What is the Advantage and Disadvantage of Marine Aids to Navigation Solutions

A mere 15 years back, navigators would have scoffed at the idea of Paperless Navigation on big ocean going ships. After all, since centuries, navigational paper charts had been the heart and soul of ship navigation. Imagining that a day would come where we&#;d no longer have them onboard was nothing short of blasphemy.

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Every single navigating officer who&#;s been out at sea &#;long enough&#; still fondly recollects joining vessels with his own treasured Chart Correction Pen. However, the unthinkable did happen. The transition started slowly with smaller vessels like pleasure crafts, tug boats and yachts. But now, armed with the IMO mandate for compulsory ECDIS carriage, the big vessels such as the super tankers and giant container vessels are also running smoothly without paper charts. Who&#;s responsible for this change? Well it is none other than the Electronic Chart Display and Information System aka ECDIS.

Although, a bit biased towards the old school paper chart navigation, I cannot deny the fact that ECDIS does have an edge over paper charts. Let&#;s discuss some of the pros and cons of paperless navigation.

The Pros:

1. Availability: One of the great advantages of ECDIS over paper charts is the availability of electronic charts &#; especially when voyage orders are received at the last minute. Gone are the days when Second Mates huddled over the good old NP 131 (chart catalogue) to determine what charts they require for the voyage. This was followed by the arduous task of ordering these charts and hoping that they arrive in time. More often than not, this proved a major challenge especially on tramper trades which tend to get last minute voyage orders. With vessels going chartless, all that the Second Mate needs to do now is plot a rough course in the voyage planner and a list of all the required paper charts is populated. The Master then emails this list to the chart supplier, who will then send the activation codes for those charts. A task that with skill and practice required hours now takes a few minutes.

2. Speed and Accuracy: With ECDIS as the primary source of navigation, the Navigating Officer can plan and summarise the passage much faster than on Paper Charts. Most ECDIS units have a facility where the waypoints can be imported into an excel format which reduces the effort to manually input the waypoints when compiling the Voyage Plan. Daily reporting data such as Distance to Go, Distance Covered, Average Speed, etc. can be done quickly with hardly any effort.

3. Corrections: Before the advent of paperless navigation, the largest chunk of the Navigating Officer&#;s work time was consumed in Correcting Charts. Correcting charts with speed and accuracy was a skill that took a long time to master. Even then there was a possibility of the occasional erroneous correction. The Temporary and Preliminary (T&P) Notices were especially tedious since these came without tracings and required a thick file to be maintained. Keeping the world folio updated was a matter of pride which came with a lot of bragging rights. All that has changed with paperless navigation. The Navigating Officer now receives weekly updates to the Electronic Charts via which he has to download onto a zip drive and upload them to the ECDIS. Even the dreaded T&P notices are now shown electronically on the ECDIS.

4. Continuous Monitoring of Vessel&#;s Position: One of the single biggest advantages of the ECDIS over paper charts is its ability to enable the user to see the vessel&#;s position in real time without user action. The ECDIS is interfaced with both the vessel&#;s independent GPS transceivers, thereby making the system work even if one fails. However, we all know that GPS signals can be unreliable and are prone to errors occasionally. This problem can be overcome by using the Radar Overlay and Echo Referencing facility in the ECDIS and Radar. The Radars need to be interfaced with the ECDIS for this. Once this is done, the user will have to activate the overlay tab of the ECDIS which will super impose the Radar Screen on the ECDIS. By checking that the Radar Echo is matching with the ECDIS display, one can be assured that the positions can be relied upon.

Another feature enabling continuous position monitoring, especially during coastal navigation is ARPA Echo Referencing. This is done by acquiring a fixed / stationary target such as a small island, lighthouse, rock etc. on the Radar (ARPA) and then activating the ARPA tab on the ECDIS.  Next step is to deselect the Secondary Position Source on the ECDIS as GPS and select Echo Reference in its place.  Once enabled, this gives the user visual indication of the past tracks of both the Primary (GPS) and Secondary (Echo Reference) position fixing modes.

