Abstract
Electronic navigational charts (ENCs) are geospatial databases, compiled for the operational use of Electronic Chart Display and Information systems (ECDIS) according to strict technical specifications of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). ECDIS is a GIS system designed for marine navigation according to the relevant standards of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The international standards for ENCs and ECDIS, issued by the IHO and IMO, cover many aspects of the portrayal of ENCs in ECDIS but do not specify or recommend map projections. Consequently, in some cases, the unjustified employment of map projections by the manufacturers has caused certain functional drawbacks and inadequacies. This article reviews, evaluates and supplements the results of earlier studies on the selection of map projections for the depiction of ENCs in ECDIS and proposes a reasonable set of suitable projections with pertinent selection/implementation rules. These proposals took into consideration that ECDIS users (navigators) are not GIS experts or professional cartographers and consequently, the proposed election/implementation rules have to be simple and straightforward.
Highlights
The resolutions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for safe navigation as they are laid down in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS 1974, as amended) [1], require that all ships shall have official nautical charts to plan and display the ship’s route and to plot and monitor positions throughout the voyage
The mandatory use of official paper nautical charts is replaced by the use of Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) operated with Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs)
ENCs are geospatial databases that are compiled according to the strict technical specifications of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) [4,5]
Summary
The resolutions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for safe navigation as they are laid down in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS 1974, as amended) [1], require that all ships shall have official nautical charts to plan and display the ship’s route and to plot and monitor positions throughout the voyage. “Official nautical charts” are produced under the authority of a governmental organization; all other nautical charts that fulfill the same technical specifications, but have not been endorsed by a government authority, are by definition non-official and not appropriate for safe navigation [2]. Traditional marine navigation is based on the mandatory use of official paper nautical charts compiled according to the IHO chart specifications [3]. The mandatory use of official paper nautical charts is replaced by the use of Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) operated with Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs). ENCs are geospatial databases that are compiled according to the strict technical specifications of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) [4,5]. ECDIS operated by ENCs is a Geographic Information System (GIS) for real-time navigation [6]
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