Electronic

navigational chart

An electronic navigational chart (ENC) is

an official database created by a national
hydrographic office for use with an
Electronic Chart Display and Information
System (ECDIS).[1] ECDIS and ENCs are
the primary means of electronic navigation
on cargo ships.[1]
Electronic navigational chart (NOAA)

Inland Electronic Chart Display and

Information System are similar systems
used for navigation of inland water.

ENC
An electronic chart must conform to
standards stated in the International
Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
Publication S-57 or the publication S-
101before it can be certified as an ENC.[2]
Only ENCs can be used within ECDIS to
meet the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) performance standard
for ECDIS.[2]
ENCs are available for wholesale
distribution to chart agents and resellers
from Regional Electronic Navigational
Chart Centres (RENCs). The RENCs are
not-for-profit organizations made up of
ENC-producer countries. RENCs
independently check each ENC submitted
by the contributing countries to ensure
that they conform to the relevant IHO
standards. The RENCs also act collectively
as one-stop wholesalers of most of the
world's ENCs.

IHO Publication S-63 developed by the IHO

Data Protection Scheme Working Group is
used to encrypt and digitally sign ENC
data. Chart data is captured based on
standards stated in IHO Publication S-57,
and is displayed according to a display
standard set out in IHO Publication S-52 to
ensure consistency of data rendering
between different systems.

IMO adopted compulsory carriage of

ECDIS and ENCs on new high speed craft
from 1 July 2010 and progressively for
other craft from 2012 to 2018.[3]
ECDIS

An ECDIS using ENCs on a merchant ship

An Electronic Chart Display and

Information System (ECDIS) is a
geographic information system used for
nautical navigation that complies with
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
and IHO regulations as a method of
electronic navigation.[4] It is considered as
an alternative to paper nautical charts for
navigation by ships.[4] IMO refers to similar
systems not meeting the regulations as
Electronic Chart Systems (ECSs).[5]

An ECDIS system displays the information

from Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC)
and integrates position information from
position, heading and speed through water
reference systems and optionally other
navigational sensors. Other sensors which
could interface with an ECDIS are radar,
Navtex, Automatic Identification Systems
(AIS), and depth sounders.

In recent years concerns from the industry

have been raised as to the system's
security especially with regards to cyber
attacks and GPS spoofing attacks (https://
www.maritime-executive.com/blog/detecti
ng-and-defeating-gps-jamming#gs.6E8=T
BI) .

ECDIS provides continuous position and

navigational safety information. The
system generates audible and/or visual
alarms when the vessel is in proximity to
navigational hazards. Military versions of
ECDIS are known as WECDIS (warship
ECDIS) or ECDIS-N (ECDIS-naval).[6]
Regulations
ECDIS (as defined by IHO Publications S-
57 and S-52)[7] is an approved marine
navigational chart and information system,
which is accepted as complying with the
conventional paper charts required by
Regulation V/19 of the 1974 IMO SOLAS
Convention.[8] as amended. The
performance requirements for ECDIS are
defined by IMO and the consequent test
standards have been developed by the
International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC) in International Standard IEC
61174.[9]
S-100

In the future, the ENC will be part of a

product specification family which is
based on the "IHO Universal Hydrographic
Data Model", known as S-100. The product
specification number S-101 has been
assigned to the ENC.[7][2] ENCs are now
being produced under the S-100 standard
and it is envisaged that S-100 ENCs will
replace S-57 data sets by the 2030s.[10]
The new ENC standards include greater
data layers allowing for enhanced
navigation formats, such as S-129 on
Under Keel Clearance Management
(UCKM).[10] Other sub-formats include S-
102 on Bathymetric Surfaces, S-111 on
Surface Currents and S-124 on
Navigational Warnings.[10]

