ECDIS information offered to shipowners in new book

Information and advice on moving from traditional paper navigational charts to ECDIS platforms has been offered in a new book published by The Nautical Institute.

The second edition of 'From Paper Charts to ECDIS' has been published to offer full guidance on training, practice and equipment. It has been four years since the first edition was released, and the Nautical Institute’s Sea Going Correspondence Group (SGCG) believed that this second version was necessary due to the masses of experience that has been gained within the field in recent years.

Author Captain Harry Gale said: “As well as supporting its members through this fundamental change, The Nautical Institute wants to ensure that the best practice encapsulated in this second edition, incorporating experience at sea, reaches as wide an audience as possible throughout the industry. Bridge procedures have to be amended to accommodate the very different working practices needed for using ECDIS and failure to instigate the discipline of being alert and engaged when using ECDIS may lead to distraction, complacency and ultimately accidents.”

The Institute’s chief executive Philip Wake added that the industry had been starting to learn about the importance of ECDIS training back in 2009, but this move from paper to technology has been deemed difficult. Since then, a series of recommendations have now been listed by the Institute, which feature in this new book. It is hoped that the information available will be applicable to shipowners until at least 2018, by which time training on most vessels should be completely accurate.

The book's launch was part of the E-Navigation Revolution conference in London on November 20th and 21st. The wider conference looked at navigational safety issues that still remain a top priority within the industry.