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Regulations for the use of ECDIS will came into force on 01 July 2012 for certain vessel types;
but will not be applicable to Company managed vessels until the dates shown on the below
Implementation Schedule.

Masters are to ensure that they, and all Navigating Officers, read and understand this document as
well as amended SOLAS Chapter V.

Figure 1 Implementation
Schedule.

Requirement SOLAS V

Regulation 19 of the SOLAS Chapter V Carriage requirements for ship borne navigational
systems and equipment allows an electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) to be
accepted as meeting the chart carriage requirements of the regulation.

The regulation requires all ships, irrespective of size, to carry nautical charts and nautical
publications to plan and display the ship's route for the intended voyage and to plot and
monitor positions throughout the voyage. But the ship must also carry back up arrangements if
electronic charts are used either fully or partially.

It is the Companys Policy and instructions, that fully up to date paper charts are used as primary
means of Navigation.

Certification

The details of a ships navigational systems and equipment are recorded in Section 3 of Form

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E (Record of equipment - Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate). The means of complying
with SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 19 (i.e. paper charts and/or ECDIS) is indicated on a ships Form
E.

Vessels that have ECDIS listed on Form E as PROVIDED for navigation must have clearly state
on Form E the back-up arrangement in place. For our existing fleet, since the applicability of
st
requirement for ECDIS only becomes mandatory not later than the first survey on or after 1 July
st
2016 (or 1 July 2017 depending upon vessels GT), annotation on FORM E for
provision of ECDIS is not necessary, till such deadline.

Compliant ECDIS

A system which complies fully with the IMO ECDIS performance standards can be accepted
as meeting the requirements of SOLAS Chapter V regulation 19. These requirements are
identified as follows:

The ECDIS equipment must be type approved to the performance standards as outlined
by IMO.

The system must use official ENC data (vectorised electronic navigational charts) to IHO
S57 standard, which must be supplied by or authorised by a national hydrographic office.
Such ENC data must be corrected weekly.

The vessel must have an adequate back-up system. This may be another ECDIS system
or paper charts.

IMO has ruled that ECDIS equipment having raster chart display system (RCDS) capability
may operate as a primary aid to navigation in the RCDS mode. Such charts must also be
corrected on a weekly basis.

When ECDIS equipment is used in RCDS mode, it must be used in conjunction with
an appropriate folio of paper charts.

ECDIS reliability

Master must ensure that all Navigation W atch Officers are aware of the limitations of equipment
relied upon for navigation. During assessment of OP061 Voyage Plan Abstract and during
Bridge Team Meetings the Master is to review the planned route with the Navigation Officers
and identify any potential areas on concern.

Following an announcement by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) concerning

potential display anomalies in some ECDIS systems, the International Hydrographic Organization
(IHO) issued an ENC Data Presentation and Performance Check in October 2011. This check is
intended to assist mariners and to help determine the extent of the issues. Reports from sea
received by the IHO confirm that a number of manufacturers ECDIS fail to display some
significant underwater features in the "Standard" display mode.

In order that all significant objects are visible to the mariner, these ECDIS must be operated in
"Full display" or "All display" mode until a software upgrade is made available by the
manufacturer. All vessels must therefore use the IHO ENC Data Presentation and Performance
Check issued through ENC service providers to check the operation of their ECDIS and to
determine whether their system is affected.

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An ECDIS that is not updated to the latest version of IHO standards may not meet the chart
carriage requirement as set out in SOLAS Regulation V/19.2.1.4.

Back Up arrangements for ECDIS

The main requirements are to enable a timely transfer to the back-up system during critical
navigation situations and allow the vessel to be navigated safely until the termination of the
voyage. Following will be considered to meet the back-up requirements for ECDIS:

An independent, fully compliant second ECDIS unit, connected to ships main and
emergency. power supply and connected to systems providing continuous position fixing
capability; or

Adequate and up to date paper charts (including relevant large scale charts) necessary for
the intended voyage.

The back-up ECDIS must be loaded with relevant ENCs and the voyage plan before
commencement of the voyage. Similarly, if paper charts are being used as the back-up, they must
be readily available and the voyage plan must be shown on them.

