Changes in the operating environment and the evolution of technology have set new challenges for hydrography. Not all Finnish water areas have been surveyed with complete coverage. Vessels with a big draught would be particularly jeopardised in navigating outside the officially marked channels. Therefore a dense network of verified channels - more than 16,000 km - is needed in Finland.
Under these circumstances, it is easy to see why hydrography plays such a vital role. The Finnish Maritime Administration launched the Navi project in 1994 with the intent of creating the prerequisites for the full-scale use of global positioning and electronic nautical charts. Today, when navigation is based on accurate global positioning, the previous accuracy of the chart and channel information is no longer sufficient. Consequently, Finland decided to redo the sounding, planning and marking of all the major maritime channels by 2003. And now the decision has been made to extend the project to cover the entire Finnish waterway system by 2015.

The Navi is a concept in Finland’s channel maintenance and hydrography. It is the recording of reliable, numeric information into databases using a well defined process from start to finish. In the future a Quality Management System will be implemented in the Navi.
At the beginning of 2003, Finland will start using a new symbology for printed nautical charts; this means the usage of chart symbols corresponding to international practices, and at the same time the shift to the WGS-84 coordinate system.
The new printed nautical chart production system (n-Sector) utilising digital information will be taken into use in 2003. So, the printed charts and ENCs will be produced from the same data base.
In 2000 the Finnish Maritime Administration compiled a strategic plan to develop and improve the efficiency of hydrographic surveying. The plan is primarily based on the utilisation of the multibeam sonar technique. The current depot ship expeditions will eventually be given up and replaced with surveying vessels and boats. In accordance with this development programme, a new surveying vessel designed mainly for shallow waters will be acquired already for the 2003 hydrographic season.

Now that the channels are re-surveyed in the Navi, the ENC material will be based on more reliable source data than if the ENC material were to be digitised based on the old nautical charts. Finland has now produced the ENCs for the most important channels. The production of the ENCs on Finnish channels will be completed by 2005.
Boating is becoming increasingly popular. The beautiful nature and the abundance of clean waterways provide an excellent opportunity for boating. The Finnish Maritime Administration in co-operation with its partners has produced raster nautical charts on CD-ROM to accommodate the needs of boaters. At the moment, CD-ROM nautical charts cover most of the Finnish channels.
The increase in sea transport, and especially the increase in oil tankers on the Baltic Sea, have raised safety and environmental issues to a particularly significant role. Along with the IHO’s activities, also HELCOM and the IMO have clearly highlighted the role of hydrography as an important safety factor, a factor that is particularly emphasised in Finland’s difficult navigation conditions.