A Chart Carriage Requirement of SOLAS
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Circulars - Maritime Safety Committee - MSC.1/Circular.1503/Rev.1 - ECDIS - Guidance for Good Practice - (16 June 2017) - Annex - ECDIS - Guidance for Good Practice - A Chart Carriage Requirement of SOLAS

A Chart Carriage Requirement of SOLAS

6 The mandatory carriage of ECDIS, as required by SOLAS regulation V/19.2.10, is subject to a staged entry into force between 1 July 2012 and 1 July 2018. As per SOLAS regulations V/18 and V/19, for a ship to use ECDIS to meet the chart carriage requirements of SOLAS, the ECDIS equipment must conform to the relevant IMO performance standards. ECDIS units on board are required to comply with one of two performance standards (either IMO resolution A.817(19), as amended or resolution MSC.232(82)), depending on the date of their installation. Essentially, where an ECDIS is being used to meet the chart carriage requirements of SOLAS, it must:

  • .1 be type-approved;

  • .2 use up-to-date electronic nautical charts (ENC);

  • .3 be maintained so as to be compatible with the latest applicable International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) standards; and

  • .4 have adequate, independent back-up arrangements in place.

7 According to SOLAS regulation V/18, ECDIS units on board ships must be type-approved. Type approval is the certification process that ECDIS equipment must undergo before it can be considered as complying with IMO performance standards. The process is carried out by flag Administration-accredited type-approval organizations or marine classification societies in accordance with the relevant test standards developed by, inter alia, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) (e.g. IEC 61174).

8 In accordance with SOLAS regulation V/19.2.1.4, ships must carry all nautical charts necessary for the intended voyage. As defined by SOLAS regulation V/2.2, nautical charts are issued officially by or on the authority of a Government, authorized Hydrographic Office or other relevant government institutions. Ships required to fit ECDIS and ships choosing to use ECDIS to meet the chart carriage requirements of SOLAS should carry Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) or, where ENCs are not available at all or are not of an appropriate scale for the planning and display of the ship's voyage plan, Raster Navigational Charts (RNC) and/or any needed paper charts should be carried.

9 IHO provides an online chart catalogue that details the coverage of ENCs together with references to coastal State guidance on any requirements for paper charts (where this has been provided). The catalogue also provides links to IHO Member States' websites where additional information may be found. The IHO online chart catalogue can be accessed from the IHO website at: www.iho.int

10 As per SOLAS regulation V/27, all nautical charts necessary for the intended voyage shall be adequate and up to date. For ships using ECDIS to meet the chart carriage requirement of SOLAS, all ENCs and RNCs must be of the latest available edition and be kept up to date using both the electronic chart updates (e.g. ENC updates) and the latest available notices to mariners. Additionally, ECDIS software should be kept up to date such that it is capable of displaying up-to-date electronic charts correctly according to the latest version of IHO's chart content and display standards.

11 Relevant appendices of IMO performance standards for ECDIS specify the requirements for adequate independent back-up arrangements to ensure safe navigation in case of ECDIS failure. Such arrangements include: 1) facilities enabling a safe take-over of the ECDIS functions in order to ensure that an ECDIS failure does not result in a critical situation; 2) a means to provide for safe navigation for the remaining part of the voyage in case of ECDIS failure.

Parent topic: Annex - ECDIS - Guidance for Good Practice
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