STCW Statutory training requirements

The Manila amendments to the STCW code mandate ECDIS training for all officers in charge of
a navigational watch, both at the management and operational level, onboard ECDIS fitted
ships, regardless of whether or not ECDIS is part of a mandatory carriage requirement. The
st
training requirements take effect from 1 July 2013.

The training requirements are broadly categorized here below:

Generic ECDIS training:

All masters and officers in charge of a navigational watch must, as a minimum,
complete generic ECDIS training that follows IMO Model Course 1.27 and conforms to
the relevant STCW requirements.

Type specific ECDIS training:

Masters and navigating officers must undertake a comprehensive familiarisation program
and type-specific training. Trickle-down training (i.e. one officer training another) is not
acceptable without a structured and formalised process being in place to facilitate such
training.

On board familiarisation:
In accordance with the ISM Code - procedures to ensure that personnel are given
proper familiarisation with their duties and equipment must be established. ECDIS
familiarisation training in the safe and effective use of shipboard ECDIS equipment must
be clearly documented.

Legal implications

Failure to meet the statutory ECDIS requirements, (where levels of operation or knowledge of
ECDIS are considered to be a factor; or where there is a fundamental link to ECDIS operation in

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the chain of causation leading to an incident), will be included in the test of seaworthiness;
Was the Vessel seaworthy from the commencement of the voyage/ adventure?

The competence and ability of the Master and crew to effectively operate electronic
navigational systems are considered as a critical element in the vessels ability to encounter the
ordinary perils of the sea. In an incident a failure in this respect would be construed as lack of
due diligence, open to substantial claims and, in some jurisdictions, be held under strict liability
as negligence of the individuals involved.

PSC Inspections

With a phased carriage requirement for ECDIS commencing in 2012, PSC inspectors will
increasingly focus on the means by which ships meet their SOLAS chart carriage requirements
and the effectiveness with which the navigational task is being conducted. The following is a list
of ECDIS issues which the PSC inspectors may pay close attention to:

Appropriate declaration in Form E

ECDIS type approval certificate, confirming that the ships ECDIS complies with the
relevant maintenance of the ECDIS equipment to the latest applicable IHO standards.

Use of ENCs, including their latest editions and corrections to the latest available notices
to mariners.

Adequate independent back-up arrangements (as detailed on Form E), ensuring

safe navigation for the remainder of the voyage in the event of an ECDIS failure.

Documentary evidence of generic and type specific ECDIS training undertaken by the
master and navigating officers.

Evidence of familiarisation training for the use of ECDIS equipment carried onboard.

Documented procedures for navigating officers using ECDIS

Listing of ECDIS as critical equipment in the ships Safety Management System.

Conformance and alignment with input from sensors (e.g. heading, speed, rate of turn etc.)
and its presentation on the ECDIS display.

Evidence of periodic tests and checks of the ECDIS equipment that need to be carried out
as part of the Safety Management System.

Demonstration of operational competency by the ships navigating officers (e.g. safety

checking of a voyage plan)

The following flow charts outline ECDIS related implementation and operational issues
and the related deficiencies that could be invoked by PSC inspectors. The assessment of any
ECDIS related deficiencies (along with any remedial action determined) may vary,
depending on the circumstances of each case.

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ECDIS listed on Form E (Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate)

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ECDIS not listed on Form E (Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate)

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Conclusion

The Mariners Handbook (NP 100), Admiralty W eekly Notices to Mariners, Circular letters (IMO,
IHO, Flag and Class), ECDIS manufacturers bulletins, and Coastal NAVAREA warnings
continue to highlight the ECDIS related safety issues currently being faced industry wide. The
Master must ensure that relevant information contained in available resources (as above) is
thoroughly reviewed and duly considered during all stages of Voyage planning (APEM -
Appraisal, Planning, Execution and Monitoring).

Vessels are instructed to navigate with extreme caution using the approved means of fully up to
date paper charts as primary means of navigation whilst continuously upgrading their skills and
familiarity, (including limitations of), ship board electronic navigation equipment.

An assessment of the on board equipment must be conducted to ensure that the equipment
software incorporates most recent upgrades promulgated by the equipment manufacturer and that
the equipment complies with IHO ENC Data presentation and performance checks. The request
should be raised through ENC service providers.

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revised, it is the responsibility of the user to ensure that the edition being used is valid.