Finally, one can also use the Radar Range and Bearings to plot positions on the ECDIS display, just like on paper charts. All types of ECDIS these days come with an option of manually plotting the position using the Range / Bearing method. One simply has to take the range and bearing from a suitable radar object and plot this on the ECDIS by using the Range / Bearing function of the ECDIS itself. In ECDIS terminology, this is referred to as a Line of Position (LOP). A time stamp is printed on the ECDIS screen (see figure below) with both the GPS positions and the LOP. This serves as a ready indication of any offset present between the GPS and Radar fixes.

5. Anti-Grounding Alarms and Settings: Though ECDIS has now evolved into a full-fledged primary source of navigation, it was born as an Anti-Grounding aid to Navigation. Even to this day, the ability of the ECDIS to warn the user of approaching shallow waters make it one of the most useful equipment on the bridge. The user has complete flexibility to determine these safety settings on the ECDIS. Most companies&#; will have strict guidelines on the minimum safety parameter settings. As a minimum, the following serves as a general guideline.

Safety Frame (Look Ahead): This is the setting which will sound an alarm if the vessel is within the limit specified. It should generally be set at not lower than 10 minutes in Open waters depending on the Speed of the Vessel. This may be lowered in coastal waters based on the situation.

Shallow Contour: This setting indicates the non-navigable area and marks the boundary outside of which the vessel may safely navigate. Crossing this boundary will result in the vessel running aground. Is usually indicated by a Deep Blue Colour which marks the non-navigable area. Usually set to a value of the present deepest draught of the vessel (without any squat or ukc factored in).

Safety Depth: This marks and highlights the minimum depth required for the vessel to remain safely afloat. As a thumb rule, Safety Depth = Deepest Static Draught + Anticipated Squat + Company&#;s Min UKC.

Safety Contour: In general, the Safety Contour may be set equal to but not lower than the Safety Depth setting. Waters with depths lower than the Safety Contour should be construed as No-Go Area. The Master may set the Safety Contour to a value higher than the Safety Depth if he determines that an additional safety buffer would be required depending on the prevailing circumstances and conditions. Indicated by a Grey Coloured area on the ECDIS.

Deep Contour: This setting is very handy for vessels engaged in operations such as Tank Cleaning or Ballast Water Exchange where it is mandatory to carry out the operation in waters exceeding a certain depth. Vessel&#;s not engaged in such operations may set this value as deemed appropriate but in any event this should not be lower than the Safety Contour. Indicated by a white coloured area on the ECDIS screen.

Colour Coded Indications of the Deep Blue Shallow Contour (18 mtrs), Grey Safety Contour (20 mtrs) and the White Deep Contour (30 mtrs).

6. User Determined Alarm Settings: While there are certain safety critical alarms that are ON by defaults and cannot be changed, there are a host of other alarms and warnings which may be switched on or off by the User depending on the situation. Prudence should be exercised when activating / deactivating alarms and warnings. Too many alarms could result in Alarm Deafness (more on this later) and too few alarms might result in a false sense of Safety. It is of utmost importance that the Navigational Watchkeeping Officer is fully familiar with all the Alarms and Warnings which have been activated. A handover checklist of the alarms and warnings should be completed before taking over the watch. Prior taking over the watch, it is essential to note down what warnings / alarms are already in place.

Example of Alarms ( Image Credits Transas Navisailor ECDIS Manual):

7. Enhances Search and Rescue Capability onboard: Modern ECDIS units have the option of interfacing NAVTEX and EGC with the ECDIS display. Warnings and Alerts are automatically displayed on the ECDIS screen, whilst at the same time giving an audible and visual indication on the unit itself. Quick Range and Bearings are obtained by the Electronic Range and Bearing Line (ERBL) function. This enables the user to quickly determine if the vessel is in a position of providing assistance to the distressed craft.

The ECDIS unit also has a Man Overboard (MOB) function which can be activated in the event of a person falling overboard. This marks the position / datum which is used as a reference for Recover and Rescue.