See also
e-Navigation concept
Raster Navigational Charts (NOAA)
Navionics
C-MAP

References
1. ECDIS Procedures Guide. Livingston:
Witherby Publishing Group. 2021. p. ix.
ISBN 9781914992049.
2. ECDIS Passage Planning and
Watchkeeping. Livingston: Witherby
Publishing Group. 2022. p. 5.
ISBN 9781914992599.
3. "Towards ECDIS Mandatory Carriage"
(https://web.archive.org/web/2007092
9045920/http://www.hydro-internation
al.com/issues/articles/id519-Towards
_ECDIS_Mandatory_Carriage.html) .
Hydro International. Archived from the
original (http://www.hydro-internationa
l.com/issues/articles/id519-Towards_
ECDIS_Mandatory_Carriage.html) on
2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
4. ECDIS Passage Planning and
Watchkeeping. Livingston: Witherby
Publishing Group. 2022. p. 4.
ISBN 9781914992599.
5. "ENCs, ECDIS & S-100" (https://web.ar
chive.org/web/20150206050134/htt
p://iho.int/srv1/index.php?option=com
_content&view=article&id=331&Itemid
=430&lang=en) . International
Hydrographic Organization. Archived
from the original (http://www.iho.int/sr
v1/index.php?option=com_content&vi
ew=article&id=331&Itemid=430&lang=
en) on 6 February 2015. Retrieved
2010-07-13.
6. "WECDIS Military Training – Home of
the Naval ECDIS Community" (https://
web.archive.org/web/2016103006532
6/http://www.emaritimemilitary.co
m/) . Archived from the original (http
s://www.emaritimemilitary.com/) on
30 October 2016.
7. "IHO - Publications /OHI - Publications"
(http://www.iho.int/iho_pubs/IHO_Dow
nload.htm) . International
Hydrographic Organization. Retrieved
2010-07-13.
8. "Charts" (https://web.archive.org/web/
20150716101700/http://www.imo.or
g/en/OurWork/Safety/Navigation/Pag
 es/Charts.aspx) . International
Maritime Organization. Archived from
the original (http://www.imo.org/en/O
urWork/Safety/Navigation/Pages/Cha
rts.aspx) on 2015-07-16. Retrieved
2007-09-01.
9. "Maritime navigation and
radiocommunication equipment and
systems – Electronic chart display and
information system (ECDIS) –
Operational and performance
requirements, methods of testing and
required test results" (http://webstore.i
ec.ch/webstore/webstore.nsf/ArtNum
_PK/41908!opendocument) .
 International Electrotechnical
Commission in the woeld. Retrieved
2007-09-01.
10. ECDIS Procedures Guide. Livingston:
Witherby Publishing Group. 2021.
p. 16. ISBN 9781914992049.

Further reading
ECDIS Passage Planning and
Watchkeeping. Witherby Publishing
Group, Livingston, 2022.
(ISBN 9781914992599)
ECDIS Procedures Guide. Witherby
Publishing Group, Livingston, 2021.
(ISBN 9781914992049)
 WEINTRIT Adam: The Electronic Chart
Display and Information System
(ECDIS). An Operational Handbook. A
Balkema Book. CRC Press, Taylor &
Francis Group, Boca Raton – London -
New York - Leiden, 2009.
(ISBN 9780415482462),
http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/
9780415482462

External links
IMO Electronic Chart Overview (https://a
rchive.today/20130415030816/http://w
ww.imo.org/Safety/mainframe.asp?topi
c_id=350)
Transas Electronic Navigational Charts,
World Folio (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20130625000845/http://transas.com/
Charts-and-Data-Services/Marine)
International Centre for ENCs, one of
two RENCs in the world (http://www.ic-e
nc.org/)
PRIMAR, one of two RENCs in the world
(http://www.primar.org/)
United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (htt
p://www.ukho.gov.uk/)
Electronic Chart Centre (ECC) (http://ww
w.ecc.as/)
Product Survey ECDIS - ECS+ software
(https://web.archive.org/web/20120206
045331/http://www.hydro-international.
com/productsurvey/id9-ECDIS__ECS.ht
ml)
Office of Coast Survey, has free
download of ENCs for US. (http://www.n
auticalcharts.noaa.gov/)
Inland Electronic Navigation Charts (US)
(https://web.archive.org/web/20110412
104149/http://www.agc.army.mil/echart
s/inlandnav/)
Open Electronic Navigation Charts
Directory (http://www.openseachart.or
g/doku.php/enc) Archived (https://web.
archive.org/web/20130707110844/htt
 p://openseachart.org/doku.php/enc)
2013-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
NOAA ENC Chart Viewer (https://fishing-
app.gpsnauticalcharts.com/i-boating-fis
hing-web-app/fishing-marine-charts-navi
gation.html?type=noaa-enc-chart-viewe
r)

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