ELECTRONIC CHART DISPLAY AND INFORMATION SYSTEM
ECDIS carriage requirements
The draft amendment to SOLAS regulation V/19 would require ships engaged on international voyages to be fitted with ECDIS according to the following timetable (the dates in square brackets were agreed in principle by the Sub-Committee):
- passenger ships of 500 gross tonnage and upwards constructed on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2012];
- tankers of 3,000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2012];
- cargo ships, other than tankers, of 10,000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2013];
- cargo ships, other than tankers, of 3,000 gross tonnage and upwards but less than 10,000 gross tonnage constructed on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2014];
- passenger ships of 500 gross tonnage and upwards constructed before [1 July 2012], not later than the first survey on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2014];
- tankers of 3,000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed before [1 July 2012], not later than the first survey on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2015];
- cargo ships, other than tankers, of 50,000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed before [1 July 2013], not later than the first survey on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2016];
- cargo ships, other than tankers, of 20,000 gross tonnage and upwards but less than 50,000 gross tonnage constructed before [1 July 2013], not later than the first survey on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2017];
- cargo ships, other than tankers, of 10,000 gross tonnage and upwards but less than 20,000 gross tonnage constructed before [1 July 2013], not later than the first survey on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2018].
Administrations may exempt ships from the application of the requirements when such ships will be taken permanently out of service within two years after the implementation date specified.
The Sub-Committee also agreed on an amendment of existing regulation V/19.2.1.4 to reflect that ECDIS is an acceptable alternative to nautical charts and nautical publications, yet retaining the proviso that in a number of cases (for example ships not on international voyages, ships exempt from the carriage requirements because they were to be taken out of service permanently and cargo ships on international voyages but below the agreed tonnage limit), it could be appropriate to use only nautical charts and nautical publications.
To assist shipowners and operators in the implementation of the new requirement, the Sub-Committee agreed a draft SN/Circular on Transitioning from paper chart to electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS) navigation.
The Sub-Committee also noted progress made in the availability of electronic navigational charts, a prerequisite for introducing mandatory ECDIS carriage requirements.
Bridge navigational watch alarm system regulation
The draft amendment to SOLAS regulation V/19 will require carriage of a BNWAS, complying with IMO performance standards, on ships of 150 gross tonnage and upwards and passenger ships irrespective of size, with a phased carriage requirement for existing ships, as follows (the dates in square brackets were agreed in principle by the Sub-Committee):
- ships of 150 gross tonnage and upwards and passenger ships irrespective of size constructed on or after [1 July 2011];
- passenger ships irrespective of size constructed before [1 July 2011], not later than the first survey after [1 July 2012];
- ships of 3,000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed before [1 July 2011], not later than the first survey after [1 July 2012];
- ships, of 500 gross tonnage and upwards but less than 3,000 gross tonnage, constructed before [1 July 2011], not later than the first survey after [1 July 2013];
- ships, of 150 gross tonnage and upwards but less than 500 gross tonnage constructed before [1 July 2011], not later than the first survey after [1 July 2014].
The bridge navigational watch alarm system is required to be in operation whenever the ship is underway at sea.
