105

1 INTRODUCTION

Worldwideshippingindustryisapproachingtheend

of ECDIS implementation process on board ships.

Unlike the other aspects of vessels operation

proceduresinstructionsrelatedtoECDISarenotfully

established what often creates uncertainty especially

when the vessel is about to undergo vetting

inspection.

Inadditiontoother

inspectionsandauditstanker

vessels are subjected to be assessed by OCIMF Ship

InspectionReportingProgramme.TheOilCompanies

International Marine Forum (OCIMF) is a voluntary

associationofoilcompanieshavinganinterestinthe

shipmentoftankers[9].OCIMFformationcommence

in 1970 when major oil companies bond together

to

attain stronger influence in the international rules

formingprocess.Asfortoday(2016)94membersare

part of OCIMF. Wide experience in hydrocarbons

transport is an excellent foundation for professional

guidelines published by OCIMF. Even though those

guidelines are only recommendations not the

international rules they tend to set worldwide



standards for tanker shipping industry. Besides

extensive list of publications OCIMF has built a

database of worldwide tanker fleet which consist

detailed reports with regards to safety management

systems.ShipInspection Report Programme (SIRE)

was established in 1993 and more than 180000

inspection reports have been prepared since then.

SIRE

database is a great tool for ship operators in

process of selecting particular tanker for charter.

PositiveresultofSIREinspectionisaclearindication

thatvessel iswellmaintainedinaccordancetosafety

international standards. SIRE examiners use the

specificguidelinesforcarryingoutinspections.Those

guidelines named Vessel  Particulars

 Questionnaire

(VPQ)andVesselInspectionQuestionnaire(VIQ)are

set of questions to be answered during inspection.

Each question has a background in commonly

recognized rules; for instance SOLAS, IGC Code,

Bridge Procedures Guide, FSS Code, LSA Code,

MARPOL, IMDG Code.Direct references leave

Position Cross-Checking on ECDIS in View of

International Regulations Requirements and OCIMF

Recommendations

W.Legieć

GdyniaMaritimeUniversity,Gdynia,Poland

ABSTRACT:Inthispaperauthorsuggestmethodsforpositioncross ‐checkingonmodernbridgeequippedwith

ECDIS. Terrestrial navigation techniques in relation to newly implemented technology are adopted to fulfil

internationalrequirementsandrecommendations.Authorproposesvoyagerecordingproceduresconforming

to IMO requirements  ready to be

 used as navigational procedures in Safety Management System. Vessel

InspectionQuestionnaireofShipInspectionReportProgramme isusedtosystematizetheneeds.Differencesin

approachbetweenpaperchartsandECDISnavigationareexposedandclarifiedservingasa guideforships

liable to undergo vetting inspection. Author shows both, advantages

and weak points of various ECDIS

featuresusingasanexampleECDISmanufacturedbyJapanRadioCompany.



http://www.transnav.eu

the International Journal

on Marine Navigation

and Safety of Sea Transportation

Volume 10

Number 1

March 2016

DOI:10.12716/1001.10.01.12

106

almost no room for individual often subjective

inspector interpretation. At present ECDIS related

procedures are not completely settled what causes

frequentconfusionsaboutitsusage.Itisaninterestof

all parties involved to agree on international

standardsandproceduresforECDISservice.

2 POSITIONFIXANDPOSITIONCROSS‐CHECK



ECDIS introduction changed the view at position

fixingon boardmodernships.Besideother benefits,

unlikewithpaper charts navigationOOW canfocus

onthenavigationalsituationwithoutinterruptionfor

continuous position plotting. GNSS derived position

(usually GPS) is unceasingly plotted on the ECDIS

screenandthe wholesystem is

basedonnumber of

sensorswhichmustbecross‐checkedbyothermeans

tokeepthe shipon the safeside [7].ECDISused in

conjunctionwith traditionalnavigation methodslike

visual, radar, and celestial observations gives an

overallperceptionofthecurrentsituation[11].

It is an imperative to understand

 the difference

between position fixing and position cross‐checking

definitions. When paper charts were in use position

fixing term apply as it was plotted on the chart

manually by OOW. Position co‐ordinates were

obtained from GPS, radar or by visual observations

and then plotted on the paper chart by

navigating

officer. Situation was pretty straight‐forward: fix

position and plot it on the chart. Nowadays when

working with ECDIS ship’s position is fixed and

plotted on the chart continuously and OOW is

responsible for cross‐checking of position derived

fromGNSSreceiver.

