CMA Shipping 2012: Are You Ready for New ECDIS Regs?

press release February 21, 2012

Admiralty brings free Digital Integration Workshop to CMA Shipping 2012 to help shipping companies plan for digital navigation.

Admiralty announced today the next Digital Integration Workshop will be held at the Connecticut Maritime Association’s Shipping 2012 show in March. The Workshops, which are free to attend, help shipping managers effectively plan for the integration of digital technology into bridge operations to meet the requirements of the ECDIS Mandate. The Workshops will take place at Stamford Hilton Hotel on the 19th (at 14.00hrs), 20th (at 12.00hrs) and 21st March 2012 (at 12.00hrs). Attendance is free, but spaces are limited and anyone wishing to attend should register via the online registration form.

The Workshops have been developed in conjunction with Captain Paul Hailwood, a renowned expert on ECDIS and integrated bridge operations, and provide a simple, step-by-step process to support the planning and delivery of compliance with the ECDIS Mandate.

A key message, says Captain Hailwood, is start planning now; “It’s easy to underestimate how long the transition to digital navigation will take, until you fully understand what ECDIS compliance requires. I’ve worked with many companies where the process has taken twice as long as first thought, resulting in a variety of operational issues. To avoid these problems shipping companies need definitive answers about the integration process to enable them to prepare effectively. The Workshops are designed to be the definitive resource to set them on the right course.”

The Workshop content is based on insights from shipping companies who have successfully made the transition to digital, and provides a clear and comprehensive checklist of activity for each key stage of transition, from the initial risk assessment to the introduction and implementation of new procedures.

The Digital Integration Workshops are part of Admiralty’s Digital Navigation Insights campaign to help the maritime community meet the strategic and operational challenges of ECDIS compliance, which requires ECDIS to be the primary means of navigation on all large passenger, tanker and cargo ships on a rolling timetable from July 2012. In addition to the Workshops, the Admiralty campaign focuses on the need for comprehensive ECDIS training for officers on watch, and on the practical use of ENCs. Full details of the campaign can be found here.

Following Connecticut, the Workshops will also be held at the following locations:

• Mumbai, India on 17-18 April;
• Tokyo, Japan (Sea Japan, simultaneous translation available) on 18-20 April;
• Athens, Greece (Posidonia) on 5-8 June;
• Hamburg, Germany (SMM) on 4-7 September.

Additional dates will also be announced and full details can be found on the Admiralty’s website.

Ian Moncrieff CBE, Chief Executive, UKHO and Admiralty, says: “The integration of digital navigation into bridge operations is a huge step forward for the industry, delivering improved safety and efficiency. However, these benefits are not automatic; they require the strategic implementation of a range of technologies and processes alongside highly focused and competent operational execution. The ‘Digital Navigation Workshops’ we’re delivering over the year are designed to equip shipping companies with the knowledge and skills they need to embrace the digital future of navigation.”