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ECDIS

Stay on top of the game with the most comprehensive ECDIS system bringing simplicity, flexibility, and speed to passage planning and navigation. Let Martek Marine help you deliver voyages that go without a hitch, every time.

Electronic Chart Display and Information System

Paper charts wouldn’t be the mainstay of voyage planning and charting in today’s technological age. Your shipping company can now perform at its highest standards with the best in Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS). Removing the laborious tasks of using paper charts and instead of using quality technology that meticulously plans, organizes, and monitors your voyage without the risk of human error.

An ECDIS is 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, it is an automated decision aid capable of continuously determining a vessel’s position about land, charted objects, navigation aids, and unseen hazards.

ECDIS FAQ’s

Below are our customers’ most common questions about ECDIS. If you need to know more, please contact our friendly team.

What is ECDIS?

ECDIS formally stands for Electronic Chart Display and Information System, offering digital charts and navigational information so that seafarers can plan their routes much better and monitor where they are going. Essentially, it is a computer-based navigation system, using electronic charts and a variety of sensors, radar and fathometers to offer a safer alternative to paper maps.

What ECDIS do you offer?

At Martek Marine, we are committed to providing you with groundbreaking and disruptive technology that focuses on ship safety, performance, and crew welfare. That why we have become direct distributors of UKHO ADMIRALTY ECDIS Charts. We only want to deliver the best technology there is to make sure you keep your crew and vessels safe and performing at the top of their game.

Admiralty is known as industry leaders and internationally recognized for its accuracy and excellence by mariners around the globe. You couldn’t put your navigational needs in better hands than with Admiralty’s ECDIS.

Are you ECDIS compliant?

Admiralty ECDIS is 100% compliant with SOLAS and the IMO regulations for nautical navigation.

ECDIS is defined in the IMO ECDIS Performance Standards (IMO Resolution A.817(19)) as follows:

‘Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) means a navigation information system which, with adequate backup arrangements, can be accepted as complying with the up-to-date chart required by regulation V/19 & V/27 of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, by displaying selected information from navigation sensors to assist the mariner in route planning and route monitoring, and by displaying additional navigation-related information if required.’

Admiralty meets all of these requirements and more as the best alternative to paper charts so that planning complex voyages are simpler than they’ve ever been.

What’s the advantage to using ECDIS?

Using Admiralty’s ECDIS takes away the complex and often costly task of paper planning and charting. With the ability to make changes to your planned routes almost immediately, there are no more costly delays when things unexpectedly change.

With just one initial upfront cost, all your navigation needs are met within Admiralty’s ECDIS.

What is a nautical chart?

These are maps that look specifically at marine navigation. This could be anything from depth of water, elevations, coastlines, potential dangers, the nature of the bottom of seabeds, and aids.

The law states that all ships going on international voyages must carry nautical charts of some kind on board.

This can be in paper or electronic form, and only those greenlit by a government can be deemed as official. All official charts are split into two types: RNC, which is a scanned image of a paper chart, and ENC that can be manipulated by the user to show information about specific areas.

Do the charts get updated?

ECDIS gets updated regularly with new chart information – this comes in the form on online downloadable content. You need to make sure the information is always up-to-date, or you will be at risk at sailing on old visuals.

What does the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) say about ECDIS?

The IMO states that all vessels must, by law, carry ECDIS after a certain date, depending on what type of ship you own. The general implementation period will run from 2012 to 2018, but this is the specific schedule, based on ship type:

  • Newbuild passenger ships (over 500 GT) and tankers (over 3,000 GT) – July 2012
  • Newbuild cargo ships (over 10,000 GT) – July 2013
  • Newbuild cargo vessels (between 3,000 and 10,000 GT) and existing passenger ships (over 500 GT)  – July 2014
  • Existing tankers (over 3,000 GT) – July 2015
  • Existing cargo ships (over 50,000 GT) – July 2016
  • Existing cargo ships (between 20,000 and 50,000 GT) – July 2017
  • Existing cargo ships (between 10,000 and 20,000 GT) – July 2018

What other acronyms do I need to know?

A few to consider are:

  • ENC – Electronic Navigation Chart (the database containing the chart data)
  • SENC – System Electronic Navigation Chart (after the ENC data has be converted for chart image creation on the ECDIS)
  • RCDS – Raster Chart Display System (when ENC is not available, a vessel can sail in this mode if the flag state says so)

Latest ECDIS Articles

The Martek Marine blog contains the latest industry news, product information, helpful articles, and guides for ECDIS.

  • What is an ECDIS Chart

    What is an ECDIS Chart

  • Can you name 10 tools we used to navigate the seas before ECDIS?

    Can you name 10 tools we used to navigate the seas before ECDIS?

  • How to achieve ECDIS competency: our top 5 tips

    How to achieve ECDIS competency: our top 5 tips