ECDIS

Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) is an integrated navigation system that uses official electronic navigational charts (ENCs) to display a vessel’s position, course, and surrounding hazards. ECDIS supports voyage planning, route monitoring, and decision support, reducing reliance on paper charts for day-to-day navigation.

ENCs are vector charts produced under International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) standards and are intended to be the primary source of navigation data on ECDIS. Systems may also use raster navigational charts (RNCs) as a backup. ECDIS can display additional information such as tidal and current data, weather overlays, and navigation information like AIS targets and radar imagery when available.

Regulatory and standards framework: SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 19 requires ships on international voyages to carry an approved ECDIS and to maintain backups, such as paper charts or alternate navigation systems. ECDIS operation is governed by IHO display and data standards, notably S-52 (display), S-57 (ENC data format), and increasingly S-63 (ENC security).

Functionality: Features include voyage planning with automatic routeing and safety checks, automatic monitoring of the vessel’s position against the planned route, alarms for safety contours and depth, and integration with AIS and radar for enhanced situational awareness. Operators can enable overlays and alerts to support bridge watchkeeping.

Training and reliance: Mariners are trained under STCW requirements for ECDIS competence, with national and company procedures to ensure proper use, data management, and backups. Limitations include dependence on data quality and currency, potential software or hardware failures, and cybersecurity risks. ECDIS assists navigation but does not replace vigilant watchkeeping.