Eg. Of NavWarning on ECDIS

Eg. Of Navtex SAR Message on Ecdis

Eg. Of Man Overboard Function in ECDIS

8. Cost Efficient: Although, Electronic charts are by no means cheap, they still have an edge over paper charts dollar for dollar. Electronic Chart Permits are obtained electronically with minimum data usage. Paper charts though, have to be delivered physically which involved handling fees by the agents, especially if ordered at the last minute. On rare occasions vessel&#;s had to divert only to pick up charts if the voyage was changed at the last minute. This involved massive costs such as Agency fees, Boat costs etc. All this can be avoided by using Electronic Charts.

9. Environmentally Friendly: Remember having to dispose of all those old charts many of which were never used? Now imagine hundreds and thousands of vessels doing the same. Not to mention the phenomenal amount of paper that is used to print out blocks, tracings and T&P notices. This doesn&#;t happen with the ECDIS. The ECDIS does pack in a strong punch in reducing the carbon footprint of every vessel which goes paperless.

Now everything can&#;t be hunky dory, can it?

Here are some of the things that go on to prove that nothing in this world is perfect. No, not even the ECDIS!

Cons:

1. Over-Reliance: With an equipment which is seemingly fool-proof, there is a tendency for navigators to over rely on it. The consequences can be disastrous. Every once in a while you see an erring Third Mate tunnel visioned on the ECDIS. The ability and need to keep a proper visual look out cannot be over emphasised here. No matter how good the ECDIS is, its performance still largely depends upon the inputs. A vessel could have switched off its AIS and hence might not be displayed on the ECDIS. If the Radar Overlay is not turned on, the vessel will just not be seen on the ECDIS display. Hence, it is very critical that Navigators continue to maintain an efficient lookout and a good radar watch. The purpose of the ECDIS is to facilitate efficient navigation, not to substitute it. It is still vitally important to practice essential skills such as Radar Plotting, Sights, Compass Errors etc which will come in handy in the event of an ECDIS breakdown. Also, it is very important to go through the company&#;s procedures in the event of ECDIS failure.

2. Garbage In Garbage Out (GIGO): ECDIS at the end of the day, is a machine and depends solely on the type of inputs that it receives. Erroneous position inputs from the GPS or loss of GPS signal can have grave consequences with the ECDIS going in DR mode. If the alarm is missed out, the result can be disastrous. Hence, it is vitally important to check the performance of sensors and to carry out frequent comparisons between the primary and secondary means of position fixing. Other inputs such as the GYRO, Anemometer, Echo Sounder, Navtex, etc should be frequently verified independently to ensure smooth operation.

3. Wrong Settings: Feeding in wrong parameters for safety critical settings such as the Safety Depths, Safety Contours etc can give a false sense of safety. It is extremely important that the Master himself checks these settings each time they are changed. These settings should be password protected and every Navigator should verify them each time prior taking over the watch. Alarms should not be deactivated without strong reason and never just for the sake of avoiding frequent alarms. All the alarms in use should be properly documented and their switching on and off should be controlled by a defined procedure.

 4. Alarm Deafness: If alarms start going off too frequently, the navigator could end up in a dangerous situation called Alarm Deafness. This leads to the watch keeper acknowledging the alarm even without checking what it was. He will eventually run out of luck and there could be an occasion where he might miss out on a critical warning such as approaching shallow contour. Hence, alarms should be carefully chosen which are appropriate to the prevailing conditions. Every single alarm should be checked and investigated prior acknowledging.

5. System Lag: Modern ECDIS software can have a lot of data to display. And with various equipment interfaced with the ECDIS, the system can slow down very easily leading to system lag. The hardware needs to keep up with the software and frequent upgrades are necessary. A higher RAM and a higher graphics card is a must.

6. Different Types: Navigation on paper charts was a skill which had to be mastered just once. It was then just routine practice which kept one in tune with things. However, this does not happen with ECDIS. Different vessels will have different types of ECDIS equipment. Even if the essential features are the same, it still takes a lot of fiddling around until one gets comfortable with the machine. With today&#;s busy schedule, it is not uncommon for navigators to take over duties at the gangway itself. It is then left to colleagues onboard to familiarise him with various equipment. To overcome this problem, many flag states have made it mandatory for every seafarer to undergo type specific ECDIS training prior joining the vessel. Type Specific training has to be imparted by the equipment manufacturer and cannot be substituted by onboard training by the Master. Logistically, it is extremely difficult for every navigator to undergo this type specific training especially when there is a need to embark on a short notice. A work around is that some companies have decided to select a single Equipment manufacturer to supply the company&#;s fleet with ECDIS equipment. (Eg. Maersk Tankers has chosen TRANSAS as their supplier). This eases the training bottleneck considerably.

