The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) reminds that all existing passenger ships > 500 gross tonnes and all new cargo ships > 3,000 gross tonnes are required to carry ECDIS from their first survey after 1 July 2014. In 12 months time, on 1 July 2015, this will be further extended to include all existing tankers >3,000 gross tonnes, extending to cargo ships >50,000GT from 1 July 2016 and will mark a major expansion in the proportion of the merchant fleet that is subject to the mandatory carriage of ECDIS.
The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) explains that it continues to support Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and ship owners and operators around the world by ensuring ADMIRALTY Vector Chart Service (AVCS) operates on all makes of ECDIS, providing free guidance via the global ECDIS seminar programme and creating ECDIS specific ADMIRALTY publications.
The scope of coverage offered by AVCS has continued to grow and now includes over 13,000 ENCs covering over 4,000 of the world’s biggest and busiest ports, including many with unique coverage not offered by any other chart service.
Features and benefits offered by the ADMIRALTY Vector Chart Service include:
The most comprehensive global coverage available
To achieve SOLAS carriage requirements for the use of ECDIS as a primary means of navigation, the ship’s safety management system must include procedures for the operational use of ECDIS.
Since launching the global ECDIS seminar programme in 2011, the UKHO says it has provided free expert guidance on the ECDIS transition to over 2,300 delegates. By the end of 2014 that is projected to exceed 3,400 delegates in 55 locations. The UKHO ECDIS Implementation, Policy and Procedures seminars help professionals involved with the shipping industry, including managers, owners, ship personnel, regulators and auditors, to achieve this important requirement.
The UKHO provides an array of supporting materials to help ensure bridge officers are confident in the use of AVCS, including instructional videos on the ADMIRLATY YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/AdmiraltyTV) on the installation of AVCS on many different ECDIS makes. AVCS users can also draw upon the support of ADMIRALTY Chart Agents and the UKHO Customer Services team, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Further details on the ADMIRALTY Vector Chart Service can be found at:
http://www.ukho.gov.uk/ProductsandServices/Pages/Home.aspx
