ECDIS – Officer of the Watch

Examining ECDIS Education

March 3, 2014 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

Built on the advent of modern electronics, ECDIS is bringing in a whole new level of performance by transferring all chart work elements onto an electronic display screen. This allows the seamless integration of Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC), GPS position fixing and other navigational tools, including radar, echo sounder, AIS and NAVTEX. Multiple functions are made available with just one click on the computer keyboard, a tap on an icon or the use of a mouse. Suddenly, the supporting tools needed to operate paper charts are history.

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Filed Under: OOW FOCUS Tagged With: ECDIS, Electronic Navigational Charts, HSSQE, navigation, training

Selecting and Using ECDIS

December 12, 2013 by Officer of the Watch 1 Comment

ECDIS is nothing more than a computer based navigation system that complies with IMO regulations and can be used as an alternative to paper navigation charts. Integrating a variety of real time information, ECDIS is an automated decision aid, capable of continuously determining a vessel’s position in relation to land, charted objects, navigation aids and unseen hazards.

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Filed Under: OOW FOCUS Tagged With: 2013 Safety4Sea Forum, ECDIS, HSSQE

IMO Regulatory Update for 2013

July 22, 2013 by Officer of the Watch 1 Comment

The present publication is an effort to gather and summarize all new IMO regulations that entered or are to enter into force during 2013. Active links to relevant documents/circulars/resolutions have been also included to make it easier for the reader to have a direct reference to the actual text of each regulation, or to documents analyzing the regulatory requirements.

Risk Assessing the Implementation of the New STCW

November 21, 2012 by Officer of the Watch 1 Comment

During the 3rd annual SAFETY4SEA forum held in Athens in October 2012, Apostolos Belokas, Managing Editor of SAFETY4SEA and Principal Consultant & CEO, SQE Marine Group, gave a very interesting speech on the implications of the requirements of the new STCW. Despite the fact that the new STCW has been accepted by a diplomatic conference in Manila back in June 2010, unfortunately many industry stakeholders are not aware of the implications of the new requirements and as a result they have not addressed their safeguards properly.

ECDIS Implementation

September 19, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

Since 2002 Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) fitting has been available for vessels along with relevant backup arrangement as per SOLAS regulation V/19-2.1.4. This option has changed into a mandatory requirement (IMO Maritime Safety Committee in May / June 2009) since further amendments to SOLAS regulation V/19 made the carriage of ECDIS mandatory on vessels engaged in international voyages.