Ecdis News

Voyage Optimization Plan Led to Grounding of Bulk Carrier

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its preliminary assessment of the grounding of the bulk carrier Indian Partnership on April 23, 2023, and implicated voyage optimization planning.The UK-registered bulk carrier ran aground at 0409 off the coast of Misool Island while transiting the Indonesian archipelago. The grounding caused significant breaches to the hull, leading to water ingress into the duct keel and five ballast water tanks.Indian Partnership had set sail from Skardon River…

Pilotage Concerns Raised After Near Grounding in Great Barrier Reef

A bulk carrier came within 200 m of grounding in the Great Barrier Reef after a GPS unit onboard the ship began providing false information to the pilot and crew on board, an ATSB final report details.The near grounding occurred early on the morning of May 4, 2022, when the 225m bulk carrier Rosco Poplar was transiting Hydrographers Passage under the conduct of a coastal pilot.Unknown to the pilot and crew, one of the ship’s three GPS units began outputting incorrect positional data during the early stages of the pilotage…

ECDIS is Not a Replacement for Terrestrial Navigation

I guess it was only a matter of time. After years of debating whether or not Celestial Navigation should be taught it is now time to debate the relevance of Terrestrial Navigation. The argument is same: why do I need to know this if there is technology available to do it for me?The answer is also the same. If you want to be a professional mariner than your knowledge base and skill sets should far exceed that of a weekend boater that follows the direction of their chart plotter…

Tor Svanes, "Mr. ECDIS", Chronicled in New Book

NAVTOR CEO Tor Svanes is "Mr. ECDIS", at least that't the title he's been given in a new book charting his life story as well as his role in the development of maritime e-Navigation. Author Tønnes H. Gundersen details the voyage that took Svanes from electrician’s apprentice in the small town of Egersund, Southern Norway, to a globally renowned figure in this key smart shipping niche. And, Svanes is keen to add, the journey isn’t over yet.Gundersen spent more than two years researching, interviewing and writing the 300-page opus, which was launched today in both English and Norwegian versions.

Evergreen Marine Renews LTSSP Contract with Kongsberg Digital

Kongsberg Digital (KDI) announced that its long-term system support program (LTSSP) contract with the Evergreen Marine Corporation has been renewed for another 10 years.The Taiwanese shipping company, one of the largest of its kind in the world, has used KONGSBERG simulators for crew training for over 20 years, with the first maritime simulator delivered to the firm’s training center in 1999. Since then, Evergreen Marine Corp. has used KONGSBERG simulator solutions to train its crews…

Sperry Marine Debuts Additional Military Layers on VisionMaster Radar and ECDIS

Sperry Marine has strengthened its portfolio of military navigation solutions with the release of Additional Military Layers (AML) for its VisionMaster series of Radars and ECDIS.The AMLs have been developed to allow defense and naval users to take advantage of Sperry’s commercial radar systems on demanding military assignments on small and large vessels. The latest enhancement supports the display of AMLs created to support both command and control and provide digital navigation…

China Navigation Signs Fleet-wide Contract for Sperry Marine Connected ECDIS

Sperry Marine received a fleet-wide order for its new SperrySphere Connected ECDIS, with a roll-out to 36 vessels operated by The China Navigation Company (CNCo), a member of the Swire Group. Connected ECDIS is the latest addition to Sperry Marine’s portfolio of smart bridge solutions, connected via the unique SperrySphere platform.China Navigation will upgrade 24 of its bulk carriers and 12 of its containerships with Connected ECDIS, simplifying and securing the transfer of chart data from back of bridge to the regulated navigation systems, Sperry Marine said.According to Sperry Marine, Connected ECDIS supports improved cyber risk management by removing the need to use USB memory devices when transferring electronic chart data.

KDI Launches K-Sim ECDIS Cloud-based Training Solution

Kongsberg Digital’s K-Sim ECDIS solution allows students to engage in IMO/STCW compliant training, anytime and anywhereKongsberg Digital (KDI) launched K-Sim ECDIS, designed to provide generic ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display & Information System) training in compliance with the requirements laid out in the IMO/STCW Model Course 1.27. Accessible as an online training solution via the company’s digital platform K-Sim Connect, it enables schools and training centers to efficiently provide their students with high quality ECDIS training anytime and anywhere…

Raytheon Anschütz Debuts 'Plug and Play' ECDIS

Raytheon Anschütz launched a new ECDIS in January 2021, the ECDIS NX Compact, which is a preconfigured system of a 24-inch panel-pc and the ECDIS NX software that is designed to make installation and operation easier and safer. Optimized for ECDIS retrofits, the panel-pc is equipped with interfaces for Ethernet and IEC 61161-1 (NMEA). With a software installation wizard and selectable standard configurations for newbuilding and retrofit installations, the operating system and the ECDIS software install semi-automatically…

OCIMF Publishes ECDIS Safety Recommendations

A new paper published by the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) on Wednesday provides guidance to enhance policies and procedures regarding the safe use of electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS).With more vessels using electronic navigational charts (ENCs) for primary or secondary navigation, there have been several significant navigational incidents over the last decade where one of the contributing factors has been ECDIS-related, the U.K.-based safety association said.The new paper…

Integration is Everything

If you truly want to unlock the value of data you have to adopt a joined-up approach, says Tor Svanes, CEO NAVTOR. Fail in that, he argues, and you’ll fail to get the competitive advantage your business needs.If you go for a full check-up at the doctor’s they won’t just measure your weight.They’ll look at your blood pressure, listen to your heart, consider blood tests, assess cholesterol and, above all, ask questions that monitor your day-to-day performance. How are you feeling? Are you exercising? Sleeping okay? The list goes on.

Wärtsilä to Install Route Exchange on 50 Ships

Wärtsilä Voyage won a contract to update the ECDIS on-board 50 tankers. More than 400 ships already has the capability to share routes through their ECDIS. With focus on increasing tanker safety, the STM BALT SAFE project is signing up 50 tankers that frequently sail in the Baltic Sea, with Wärtsilä winning the contract. Cajsa Jersler Fransson, Ship Testbed Manager, says, “Wärtsilä Voyage has the know-how, the installed base and the dedication to a more connected future. With installations happening this year…

E-Navigation is the Future of Shipping

Trading worldwide without electronic tools is no longer an option, young navigators and crew are switched on to digital technology and they want to have this new technology at their fingertips rather than the messy, slow and labour and paper-intensive methods of the past.Tor Svanes, the founder and CEO of NAVTOR, believes that electronic chart and display information systems (ECDIS) is now a must have navigational tool in the modern era.ECDIS has become the modus operandi on all ships…

Real-time ECDIS Updates via FleetBroadband

A contract signed in London at the end of last month by Inmarsat and SRH Marine SAIT formalizes arrangements for real-time Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) updating to be accomplished ‘ship-to-shore’ using an application over FleetBroadband for the first time.The SRH Delta platform, which includes chart updates, publications and notices of mariners, will be available for L-band transmission to any FleetBroadband user equipped with the new, dedicated bandwidth…

Furuno Debuts FAR22X8BB

With more than 60,000 installations on vessels ranging from tugboats to aircraft carriers, Furuno's FAR21X7 Series Radar has been one of the most popular commercial Radar models on the water since its release in 2004. Due to its unparalleled feature set, and the well-known reliability of the Furuno brand, the X7 series has earned serious bragging rights after a decade-and-a-half of market dominance, a claim that is virtually unheard of in the realm of consumer electronics. This year…