Features: - Tanker Operator

INDUSTRY - UKHO PROFILE
HOs confident of having official ENCs in place
Following the official launch of the
Admiralty Vector Chart Service
(AVCS) earlier this year, the UKHO's
chief executive Mike Robinson said
that the organisation was “very
comfortable” with its progress.
"The sales have exceeded our expectations"
Robinson said. The UKHO is continuing with
its policy of offering three-month trial
licensing periods and thus far about 30 vessels
had taken advantage of the offer. Feedback
has been positive but like any new initiative,
there have been some teething troubles
requiring some fine tuning of the service.
Negotiations are still underway with China
and other countries with a view to having as
many electronic navigational charts (ENCs)
available as possible by the end of this year in
a bid to cover most of the world's largest ports
(see TANKEROperator, May, page 36).
While inconsistencies in chart information
are the same whether an ENC or a paper chart
is being used, in the case of ENCs it becomes
much more apparent to the mariner because on
ECDIS adjacent ENCs are displayed together
on screen, whereas paper charts are normally
used one at a time. The problem is highlighted
where ENCs overlap due to sensitive political
boundary type issues, this affects ENCs in a
number of areas around the world, although its
impact on the mariner depends to some extent
on which ECDIS is fitted.
Another difficulty in producing a truly
harmonised ENC dataset is that underlying
hydrographic data could have come from
surveys of different eras resulting in
discontinuities at survey boundaries -
especially where there is a mobile seabed.
The UKHO said that it is determined to
reduce the problems that inconsistency causes
the mariner by working closely with other
hydrographic offices (HOs) and by appropriate
application of its compilation expertise.
The organisation stated that the ENCs had
to be at least as good as the paper charts
currently used, "Users have come to expect
accurate data from the UKHO", Robinson
said. The UKHO is working with other (HOs)
to ensure that the information issued by the
Taunton-based organisation meets rigorous
standards for accuracy and provides the
mariner with the most appropriate
navigational picture.
Regarding the recent IMO NAV54
recommendations; a consensus was reached on
a mandatory carriage requirement for ECDIS
starting in 2012; this will be put to the next
Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) meeting.
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The HOs believe they will have adequate ENC
coverage and consistency by 2010 and that
pricing levels will have reduced by then. Extra
training within STCW will be needed to ensure
that all navigators have the necessary skills to
use ECDIS safely and effectively.
The NAV54 recommendations were based
around papers submitted by Norway and the
UK. After much debate it was agreed tankers
of over 3,000 gt and passenger vessels of over
500 gt would be the first ship types to be
fitted with ECDIS starting in 2012 for new
hulls, with cargo vessels of over 3000 gt
following in 2013. If these recommendations,
which include retrofitting of existing tonnage
by 2018, are adopted by MSC then this would
mean around 60% take up of ECDIS across
the board, Robinson thought. "ECDIS is the
best method of navigation going forward. The
starting gun was fired at NAV54," he added.
The onus is now on HOs to produce the
ENCs and ECDIS manufacturers to produce
the systems. The UKHO is also looking to
add layers to the ENCs so that other
information that could be integrated into an
ECDIS to support activities, such as passage
planning and voyage execution. Digitising
information, rather than relying on the paper
format would provide greater flexibility in use
of the data and was therefore the ultimate
goal, the organisation said.
Second phase
The UKHO is in what it called a second phase
of discussions with OEMs regarding the
implementation of its plans. Given the lead
times necessary it is hoped to be able to
demonstrate 'front of bridge' operation
sometime next year.
Also under discussion at the IMO was
ENavigation. This new concept could mean
the provision of totally integrated services,
including digitised port information running
on the navigators' and masters' workstations
and aimed at 'front end navigation'.
One thing is certain, that when the use of
ECDIS becomes mandatory in 2012 or later,
depending on its adoption and ratification
period, ENCs will have to be provided by
Government approved HOs, so quite where
this leaves the commercial vector data
producers is not yet clear.
However, the capacity to produce ENCs
could be a problem in the near future for some
nations, and so the UK, along with other states
involved in hydrographic work, is offering
assistance and training in producing ENCs,
working through bi-lateral agreements and
UKHO ceo Mike Robinson.
sharing technical experience.
Nations that are signatories to the SOLAS
convention are obliged to ensure provision of
hydrographic services and when ECDIS is
mandatory this will include ENCs. The
International Hydrographic Organisation
(IHO) encourages all states, which have
navigable waters to recognise this
responsibility. Nations can meet their
obligations either by developing their own
capability, or through agreement with another
state to provide these services on their behalf.
The IHO said recently that its goal was to
improve the level of hydrographic services
throughout the world by capacity building, a
theme supported by the UKHO. The IHO
defined three phases in the development of a
national hydrographic capability as the core to
this strategy.
1) Focus on the need to recognise their
national responsibilities for the provision
of hydrographic services and to initiate the
collection and dissemination of marine
safety information.
The first stage is essential in order to
maintain existing charts and publications to
enable safe navigation.
2) The provision of advice and training
assistance to support the creation of basic
hydrographic surveying capability.
3) Support further development of a national
hydrographic service, including such
capabilities as paper chart production,
ENCs and nautical publications.
Underpinning the IHO initiative is a four-step
process - awareness, assessment, analysis and
action. The organisation said that by
proceeding in such a co-ordinated manner, the
capacity building strategy will over time help
HOs worldwide to develop appropriate levels
of hydrographic capability.
TO
TANKEROperator � August/September 2008