SAFETY4SEA Focus - Q1 2018

4 SAFETY 4SEA I issue 01 I Q1 2018 safety4sea.com ARTICLE From paper to digital A s technology proliferates and ships are moving towards automation, it is of high impor- tance to center upon analogue skills that ensure the safety of the most modern ships. ECDIS is one of these; the successor of the paper naviga- tion chart; the present and the near future of the navigation; the “Deus ex Machina” who made sea routes easier, safer and far more effective. Any process that used to be carried out on a paper chart can now also be done on ECDIS. Currently, chart data is pre- sented on an electronic display screen using Electronic Navigation Chart (ENC) or Raster Navigational Chart (RNC), in continuous integration with navigational tools, including radar, echo sounder, AIS and NAVTEX. Supporting func- tions of ECDIS appear to be endless; weather forecasting charts, tide data, pre-warning for upcoming hazards and incorporated record-keeping are just a few of them. However, the onset of advanced technology does not mean that old skills are not pertinent to the new ones!