7. Anomalies: Every navigator needs to be aware of the anomalies present in that particular equipment. It could be a simple use of the SCAMIN (Scale Minimum) function or something serious where certain depths or symbols might not be visible at a particular scale or appear differently. Complete familiarisation with the ECDIS equipment is a must.

8. Information Overload: It is very easy to over feed information on the ECDIS. A lot of data which was earlier marked on charts such as position for calling Master, notices to Engine Room, Echo Sounder Switch on points, Port Control VHF channels etc now have to be fed on the ECDIS. The user needs to be aware that some of this information can be missed out in the clutter of information already present on the ECDIS. Larger ECDIS screens and better use of the Passage Plan Hard Copy should be used as a workaround.

9. Resistance to Change: Although this sounds like a trivial issue, it can be quite problematic. Most of the present day navigators have grown up in an era where paper charts was the only means of navigation. Not having these onboard could for them mean not having an aid on which they have relied all their lives. The transition cannot be easy and this could create a mental block for many. Hence it is vital, that senior navigators embrace this new technology with open arms and do their bit to improve the process of change. Shipping companies, flag states and Training Institutes need to identity this issue and encourage senior seafarers to undergo frequent refresher courses.

All said and done, ECDIS is here to stay. This is the future and one cannot just wish it away. As the saying goes,&#; if you can&#;t win them, join them&#;. It is in every navigator&#;s interest to join in on the ECDIS bandwagon. It cannot be disputed that even with all its follies, ECDIS is a fantastic piece of equipment and is here to stay.

Over to you..

What are you views on paperless aka ECDIS navigation?

Let&#;s know your views in the comments.

Do let&#;s know if you feel we can more to this list.

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The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. While we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

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About Author

Nihar Herwadkar has been with the A.P.Moller Group since his cadetship. Presently sailing as Chief Officer with Maersk Tankers, he holds a Master&#;s CoC from UK. He takes active interest in geopolitics and love reading news articles and non-fiction books. Apart from playing with his 3-year-old Labrador Retriever, a good part of his holidays back home are spent playing squash and drinking scotch. He&#;s a member of the Nautical Institute and a proud freemason.

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Despite the information and technological revolution of the 20th century changing so many things, oceanic navigation stayed remarkably similar. While technology introduced many changes, the core of navigation on container vessels and other large ships was the paper chart. This even remained true at the turn of the century, when most households already had computers.

However, change comes quickly. Paperless navigation was nothing more than a novel conception that seemed equal parts fantastical and offensive in . Sailors love traditions, and paper navigation charts are one of the oldest, most enduring traditions of them all. However, the eNavigation revolution came and went, from the small ships up to the tankers and freighters. The IMO even mandates ECDIS usage on oceangoing vessels. If you walk aboard any ship in the world today, you'll see that the navigation officers have relegated their beloved paper charts to filing cabinets and desks, in favor of paperless navigation techniques.

The new Electronic Chart Display and Information System has changed many things for the better, and every old sailor needs to acknowledge that. However, it's not without disadvantages. While ECDIS is indispensable for the modern navigator, paper charts and the knowledge to use them are a valuable reserve.

The Advantages of ECDIS eNavigation

In general, the computerization of a field introduces greater precision, efficiency and consistency. ECDIS systems present all of these generic improvements, but there are also numerous field-specific improvements.

Navigational Efficiency

Even a veteran navigator needed time to chart a course on traditional paper charts. However, ECDIS makes the process much faster. Large parts of the planning and course-charting process are automated, which saves time and increases efficiency. Then, ECDIS has other useful features that also make navigation easier and more precise.

Most sets can export waypoints to other applications and formats, such as excel. This format is highly intuitive for displaying and aligning waypoints in the process of charting a course. An ECDIS also compiles various forms of data automatically, such as the distance that your ship has covered and distance that remains. In short, an ECDIS eliminates much of the busywork that typically comes with navigation.

