By Mark Pronk, technical editor, Hydro International

The timetable for the migration of paper chart navigation to ECDIS navigation has been defined by the IMO. Since the first discussions about ECDIS by the IMO in 1986, the IMO has now officially approved the proposal to carry an ECDIS on board Solas vessels. From 2012 until 2018 ships will transit step by step from Paper Chart navigation to ECDIS navigation. The legislation will be phased by vessel type and size to eventually apply to almost all large merchant vessels and passenger ships.

ECDIS, as key component of the e-navigation concept, will improve safety of lives at sea. E- navigation is the harmonised collection, integration, exchange, presentation, and analysis of maritime information on board and ashore by electronic means to enhance berth to berth navigation and related ­services for safety and security at sea and protection of the marine environment. ECDIS will therefore not only be a presentation of digital charts as an increasing amount of additional information will be incorporated to make the voyage safer and more efficient. Information about weather and tidal information has already, for example, been integrated in the system. The "I" in ECDIS will start to play a bigger role in the efficiency of navigating.

A long-lasting discussion was worldwide ENC coverage. Although there is still much room for improvement, for example, there are still countries not yet producing their own ENC's, the ENC coverage has improved enormously over the last several years and now makes it possible to introduce the ENCs on board of the vessels.

The survey on these pages gives an overview of available ECDIS systems and their technical specifications.