2.1 Positioncross‐checkintervals

Whenusingpaper

chartstermpositionfixing interval

meanthowoften positionshouldhave to be plotted

manually on the paper chart by OOW. Additionally

therewasarequirementforconfirmingGPSderived

position accuracy by use of other position fixing

methodsatintervalsfrequentenoughnotrunintothe

danger in the

time between fixes. At present, while

usingECDISpositionfixintervaldefinitiondoesnot

applyasfixing isalreadydoneandpositionisplotted

unceasingly. Today we can say only about position

cross‐checkinginterval.

Table1.Positionfixingandcross‐checkingintervals

_______________________________________________

GPSderivedVisual,radar,

positioncelestial,position

_______________________________________________

Plotting  Required  Plotting Required

method  intervalmethodinterval

_______________________________________________

Paper Plotted  Vesselcannot

charts manually runintoPlotted

byOOW dangerduring manuallyNot

ECDIS Plotted  theinterval byspecified

Automaticallybetweenfixes OOW

byECDIS

_______________________________________________



Evaluating question no. 4.26 in OCIMF Vessel

Inspection Questionnaire itcanbe seen that interval

forGPSposition cross‐checkingbyother methods is

not precisely identified. It says that “At least two

methods of position fixing should be charted, where

possible.Visualandradarpositionfixingandmonitoring

techniques should be used whenever possible. GPS

derivedpositionsshouldalwaysbeverifiedbyalternative

methods” [8]. It is essential to specify position cross‐

checkingintervalswithinNavigationalProceduresin

Safety Management System [13]. Let’s study an

exampleextractedfromoneofthemajoroilshipping

companies’navigationalprocedures.Whilstthevessel

wasontheopenoceanthepositionfixingintervalset

by company policy was

 one hour. This interval

decreased gradually as the vessel approaches the

land.Whennavigatinginconfinedwaterswithpilot

onboardtheintervalforpositionfixingwasseton3

minutes. Asaresultnavigating officer was required

toplotthe positionmanually(using mixed methods

GPS,visualorradar)

atveryshortintervalsinorder

tonavigatesafelyandconformtoSafetyManagement

System procedures. Situation becomes unsafe

especiallyduringnighttimewhenofficerwasforced

to be a multitasker and focus in the same  time on

collision avoidance, monitoring the helmsman

responseonpilot’s orders, reportingtoVTS stations



and other duties.  OOW was constantly shifting

betweenthechartroomandconningpositiontesting

his rapid eye accommodation skills. In order to

supportbridgeteamitwasquitecommontoengage

anotherofficerjustforpositionplottingbutitleadsto

work/rest hour’s issues when arriving in port. SIRE

inspectors are very sensitive about hours of rest

regulationsandstudying VIQquestionno.4.9itcan

be noted that bridge manning is underlined there

“Inspectorsmusttakeintoaccounttheimpactofadditional

bridgemanningupontheworkloadofanyindividualand

impact of hours of rest regulations”

[8]. ECDIS

introduction changed this ridiculous situation and

improved safety of navigation significantly. OOW

finallycanfocusonthenavigationalsituationhaving

advantage of real time position plotting on ECDIS

display. What remains to be specified is a position

cross‐checkinterval.Itisquitecommonthatposition

cross‐checking intervals

 are simply copied from

previous position fixing interval requirements

applicable for paper chart navigation. Lack of

understanding of ECDIS system and advantages

which comes with it leads to dangerous situation

whennavigatingofficerisrequiredtocross‐checkhis

GPSpositionatabsurdintervals.Onceagain,position

fixintervaland

position cross‐check intervalarenot

thesamethings.MaingoalofECDISintroductionon

board the vessels was to lessen the workload and

improve navigation safety. GNSS derived position

must be checked‐no question about it, but cross‐

checking it every 3 minutes is like moving back to

papercharts

age.Itisfutiletokeepcontinuousdouble

positonmonitoring.IfGNSSisnottobetrustedfora

fewminutesthenwhatisthepointofusingECDIS.

Asaconclusion,thelastsentenceinVIQquestion

no.4.26“The frequency of positionfixing should be such

thatthe

vesselcannotrunintodangerduringtheinterval

between fixes” [8] is always satisfied while working

withECDISasthepositionisfixedcontinuouslyand

the distance passed between fixes is always lesser

thanthedistancetotheclosestdanger.

