, who is also head of manufacturer technical support and digital standards at the UK Hydrographic Office, urged shipowners to continue updating ecdis software and ENCs. He added: “Not updating may mean ships not meeting the carriage requirements under Solas, and operators may miss navigational hazards. So this is a safety issue.”
Ecdis manufacturers are working with the IHO, class and ENC suppliers to implement the standards on existing and new systems. For example, Transas product director for navigation Anders Rydlinger said his organisation had developed a fit and function programme that means it is ready to upgrade all ecdis systems in a cost effective way where, in the majority of cases, only software needs to be updated. But he also said: “It is a challenge for all market players to implement what is practically a new system at such short notice. But everyone who understands the great advantages it brings supports these changes that are driven by the IHO and based on user needs and experience. Ecdis will become safer and more user friendly, addressing user needs, and there will be better harmonisation between different manufacturers.”
He continued: “Manufacturers with strong development teams and a global service network are well prepared to support shipowners and managers with upgrade programmes. In the majority of cases, only software needs to be updated. For some older systems, upgrades to hardware will be required. For Transas systems delivered before 2009 only the processor and software have to be replaced. Other components, such as the keyboard, the display and other accessories and cables, can remain as they are.”
Danelec Marine received type approval from classification society DNV GL for its DM800 G2 ecdis at the end of November. The certificate means that the model meets IHO standards S-52 and S-64 and the International Electrotechnical Commission standard IEC 61174. Danelec chief executive Hans Ottosen said all existing DM800 G1 and G2 models can be upgraded free of charge. “In addition, our new type approved DM800 ecdis G2 platform will enable future software upgrades to be made by the crew aboard ship,” he said. “It is all part of our strategy to provide an integrated product and service solution.”
Manufacturers of ecdis and voyage planning tools should also consider the nationality and language of seafarers when designing models, as the proportion of Asian mariners in crew increases. Global Navigation Solutions (GNS) has introduced the Hang Xing Zhe chart updating service with software written in simplified Chinese. It says that the service will help vessels with Chinese-speaking crew to improve voyage planning and reduce navigation-related deficiencies and fines.
GNS expects that Hang Xing Zhe will become the standard for Chinese ships at a time when more vessels are built in China for state-run shipping companies. It provides notices to mariners from China’s Maritime Safety Administration and Naval Guarantee Department, as well as from the Hong Kong Hydrographic Office and Britain’s Admiralty, and updates for many other national chart series. Hang Xing Zhe has a compliance log that enables officers to demonstrate the vessel’s compliance with Solas when inspected by international port state control inspectors. It also enables shipping companies to customise the updates each vessel receives to match routes and areas of operation.
Voyage planning is increasingly conducted on a large-screen planning display rather than using paper charts. Ecdis manufacturers are assisting navigators in this by introducing digital chart tables. JRC and Alphatron Marine have jointly developed a 46in touchscreen chart table with a mechanical lifting unit. The AlphaChartTable can be used for route planning on ENCs that are supplied by Norwegian company Navtor. The software gathers and overlays the data that officers require, including ENCs, weather data, tidal information, digital publications, and other services such as piracy updates. The display can be tilted electronically to a 35 degree angle, allowing optimal routing in an ergonomic position. The console also has a built-in Navtex and GPS navigator.
© 2023 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.