ECDIS

Question 1

Who is ECDIS mandatory for?

Answer 1

Passenger vessels over 500GT
Cargo Ships over 3000GT
Hence it is not mandatory on yachts, though most will carry it

Question 2

What will be connected to the Ecdis

Answer 2

Minimum:
GPS x 2
Gyro
Water log
Power and UPS

Extra:
Radar overlay
AIS overlay

Question 3

When will UKHO cease production of paper charts, why?

Answer 3

2026, potentially extended to 2030
More users are using digital products

Question 4

When an ECDIS is being used to satisfy the carriage requirements of SOLAS, what must be present?

Answer 4

• Copy of type approval certificate, and standards applied
• Connection to emergency source of electrical power, gyro compass, speed log and GPS receiver
• Be maintained and up to date with the latest IHO standards (International Hydrographic Organisation)
• A back up arrangement
• When paper charts are the backup, these must also be up to date

Question 5

What is the S-52 Standard?
What is the S-57 Standard?
What is the S-58 Standard

Answer 5

52 - Specifications for chart content and display aspects of ECDIS
57 - IHO Transfer standard for Digital Hydrographic data
58 - ENC validation checks

Question 6

How to check the ECDIS software is up to date

Answer 6

All Ecdis must have a function to display the edition number of the IHO presentation library. latest edition is 4.0
Opening fictitious ECDIS Chart 1 dataset will display the latest symbols added in this update, they will only be visable if the software is up to date
Chart 1 can be downloaded from the IHO website

Question 7

Where do we get digital charts from? in what form

Answer 7

AVCS Admiralty Vector Chart Sevices
Single ENC units or Folios can be licensed for limited periods, 3,6,9,12 months,

Or by PAYS, Pay as you Sail
Where you get full coverage for passage planning, but only pay for the ENCs your vessel crosses

Question 8

What is a SENC

Answer 8

A System Electronic Navigation Chart.
Once the ENC has been loaded into the ECDIS manufacturers proprietary format.

Question 9

How to update ENCs on an ECDIS

Answer 9

A new set of ENC permits will be provided by your admiralty chart agent whenever an ENC has been added or removed from your license

The Admiralty Chart Agent will supply you with weekly AVCS update data
Alternatively you can download updates on the ECDIS directly

New AVCS DVDs are issued every week, and the data is CUMULATIVE. So only the latest one is needed

AVCS DVDs and downloads contain README file which contains important safety information

Question 10

What do you need to back up an ecdis for a Yacht less than 3000GT?

Answer 10

Either:
1X paper Chart Folio
1X ECDIS and 1X Paper chart Folio
2X ECDIS units, independant of each other, connected to an independant power supply and GNSS Antenna

When in RCDS mode, a up to date folio of paper charts covering the RNC area

Question 11

Where can we get more guidance on ECDIS in RCDS mode?

Answer 11

MGN 285 - Electronic Charts - Use of risk assessment methodology when operating ECDIS in RCDS Mode

Question 12

What do vessels over 3000GT require?

Answer 12

1 ECDIS and 1 Paper Chart Folio

or

2 independant ECDIS units. with independant power supply and GNSS inputs

Question 13

What do we need to do before operating ECDIS in RCDS Mode

Answer 13

Risk assess the dangers of using the mode
Assess the areas to determine if there is suitable ENC coverage, or if a folio of paper charts are needed as back up
RCDS mode may be used as the primary means of navigation where no ENCs exist

Question 14

Symbol on an ENC:
Purple Circle with a white cross in it

Answer 14

Isolated danger, less depth than user selected safety contour, or of unkown depth
wreck, rock or obstruction, not soundings

Question 15

Symbol on an ENC:
Depth sounding with a grey circle around it

Answer 15

Sounding of low accuracy

Question 16

On a paper chart
Sounding in italics vs sounding upright

Answer 16

Italics = regular sounding
upright font = unreliable, may also show ED, SD (existance doubtful)

Question 17

Symbol on an ENC:
a question mark

Answer 17

Ecdis does not have the info to display the character
Means ECDIS is not up to date, old S-52 data

Question 18

Symbol on an ENC:
Arrow with half tails on the end

Answer 18

Non-tidal current direction

Question 19

Symbol on an ENC:
Arrows with full tails or no tail

Answer 19

Full tail = Spring tide Flood
No tail = Spring tide Ebb

Question 20

Where to look up paper or ENC symbols?

Answer 20

Paper= NP 5011 (Book)
ENC = NP 5012
US Chart 1, free PDF, contains both paper and ENC

Question 21

Limitations of an ECDIS?

Answer 21

Electronic, requires power, failable, vulnerable
Requires training to use reliably
over-reliance
small screen size
incorrect/faliure of, inputs may not be detected by OOW, eg. GPS
Scamin, info Hidden, or screen clutter
incorrect parameters for safety contour/ XTE
false confidence in precision

Question 22

Advantages of an ECDIS

Answer 22

OOW workload reduced, plotting fix’s, updates etc
Better situational awareness, more time to look out the window
Better appreciation of ris of collision
Real time position display

Question 23

default safety depth?
How to calculate the correct safety depth

Answer 23

30m
Safety depth = draught + UKC (including squat and safety margin)

Question 24

What is the safety contour

Answer 24

A specific depth contour set during passage planning
Demarks safe and shallow water with a bold isoline, and gives and alarm if the ship, or guard zone crosses it

Question 25

Safety depth?

Answer 25

Value set by the mariner, soundings equal or shallo will display in bold. deeper will be greyed out

Question 26

Where do we get the charts for a certain area?

Answer 26

AVCS. buy them in folios for 3,6,9,12 months
Or throught the PAYS service

Question 27

What inputs go into a ECDIS

Answer 27

Power
Gyro
STW
position system, GPS

Can also have
radar
AIS

Question 28

How do you know ECDIS displaying the correct symbols?

Answer 28

Can check it is up to date and displaying the correct S-52 standard by :
Go to chart no 1 - Mid atlantic
zooming in to the appropriate Lat Long?
and confirm it matches Chart 1 PDF

Question 29

How to know it is an ECDIS not an ECS

Answer 29

Type approval cert
correctly installed
up to date
appropriate back up

Question 30

What would the ECDIS look like if it couldnt display something correctly?

Answer 30

A Magenta question mark

Question 31

What happens if you lose GPS?

Answer 31

ECDIS goes to DR mode
Gives alarm
Will continue to give position based on speed and heading

Question 32

How to show port state that your ECDIS is approved

Answer 32

show them the type approved cert
confirm it is showing S-52 4.0
Display the certificate from latest weekly updates that have been downloaded

Question 33

Can you use ECDIS in RCDS

Answer 33

Yes I would do a risk assessment 1st
and consider the need for paper charts as a back up

Question 34

What are the Mandatory alarms of ECDIS

Answer 34

Crossing Safety Contour
Deviation from Route
Critical call point
Positioning system failure
Non WGS 84 chart
Malfunction of ECDIS

Question 35

Where can we get more guidance on the use of Electronic navigation Aids?

Answer 35

MGN 379

Question 36

What are the Indications of ECDIS

Answer 36

Area with special conditions
Default safety contour
Overscale
larger scale ENC available
No ENC available
Route planning across safety contour
System test failure

Question 37

How would you update an ECDIS

Answer 37

recieve weekly email to download or a DVD
And/or a manual update in the ECDIS itself

Question 38

How would you know if the ECDIS is your prmary means of navigation

Answer 38

it would say on your Form E