U.S. Coast Guard Approves Use of Electronic Charts

[sailorman]

The U.S. Coast Guard published guidance February 5th that allows mariners to use electroniccharts and publications instead of paper charts, maps and publications.
The Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular, NVIC 01-16 establishes uniform guidance on what is now considered equivalent to chart and publication carriage requirements.
Combining the suite of electronic charts from the U.S. hydrographic authorities and theElectronic Charting System (ECS) standards published this past summer by the Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services, the Coast Guard believes official electronic chartsprovide mariners with a substitute for the traditional official paper charts.
“After consultation with our Navigation Safety Advisory Committee, the Coast Guard will allow mariners to use official electronic charts instead of paper charts, if they choose to do so. With real-time voyage planning and monitoring information at their fingertips, mariners will no longer have the burden of maintaining a full portfolio of paper charts,” said Capt. Scott J. Smith, the chief of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Office of Navigation Systems.
The new guidance applies to vessels subject to U.S. chart, or map, and publication carriage requirements codified in Titles 33 and 46 CFR and provides a voluntary alternative means to comply with those requirements.
“Mariners have been requesting the recognition of this capability for some time,” said Smith. “When you combine the new expanded Automatic Identification System carriage requirement and the capability that an ECS provides, it should provide a platform to move American waterways into the 21st century.”
This technology will also allow mariners to take advantage of information and data to enhance situational awareness during voyage planning and while underway.
“Together, with our industry and international partners, we are leveraging modern technology to contribute to the safety, security and prosperity of our nation,” said Smith.
http://gcaptain.com/u-s-coast-guard-approves-use-of-electronic-charts/

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Thats good, technology moves onwards and makes our life easier. The biggest challenge I personally would face is the situational awareness underway. I find zooming in and out, scrolling around awkward to maintain situational awareness compared to a large chart area. At the end of the day it is really one of familiarity with the kit and being 100% comfortable in using it.

 

[[70521]]

Brilliant, but I am glad they are over there and we are over here.

 

[knuterikt]

Brilliant, but I am glad they are over there and we are over here.

But the USCG is in fact a bit late..
IMO have already made approved electronic charting systems compulsory and approved without paper backup.
Read more here http://www.ecdis-info.com/question.html
This is the implementation plan

 

[tudorsailor]

Meanwhile the US Navy has reinstated teaching cadets how to use a sextant. They fear that GPS can be hacked. Have a look here

TudorSailor

 

[sarabande]

Velly clever hackers. They have stolen your link.

 

[tudorsailor]

Velly clever hackers. They have stolen your link.

If you click on the word "here" which is now in red, the link should work

TS

 

[jamie N]

A year or so back, I was running an ROV onboard a large British registered vessel. Through circumstances which we couldn't foresee, it became desirable for us to go into Lerwick harbour; however, the vessel only had 1 electronic chart of this port, 2 completely independent systems being the minimum without paper charts, which we didn't have.
I mentioned that I'd got my Android tablet, complete with Navionics charts with me, would they do?
The OOW's agreed that they would do very well indeed, and were happy to use them if need be. In the end, they weren't required, but it did get me a couple of Brownie points.

 

[KellysEye]

We never had a chartpotter we thought it was a waste of money, you have to carry paper chartsb in case it breaks when long distance sailing.

 

[JTulls]

I mentioned that I'd got my Android tablet, complete with Navionics charts with me, would they do?
The OOW's agreed that they would do very well indeed, and were happy to use them if need be. In the end, they weren't required, but it did get me a couple of Brownie points.

That's pretty awesome -- I too have used my ipad as backup charts for work, but the boat I work on sounds like it's much smaller than the one you were on.

I'm glad the USCG has come around to this, but I agree that paper charts on long distance sails is still a must for marking positions when you do your log as a backup when systems go down.

 

[Capt Cautious]

Unfortunately the Electronic charts they are talking about are approved ENCs running on type approved ECDIS, not the unofficial offerings by Navionics, Garmin etc running on your chartplotter / phone / ipad / mfd. It is relevant to the commercial sector mainly, and will have zero impact on leisure users - except that paper charts will probably become a little more scarce. As a previous poster has noted - they are somewhat late over in the colonies, ECDIS has been mandatory in my sector of the business since 2012.

CC