A related way that ECDIS improves the efficiency of oceangoing voyages is by largely eliminating chart corrections. In the old days, Navigation spent most of their time correcting charts, a job that requires painstaking precision.

A new officer could take years to gain the expertise to perform perfect corrections every time. But even then, human error is always a possibility that operations will struggle with. Temporary and Preliminary Notices were also exhausting work that required a thorough eye and attention to detail, the kind of work that people are poorly suited to as compared to machines.

However, an ECDIS largely negates this laborious task. Updates to the chart come automatically with computerized precision. The difficult busywork of navigation gained little from having a human doing it, and modern navigation officers have much more time to tackle work that computers can't perform. Though, it may be more correct to say "the work that computers can't perform yet."

Practical and Financial Accessibility

Gaining electronic navigation charts is as straightforward and convenient as getting new paper charts. In the past, paper charts represented a substantial expense and logistical challenge during voyage planning. Prior to a voyage, a crew needed to follow a complex process to assemble the correct paper charts. This involved laboring over the chart catalog and ordering a manual delivery of physical charts.

While this was always a complicating factor, it was especially an obstacle for trade ships and other vessels that often received their destinations on short notice. However, ECDIS automatically receives electronic charts via a data connection. Assembling the correct paper charts took hours in the past, even for a trained and experienced expert. Not to mention, it could hold up a voyage if there was an error. Thanks to eNavigation systems, this difficult, high-stakes task takes a few minutes for anyone with basic ECDIS training to perform. A navigation officer only needs to chart the course of the ship, and the ECDIS will automatically identify the needed charts (See SPICA e-Navigation Software also).

An ECDIS doesn't just save time and money prior to a voyage, however. When a ship had to change the destination at the last moment, delays were almost inevitable. Considering the size and expense of running an oceangoing vessel, these occasions inflicted a terrible expense on ships. Sailors would still need to be paid, agency fees would climb, but the boat wasn't going anywhere.

Finally, the electronic navigation charts are just cheaper. While they still cost a pretty penny, the inefficiencies they eliminate and the ease of accessing them makes each voyage less expensive overall.

Continuous Monitoring and Real-Time Alerts

Many computer scientists have repeated the maxim that humans are bad at what computers do well, and vice versa. One advantage of computers is that they work tirelessly, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What this means is that an ECDIS constantly provides real-time updates to the vessel's position. Additionally, paperless navigation systems are constantly referencing location against information in the charts to provide advance warning of any dangers.

An ECDIS system provides an extremely accurate picture of your vessel's location by interfacing with several different sources of information. Both GPS transceivers, the Radar Overlay, and the Echo Referencing facility all constantly feed data to the ECDIS. The navigation officer can check these three sources against one another easily to ascertain the exact position of a vessel, virtually without fail.

An ECDIS has additional means of providing the position of your vessel. These include ARPA Echo Referencing, as well as Radar Range and Bearings. ARPA positioning locks onto a stationary target nearby such as an island or lighthouse, and tracks the position of the ship relative to it. Radar Range and Bearing can help track positions on the display, similar to the way paper charts work. This is a computerized, but manual means of plotting a course that uses any radar object to calculate the location of the ship. The ECDIS makes it easy to compare differences in position between the GPS and radar-based location methods, further helping officers place the location of the ships accurately.

This constant stream of information and round-the-clock awareness translates well into work as an early alarm system. The technological ancestors of modern ECDIS essentially worked as navigational aids that focused on anti-grounding warnings. If an ECDIS were only capable of providing shallow water warnings, it would still be a vital piece of equipment.

By referencing positioning information against chart data, eNavigation systems can provide well-advanced warnings of any significant grounding risks. Additionally, alarm settings are highly customizable and any crew can easily tailor the settings to their own unique needs. That said, there are some common restrictions and minimum settings that companies typically enforce. Companies with different needs can program looser safety settings, but it's advisable that you accept the following recommendations in the absence of good reasons not to.