107

3 VOYAGEPLANSTAGES

Question no. 4.25 in SIRE Vessel Inspection

Questionnaireisa bittricky.Itstates“Thefollowing

shouldbemarkedonthechart,where itenhancessafe

navigation: (…) Methods and frequency of position

fixing; (…) In the event that ECDIS is the primary

meansofnavigation,

theaboveshouldbetakeninto

account”[8].

ForECDISuserstermshouldbeisdegradedbythe

expression should be taken into account. It means that

elementsofpassageplanrequiredonthepapercharts

arenotexactlythesameasthoserequiredforpassage

plan prepared on ECDIS.

 For instance methods and

frequencyofpositionfixingmarkingscannotbedone

inthesamewayonelectronicandpapercharts.While

usingpaperchartspositionfixingmarkingprocedure

is well known to everyone and does not require

furtherexplanation.OnECDISwheredisplayedchart

scale is often changed sentence

should be repeated

endlesstimesinoneareainordertobevisibleatall

times.Constantlyrepeatedinformationaboutposition

cross‐checkfrequencyanditsmethodscanresultwith

cluttered chart picture therefore it is necessary to

solvethisissueinadifferentway.Oneofthemethods

is to

 split the route into the segments (Open Sea

Navigation, Coastal Navigation and Confined

Waters) and assign them with clear instructions in

regardstofrequency andmethodsofpositioncross‐

checking[5].

3.1 OpenSeaNavigation‐definitionandmethodsfor

shippositionchecks

OpenSeaNavigationcouldbedefinedaspart

ofthe

shipsvoyageplanwherenolandisinvicinity[5].At

thisstageshipspositionisobtainedwithuseofGPS

andcouldbeconfirmedeitherbyCelestialFixesorby

comparisonbetweenGPSreceivers.ECDISuserswill

takeanadvantageofhavingtwoGPSreceiverswhat

is required

 by IMO on every vessel equipped with

twoindependentECDISstations[3].



3.2 CoastalNavigation‐definitionandmethodsofship

positionchecks

Coastal Navigation definition apply for the areas

where vessel is closer to shore and radar or visual

objects are available for GPS position cross‐check.

When navigating in coastal waters OOW duty is to

employ Radar Overlay feature and terrestrial

navigation

 position fixing methods to confirm

accuracy of positions derived from GNSS plotted

automaticallyonECDIS[11].Inaddition,comparison

betweentwoGPSreceiversshouldbeperformedwith

useofthesamemethodsasforOpenSeaNavigation;

that means secondary position symbol or secondary

trackdisplayshouldbeenabledas

wellasdifference

betweenpositionsalarm.

3.3 ConfinedWaters‐definitionandmethodsofship

positionchecks

Confined Waters or Pilotage Waters is a part of

voyage pla n where ship is in the area of shallow

watershavinglimitedroomtonavigate.

Confinedwatersexamples:

 Canals

 Locksystems

 Rivers

leadingtoport

 Confinedareasamongislandsandreefs

 Waterways

 TrafficSeparationSchemes

 Bays

 Harbors

 Portapproaches

There is no rigid distinction between coastal and

confinedwatersandthelimitsofthosearetobesetby

NavigatingOfficerwhilepreparingthePassagePlan.

Since the utmost accuracy is essential throughout

Confined Waters navigation, position cross‐check

frequencyshouldbegraduallyincreased[10].

3.4 Voyageplanstages‐methodsofship’spositionchecks

‐summary

Table2.Positioncross‐checkingsummary

_______________________________________________

Voyage VisualCalculated GPSposition GPS‐position

Plan comparison comparison accuracy  accuracy

stage between betweenconfirmedby confirmedby

twoGPS twoGPS Visual/Radar RadarOverlay

receivers receivers observation

_______________________________________________

Ocean  YES  YES  NONO

Navigation

Coastal YES  YES  YESYES

Navigation

Confined YES  YES  YESYES

Waters

_______________________________________________

4 POSITIONCROSS‐CHECKMETHODS

4.1 Visualcomparisonbetweentwogpsreceivers

GPS positions could be compared visually or by

calculating the difference between indicated co‐

ordinates.Secondarypositionsourcesymbolmustbe

displayedontheJRCECDISscreeninordertocheck

visually that positions derived from two GPS



receiversmatcheachother.Othermanufacturers(i.e.

