Transas Earns ECDIS Type Approval

Transas Marine has become the first company in the world to receive type approval for its NAVI-SAILOR 2400 ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System). The news is considered significant achievement for the company, which has been at the forefront of ECDIS development since the IMO Resolution in 1995 that allowed ECDIS to be used as conventional ships bridge equipment. Type approval has been given by what many consider to be the most prestigious national authority, the BSH (Bundesamt fuer Seeschiffahrt und Hydrographie) in Germany. Transas has been working closely with the BSH to ensure that all requirements have been scrupulously checked for compliance with all international standards during the type approval procedure. The Transas Navi-Sailor 2400 ECDIS has already achieved type approval by the Russian Department of Maritime Transport and Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. Marine electronic advances such as ECDIS are expected to vastly improve the safety of navigation, reduce the accident rate, and improve the overall efficiency of ships operations. The Navi-Sailor system is designed to perform considerably more functions than those of simply meeting the standard IMO ECDIS specifications. It also provides the navigator with information such as a unique global database of tidal currents, levels, seasonal surface currents, climatic conditions and the resulting prevailing winds and wave heights. These factors allow the navigator to make calculations of ETA far more accurately than previously achievable. The system can also incorporate a Radar Integrator Board (RIB) which allows the radar image to overlay the chart. This enables the operator to assess the accuracy of the GPS or DGPS operation, correctness of the electronic chart referencing and the gyro compass operation. A comprehensive set of alarms has been incorporated which provide signals for a wide range of actions and failures including off-course, approaching danger, guard zone, CPA and TCPA violation, depth and positioning. The ship owner is provided the unique capability of Voyage Data Recording, a standard feature of the Transas NS2400 ECDIS. All ships data, sensor information, alarms and radar image overlay is recorded and can be easily recalled and replayed with the Playback function. To ensure that owners benefit from type approved ECDIS as soon as possible, Transas will launch a comprehensive lease - purchase package at this year's Europort Show in Amsterdam. (Posted October 20, 1999)