1. Shallow Contour Settings: Shallow Contour depicts waters that your ship cannot navigate. Crossing this boundary means that the water is too shallow for your ship and that running aground is a virtual certainty. One of the advantages of paperless navigation systems is that they automatically calculate the shallow contour area based on a simple manual input. Once you insert the draught level of your ship, the ECDIS will set the shallow contour area on its own.
2. Safety Frame Settings: The Safety Frame setting, also known as Look Ahead will sound an alarm when the ship begins approaching shallow contour areas. It takes bearings into account and bases its warning on time, rather than distance. In general, it's best to keep the Safety Frame at 10 minutes or longer when in open waters. In coastal waters, a 10-minute warning is going to be impracticable. As such, the navigational officer will have to use his own discretion and choose a responsible Safety Frame warning time.
3. Safety Depth: Safety Depth depicts the areas of minimum depth where the vessel can travel safely. This setting works on a similar basis to Shallow Contour. However, instead of inputting the draught, you'll use a formula based on static draught, anticipated squat and the minimum UKC of your company added together.
4. Safety Contour: Safety Contour depicts a no-go area, typically with a grey color. It should be either equal or higher than Safety Depth. When the ECDIS operator sets the Safety Contour higher than Safety Depth, it serves to create an additional buffer zone of waters that aren't dangerous but are too close for comfort. It's effectively an optional use setting that's there when it's useful, but may be ignored when it's unnecessary.
5. Deep Contour: The Deep Contour setting should generally be equal or greater as compared to the Safety Contour. It depicts a white-colored area of sufficiently great depth. In general, Deep Contour has a very situational role that's typically not needed, but is extremely useful when needed. If a vessel is undergoing an operation that requires it to stay in waters of a certain depth, Deep Contour helps keep the ship in these waters and prevents it from wandering into areas of insufficient depth.

Custom Alarm Settings

Some alarms on an ECDIS can never turn off due to international safety standards. This limitation aside, the alarm settings on an ECDIS are extremely easy to customize. Most alarms, warnings and other settings are subject to the user turning them on or off, or changing their parameters.

While changing alarm settings is never something to do lightly, it is good to avoid alarms going off redundantly. It's important that alarms never become such a norm that they fail to alert the crew to immediate action. Redundant alarms are annoying, but also serve to degrade discipline and response times. As such, Navigation should understand which additional alarms are essential and which ones the ship can do without.

Safety Features

An ECDIS isn't only a navigational tool. Over the years, many new elements of functionality have become part of these powerful tools. For one thing, an ECDIS can typically interface with NAVTEX and EGC. By displaying alerts, warnings and various forms of information related to search and rescue, ECDIS improves the ability of ships to react to emergency calls. Additionally, an ECDIS can automatically calculate the current bearing and location of the vessel along with the distressed ship. Instead of grappling with these matters manually, it's immediately obvious whether or not a vessel is in a position to effectively render aid.

Another life-saving safety feature in the ECDIS is the Man Overboard (MOB) function. When a crewmate falls overboard, the user can utilize the MOB feature to automatically create a precise reference point. This isn't just location information, but also contains data on time and other vital figures. With this reference point, rescue operations may enjoy much greater odds of success.

Waste Reduction

It may not impress every sailor equally, but universal ECDIS adoption cuts down on paper waste dramatically. In the past, every ship ended up carrying redundantly high numbers of charts. When a chart suffered wear and tear, became outdated, or otherwise lost its use, a ship had to throw it out. It was fairly normal that a ship might toss out charts without every using them. On an industry-wide, systematic level, paper waste due to traditional navigation was a fairly significant problem. Then, there's the paperwork such as T&P Notices and the additional paper that a navigational officer had to use periodically.

Now that every ship relies on ECDIS, a tremendous source of paper waste is gone. This is good for operations, but it's also an environmentally friendly change of pace.

Disadvantages of ECDIS

While the ECDIS is revolutionary, it is not without shortcomings and risks of its own. Indeed, the fact that it consistently works so well can sometimes become a drawback. No matter how advanced paperless navigation technology becomes, the human element will be vital as long as men and women continue to crew ships.