Furuno) provide the function of displaying primary

andsecondarypasttracks.WithbothsystemsOOWis

abletoseeatglancethatGPSpositionscorrelatesby

confirmingthateither symbolsor tracksseenonthe

displayoverlapeachother.

108



Figure1. Secondary position symbol not displayed on the

chart



Figure2.Secondarypositionsymboldisplayedonthechart



Figure3.Twopositionsymbolsinpropercorrelation



Figure4.Positionsymbolsnotcorrelated

4.2 Calculatedcomparisonbetweentwogpsreceivers

Mathematical comparison between co‐ordinates

derived from two GPS receivers is performed

unceasingly by ECDIS. OOW is warned by audio‐

visualindicationeverytimewhendifferencebetween

positionsexceedspresetvalue.

109



Figure5. ECDIS alarm triggered by excess difference

betweenpositions

4.3 RadarOverlay

Radar Information Overlay (RIO) superimposed on

ECDIS screen is one of the techniques  satisfying

necessity for GPS position cross‐check when

navigatingwithinCoastalorConfinedWaters.Beside

of GPS position accuracy check RIO offers another

advantageous feature that is sensor check. RIO is

recognized by British Admiralty

 as the most

immediate indicator of system accuracy [11]. When

radaroverlaymatcheschartedfeaturesdisplayed on

ECDIS screen it means that sensors connected to

ECDISworksproperly.Whenradar pictureoverlaid

onECDISdoesnotmatchchartedcoastlinethereisno

reason for panic and immediate doubts in sensors

accuracy.Officersneedtobearinmindlimitationsof

radars.Firstlycoastlinereflectionsgeneratedatsharp

angles appear further from shore that they actually

are and therefore best interpretation gives a picture

observedatrightangles.Secondly,radarreflectionis

dependable on coastline characteristic. Charted flat

desert coastline will generate poor

 reflection and

rockycliffswillgivestrongandevidentechoes[2].

Figure6.RadarOverlaynotalignedwithdisplayedchart

Figure7.RadarOverlaynotalignedwithdisplayedchart



Figure8.RadarOverlaynotalignedwithdisplayedchart



Figure9. Radar Overlay correctly aligned with displayed

chart



Figure10. Radar Overlay correctlyaligned with displayed

chart

Itisessentialtoadjustdisplayedradarpictureas

to not clutter presented chart data. Incorrectly

adjusted radar overlay reduces navigation safety

insteadof improvingit[12].ECDISprovidefeatures

ofvarioussettingmodificationstoradaroverlay.

JRC ECDIS offers following functions related to

RadarOverlay:

 RadarOverlaytransparencyadjustment



 Radaroverlaycolorpatternadjustment

 Rangeringsdisplay

 Bearingscaledisplay

 Gainadjustment

 Seaclutteradjustment

 Rainclutteradjustment

110



Figure11. Radar overlay color pattern example on JRC

ECDIS



Figure12. Radar overlay color pattern example on JRC

ECDIS



Figure13.RadarOverlaysettingsonJRCECDIS



Figure14 Range rings and bearing scale enabled on JRC

ECDIS

4.4 TerrestrialnavigationtechniquesapplicationforGPS

positioncross‐check

InadditiontoRadarOverlayfunctiontherearethree

different methods to confirm accuracy of GPS

positionwhilenavigatingwithinCoastalorConfined

WatersbyfixingobservedpositiononJRCECDIS:

 VisualorradarpositionfixwithuseofEBL,

VRM

features

 Visual or radar position fix with use of Cross

bearingsfunction

 Visual or radar position fix with use of LOP

function

The whole idea is to combine two methods:

traditional terrestrial navigation  and newly adopted

ECDISfunctions.Fixclassicalobservedpositionwith

useofnewtechnology.

4.4.1 ObservedpositionfixwithuseofEBL,VRM

features

Itisthesimplestwaytocross‐checkGPSposition

while navigating with ECDIS. Besides visual

confirmation, JRC ECDIS calculates position at the

intersectionofEBL/VRM.Uptofourlinesofposition

can be used with that method; it gives  plenty

 of

combinationstofixpositionmanually.

PositionfromtwoLOPs:

 Bearing&distance

 Bearing#1&bearing#2

 Distance#1&distance#2

PositionfromthreeLOPs:

 Bearing#1&distance#1+distance#2

 Bearing#1&distance#1+bearing#2

PositionfromfourLOPs:

 Bearing#1&distance#1+bearing#2&distance#2

Cross‐checking GPS position with use of

EBL/VRM is very simple and the procedure is as

follows:

 Obtainbearinganddistancefromfirstradarmark

(twoLOPs)

 Obtain second distance to achieve more accurate

position(thirdLOP)

 TransferthemtoECDISbyEBLandVRMs

 Compare association

 between GPS position

symbol and position obtained from transferred

radar data. Ensure that positions overlap each

other.

