ECDIS: what SIRE 2.0 inspectors ask and find
Inspectors check that every officer of the watch can use the ship's own ECDIS type, that safety settings follow the company procedure, and that the crew knows what to do if it fails.
Do this before the inspector arrives: Run through ECDIS safety settings, SCAMIN and the failure procedure.
What the inspector wants to see
- Type-specific ECDIS familiarisation for every OOW
- Safety settings set as the company procedure says
- Chart and permit update records
- ECDIS failure procedure you can walk through
Questions inspectors ask about ECDIS
What industry reference should the ECDIS familiarisation checklist include?
The Nautical Institute's 'Industry Recommendations for ECDIS Familiarisation'. Its absence was flagged.
When should an ECDIS route check be done, and where is it logged?
Know when the company requires a route check and record it in the ECDIS/ENC log the company specifies.
On some ECDIS models the route check shows every hazard at the start of the leg. What does this mean?
On that model (e.g. Furuno) hazards and UKC limits are flagged at the beginning of the leg, not at the exact spot, so you must check the whole leg yourself.
What is the company safety depth/contour policy, and will you get more alarms after crossing the safety contour?
Know the company policy and be ready to explain what alarms (if any) follow after the safety contour is crossed.
When should the ECDIS hard drive be replaced?
As per the maker's recommendation, often every 2 years.
If both GPS feeds to ECDIS fail, does DR mode start automatically?
Yes, automatically.
There are 82 ECDIS questions in NilObs, with spaced repetition so the ones you miss come back. Practise them free.
Real ECDIS observations, and how to avoid them
Interviewee did not understand the ECDIS date-dependent function or how to use it.
Avoid it: Practise setting the ECDIS viewing date to check date-dependent chart features for your ETA.
The port ECDIS could not load the Chart 1 (S-57) symbol display despite repeated tries; shore support was needed and it was fixed by the closing meeting.
Avoid it: Practise opening the Chart 1 symbol library on each ECDIS so you can show it on demand.
Neither the procedures nor the PMS reflected the maker's two-yearly ECDIS hard drive replacement, and no replacement was recorded.
Avoid it: Put maker-required ECDIS maintenance, such as hard drive renewal, into the PMS.
Interviewee was not aware of the maker's requirement to replace the ECDIS hard drive every two years.
Avoid it: Read the ECDIS maker's maintenance section and know its periodic tasks.
Navigation procedures gave no guidance on when to use the full ECDIS display layer or on extending the look-ahead in low-accuracy CATZOC (B, C, D, U) areas.
Avoid it: Know when to switch to the full ECDIS display and widen safety margins in poor CATZOC areas.
The procedure required ECDIS guard zones of 0.5 nm (coastal) and 2 nm (open sea), but the units fitted could only be set to 250 m.
Avoid it: Check procedure settings are achievable on your ECDIS model and report conflicts to the office.
Interviewee could not explain or demonstrate the ECDIS date-dependent function, or how date-dependent manual objects are created and removed.
Avoid it: Practise creating date-dependent manual updates on ECDIS and know when they disappear.
Who answers for ECDIS
Second Officer, Vetting Manager / Superintendent. NilObs picks the questions and the daily drill for your role.
Rehearse ECDIS before your next inspection.
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