Excessive Faith

An ECDIS works immaculately perhaps better than 99 percent of the time. However, there's a world that exists between 99 percent and 100 percent. When old and new navigators come to see the ECDIS as essentially infallible, the rare occasion that the devices fail can cause a disaster. While eNavigation tools are incredible, they still rely on accurate inputs and effective visual lookouts. There are many blind spots where an emergency can slip through the purveyance of a navigational aid.

For one thing, other vessels can become invisible to the ECDIS if their AIS system is damaged or inoperative. In this case, Radar Overlay and visual lookouts become even more essential. Maintaining core skills and the ability to operate without modern navigational aids is essential because of those occasions where the computers don't have all of the answers.

Bad Inputs

An ECDIS does incredible things with reliable information, accurate inputs and other correct data. However, it's reliant on human operators and favorable conditions to maintain this flow of correct information. When a human makes an error while operating the system, the system becomes virtually worthless. The most brilliant and comprehensive alarm system in the world cannot help anyone when it's programmed incorrectly.

Instead of firing and forgetting, so to speak, crews must be sure to check their inputs and other data to make sure all is running correctly. When the operators maintain discipline and appreciate that their tools are as fallible as they are, eNavigation solutions make voyages faster and safer. This applies to technical inputs as well as safety settings such as Contour and Depth guidelines.

Alarm Deafness

Early warning systems are great, but a warning is only as valuable as its ability to galvanize the watchkeeper. When alarms go off by routine, the listener becomes desensitized to alarms and might not even notice they're occurring. A ship with a navigator who relies on ECDIS but doesn't listen to it properly is effectively blind. Whatever course the vessel is on, it will be headed toward eventual disaster.

Hardware Limitations

The information and processing demands that crews place upon their ECDIS grows by the year. If the hardware becomes outdated, then critical lag and malfunctions can develop as the system runs too slowly. Maintaining the strength of the hardware with regular updates is non-negotiable. Additionally, smaller screens and older models can have a visual display that's overwhelmed by various pieces of information.

A cluttered screen is difficult to read, and then human error begins to show itself once more. As navigators place greater burdens on their eNavigation systems, larger screens become an increasingly worthwhile investment.

Technical Fallibility

While there's great potential for humans to make mistakes when using their tools, the tools themselves can malfunction. Hardly any piece of technology is free of bugs, anomalies and defects. While manufacturers often become aware of the anomalies on their products quickly, many of these anomalies are impossible to fix via new software. As such, a navigator needs to keep up to date on all recorded anomalies associated with the equipment that they use. These anomalies can take the form of distorted symbols, invisible features or inaccurate visual presentation. Familiarization and visual lookouts can neutralize the risks involved with anomalies, but failure to take these technical failures into account can be disastrous.

Reinventing the Wheel

Different ECDIS equipment can utilize different interfaces, different parameters, and the like. As a result, someone who's an expert on one ECDIS may feel like a beginner on another. When a vessel replaces one system with a new one, or when a seafarer uses a different ECDIS, there will be a period of re-familiarization. This limitation introduces a new inefficiency to fleets, although there are various work-arounds. For instance, some companies use a single ECDIS model for all of their ships.

Inertia Among Navigators

Resisting change deliberately and subconsciously is equal parts natural and dangerous at times. Shifting to eNavigation and letting go of paper charts is a jarring change for many that can shake their self-confidence and interfere with their work. Companies need to take the human element into account and do everything possible to ease the transition for their navigators. Additionally, the navigators themselves need to do everything possible to adapt to the change.

The Pros and Cons of Paperless Navigation

ECDIS is a revolutionary step forward for ocean-faring navigation that's doubtlessly here to stay. It's produced tremendous cost reductions, made long voyages much more efficient and introduced life-saving innovations.

However, there are also limitations and risks involved in relying too much on computerized solutions. These risks can take the ship of younger navigators placing excessive faith in them or underestimating the importance of the human element. On the other hand, dismissive, older captains might neglect to stay up-to-date on eNavigation techniques or fail to use the devices properly. It's every crew member's job to take these wonderful new tools for what they are and do their part to keep ocean voyages safe for all involved.

If you're interested in learning about the trials and tribulations of modern sea navigation, you're in the right place. Explore our blog to find out more about this complex, exciting topic. We write to the veteran mariners and hobbyists alike.

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