 Compare association between GPS position co‐

ordinates and position obtained from transferred

radar data. Position at the intersection of first

bearing and distance is automatically calculated

and displayed on the screen (marked

with red

frameonexamplepicture)

 Push“Option”buttontomakeascreenshot

 GPS position has been cross‐checked by radar

observation, results were saved in HDD and can

becopiedtoanyothercomputer

111



Figure15.ObservedpositionplottedwithuseofEBL/VRM

onJRCECDIS

4.4.2 observedpositionfixwithuseofcrossbearings

function

This method requires more time but unlike the

previoustechniquewithEBL/VRMitofferspossibility

tofixthepositionbymorethanfourlinesofposition.

Up to ten cross bearings can be plotted in the same

time. Again, screenshot should

 be saved for voyage

recording purposes. This method is useful in some

specificinstanceslikefixingpositionfromthreevisual 

bearings. Cross Bearing function allows for visual

comparison only. Co‐ordinates visible on below

screenindicatebearingstartingposition.



Figure16. Observed position plotted by Cross Bearing

functiononJRCECDIS

4.4.3 ObservedpositionfixwithuseofLOPfunction

That is more sophisticated method of manual

positionfixing onECDISvaluable whenGPS failure

occurs. It enables to set a reference point used for

Dead Reckoning.  Reference point function causes

own ship position to shift and therefore it is not

recommended

 by manufacturer to be used while

navigating with properly functioning GPS receiver

[1]. Reference point details are saved within ECDIS

electroniclogbookandcanbeassessedatanytime.



Figure16.ObservedpositionfixedonJRCECDISwithuse

ofLOPfunction

Figure17. Reference point saved in electronic logbook on

JRCECDIS



Figure18. Reference point details saved in electronic

logbookonJRCECDIS



Figure19. Ships’ position shifted by LOP function on JRC

ECDIS

112

5 VOYAGERECORDS

Regulation 28 in Chapter V of SOLAS Convention

obliges vessels to maintain detailed record of

navigational activities in order to enable complete

voyagereview[6].Paragraphs4.23 and4.26ofSIRE

Vessel Inspection Questionnaire go even further

specifyingitemstoberecorded.Oneofthepoints is



to keep complete record of GPS positions cross‐

checkedbyotherposition fixing method during last

voyage [8]. To satisfy this requirement series of

screenshotscanbesavedonECDISHDD.Itisagood

idea to set “screenshot” function under

programmableoptionbuttonasitwillreducethetime

required for this simple operation.  Saving a

screenshotontheECDISharddriveisanefficientand

easiestwayofrecordingouractions.Itcanserveasa

proof for GPS position cross‐checking utilizing

observed position fixing, for use of Radar Overlay

when in coastal and confined waters, use of

 proper

safetycontoursettingsetc.IMOresolutionA.916(22)

requirements are satisfied as it clearly states that

voyagerecordingshouldbepermanent,handwritten,

electronicormechanical.

Furthermore, there is another advantage of

makingscreenshotsthroughthevoyage.Inthatway

we built a history of previously maiden trips, for

instance

if vessel is about to arrive at Ras Laffan

waitinganchorageandbridgeteamisnotsureabout

thecongestionintheareaitwouldbeveryconvenient

tocheckscreenshotsrecordedfrompreviousvoyage.

The last advantage is more psychological than

practical. It is a great tool against negligence.

Anybody

 who saves a picture of his ECDIS display

willunconsciouslycaretohaveitincorrectstate.That

is the way to make sure that Radar Overlay will be

enabled inample time, that safety vector and sector

will be set properly etc. Before ECDIS introduction

seafarerswerecollectingbunch

ofpapersinorderto

complywithvoyagehistory reviewrequirement.At

present shipping is in transition period and

incorporationofbothmethodsisobserved.Weusean

ECDIS to record past positions but still equipment

suchascourserecorder,echosounderprinter,engine

telegraphloggerareinuse.Itis

highlypossiblethatin

the nearest future when ECDIS become one of the

most important navigational tools on the bridge, all

this additional gear won’t exist anymore as it’ll be

replaced by electronically saved digital data. The

main advantage of data saved within electronic log

bookisthatinformationis

easilyreferencedtoships

positionontheelectronicchart.

With respect to position cross‐checking records

required by IMO following procedure could be

applied. During Open Sea Navigation stage

screenshot to be saved on the ECDIS HDD every

hour. Saved screen will proof that comparison

between two GPS receivers was done

 by visual and

calculatedmethods.Additionallyitcouldbeseenthat

Safety Vector and Sector settings complies with

applied Management Card. During Coastal and

Confined Waters Navigation stages when Radar

Overlay is superimposed on chart and navigating

officer is required to use visual/radar marks for

position cross‐checking, screenshot can

be saved

every fifteen minutes. As mentioned before Radar

Overlay is recognized as the best tool for sensors

accuracy check, therefore OOW can use this handy

feature in combination with visual/radar position

fixes. With screen saving  schedule shown in below

table navigating officer is required to fix observed

positioneveryhalfanhour.

Table3.Screensavingschedule

_______________________________________________

TIMESAVEDSCREEN

_______________________________________________

12:00 GPSaccuracycross‐checkedbyobservedposition

12:15 GPSaccuracycross‐checkedbyRadarOverlay

(evidencethatitmatcheschartedfeatures)

12:30 GPSaccuracycross‐checkedbyobservedposition

12:45 GPSaccuracycross‐checkedbyRadarOverlay

(evidencethatitmatcheschartedfeatures)

13:00 GPSaccuracycross‐checkedby

observedposition

13:15 GPSaccuracycross‐checkedbyRadarOverlay

(evidencethatitmatcheschartedfeatures)

_______________________________________________



Atpresentthereisanoticeablytrendofreducing

timebetweencross‐checkbyradar/visualfixesdown

toridiculousintervalsofafewminutes.Professionals

responsible for company navigational procedures

preparation claims that shorter interval between

cross‐check fixes will keepOOWalert.Better give a

can of red bull for

 those sleepwalkers instead of

validating odd rules applicable for whole shipping

industry.ECDISasalltheothernavigationalsystems

require frequent checks but it is against the whole

ideaof itsimplementationto confirmitsaccuracy at

absurdfrequency.Same as withGPSreceiversthere

aretwogyrocompassesinstalledon

thebridge.Dowe

check gyro‐error every five minutes? It is not

necessarybecause onceitsaccuracy isconfirmedwe

put a trust on it and just monitor for any abnormal

behaviour.

Worldwide shipping is in the time then ECDIS

related procedures are settled. If rules would be

preparedwith

commonsensetheywon’trequiretobe

changed within next years of ECDIS service and

won’t create headache to OOW working with it.

ECDISisveryhandytoolbutit’seasytoexaggerate

newly adopted procedures and end up in the

situation where bridge team workload increases

insteadofbeing

reduced.Navigationofficerroleisto

navigatenottocarryonconstanttestsonnavigational

equipment.

Example(partofVoyagePlan):

“Our route is divided into three areas: Open Sea (far

distance from shore, unrestricted speed), Coastal Waters

(areas closer to shore, unrestricted speed) and Confined 

Waters(areaswhereSafetyContour

ismarkedmanuallyon

the charts, speed restricted by squat and allowable UKC).

Limits of those areas are marked on the charts. Follow

belowprocedures.

OPENSEANAVIGATION

 Usechartsetting:“OpenSea”

 Savescreenevery1hr

 ConfirmGNSSpositionbyCelestialobservations

 Use autopilot “economy”

mode, engage hand  steering

whenrequired

 Noteinlogbooktimeswhenhandsteering/autopilot

areengaged

 ECDIS to be set as per Open Sea Navigation

ManagementCard



113

COASTALNAVIGATION

 ConfirmGNSSaccuracybyRadarorVisualfixatleast

every30min

 Usechartsetting:“Coastal”

 Savescreenevery15mins

 SetRadarOverlayonECDIS/notetimeinlogbook

 At least every 15mins confirm alignment of Radar

OverlayagainstENCdisplayed



 Use Parallel Indexing Technique to monitor ship’s

movement

 Useautopilot“precision1”mode,engagehandsteering

whenrequired

 NoteinlogbooktimeswhenpassingVTSsectors

 Noteinlogbooktimeswhenhandsteering/autopilot

isengaged

 ECDIS to be set as per Coastal Navigation

ManagementCard

CONFINEDWATERS

 ConfirmGNSSaccuracybyRadarorVisualfixatleast

every30min

 Usechartsetting:“Confined”

 Savescreenevery15mins

 SafetyContourismarkedonchartsbyLimitingDanger

Lines

 At least every 15mins confirm alignment of Radar

OverlayagainstENCdisplayed



 Use Parallel Indexing Technique to monitor ship’s

movement

 Useautopilot“precision2”mode,engagehandsteering

whenrequired

 NoteinlogbooktimeswhenpassingVTSsectors

 Noteinlogbooktimeswhenhandsteering/autopilot

isengaged

 ECDIS to beset as per Confined Waters

Management

Card”

6 CONCLUSIONS

While preparing  this paper I was looking for a

solutionwhichcanbeadoptedonallECDISsystems

irrespectiveofmanufacturer.OneECDISisequipped

withuser‐friendlyLOP creator,another one hasthis

function so complicated and not user friendly that

drawinganylineofposition

requiresmoretimeand

attention. All ECDIS systems though are equipped

withEBLandVRMwhatisrequiredbyInternational

RegulationssetinECDISPerformanceStandards[3].

ThatiswhyIfocusmostlyonthismethod.Moreover,

EBL and VRMs are used every day by officers and

they have no

problems at all in quick and efficient

operationwithuseofthosefunctions.ECDISisnota

new system. Even more – it is hard to imagine for

youngseafarersthatmonitoringoftheshipsposition

could be performed not in real‐time likewise with

electronic charts. Electronic aspects which are

 very

similartothosewell‐knownfromcomputergamesare

very easy to be adopted by young adepts. Officers,

who experienced working on paper charts and all

tasksrelatedtoit,willappreciatethemostnewtech

solutions and see positive difference in navigation

officerworkloadreduction. Looking upfor

allthose

changesitcanbestatedthatnewgeneration officers

became more computer players than navigators. All

right, thereisa risk that we allbecomeplaystation

playersunlessit’llbeclearthatthisisstillashipwith

humanlivesonit,wheregameovermeansreallyover



andthereisnorestartbutton.

LITERATURE

[1]ECDIS JRC JAN‐901B Instruction Manual, Japan Radio

CompanyLtd.,2013.

[2]Fadeev V., Radar Overlay to improve ECDIS

[http://www.maritime‐executive.com/article/Radar‐

Overlay‐to‐Improve‐ECDIS‐Navigation‐2014‐09‐12],The

MaritimeExecutive,2014.

[3]IMOMSC.232(82),AdoptionoftherevisedPerformance

StandardsforElectronicChartDisplayandInformation

Systems (ECDIS),

 International Maritime Organization,

London,8December2006.

[4]IMO, MSC.282(86), Adoption of amendments to the

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea,

1974,asamended,InternationalMaritimeOrganization,

London,5June2009.

[5]Instone M., ECDIS Procedures Guide, Witherby

PublishingGroupLtd,Edinburgh2012.

[6]International Convention for

the Safety of Life at Sea,

InternationalMaritimeOrganisation,London,2014.

[7]MarineGuidanceNote379(MGN379),UseofElectronic

Navigation Aids, Maritime and Coastguard Agency

(MCA),Southampton,2008.

[8]Ship Inspection Report (SIRE) Programme, Vessel

InspectionQuestionnaires forOilTankers,Combination

Carriers, Shutle Tankers, Chemical Tankers and Gas

Tankers

 (VIQ 6), Oil Companies International Marine

Forum,2016.

[9]Tanker Management and Self‐Assessment 2, Oil

Companies International Marine Forum, Witherby

PublishingGroupLtd,Edinburgh2012.

[10]The American Practical Navigator, National Imagery

andMappingAgency,Bethesda,Maryland,2002.

[11]UKHO NP232, Admiralty Guide to ECDIS

Implementation. Policy and Procedures,

1 st Edition,

UnitedKingdomHydrographicOffice,Taunton2014.

[12]Weintrit A., Radar Image Overlay in ECDIS Display

VersusElectronicNavigationalChartOverlayonRadar

Screen, Prace Wydziału Nawigacyjnego, nr 22, Gdynia

2008.

[13]Weintrit A., The Electronic Chart Display and

Information System (ECDIS). An Operational

Handbook, A Balkema Book,

 CRC Press, Taylor &

Francis Group, Boca Raton – London – New York –

Leiden2009..

