Proposed Plan for Extending the SHARED DEMONSTRATION to the Caribbean Sea-Gulf of
Mexico To overcome the lack of official ENCs covering major
shipping routes and ports, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA),
and the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) initiated the SHARED Program
in December 1996. The Program’s goal
was to demonstrate the use of integrated official Electronic Navigational
Charts (ENCs) and Raster Navigational Charts (RNCs) with the Electronic Chart
Display and Information System (ECDIS). The first SHARED demonstration took place in March
1997. The main objective was to assess
the safety, effectiveness and usefulness of integrated ENCs and RNCs with ECDIS
for safe navigation. Furthermore, it
demonstrated the practical exchange of electronic hydrographic data between
national Hydrographic Offices (HOs).
The demonstration covered the shipping routes between Southampton and
Hong Kong via Singapore. Because of the success of the demonstration and subsequent
trials in East Asia, the IHO’s Caribbean Sea-Gulf of Mexico Hydrographic
Commission at its fourth meeting last April in Kingston, Jamaica endorsed an
extension of the SHARED Program into the Caribbean Region. General Objective of SHARED
Demonstrate and facilitate the use of integrated
official electronic chart data (ENCs and RNCs) for safe and efficient global
maritime navigation. ·
Promote ENC production (capacity building) ·
Promote the early use of ENCs through a “multi-fuel”
approach ·
Demonstrate the possible benefits of electronic charts
to shipping companies operating in the area The demonstration recognizes that official ENC coverage is
likely to be limited in the near term, and aims to show that while ENCs can be
used where available, mariners can easily switch to the use of official raster
charts within the same system, where no ENC coverage exists. Participating vessels will conduct the demonstration using
electronic chart systems on routes in the Caribbean-Gulf of Mexico (CGM)
region. ENC vector data conforming to
IMO/IHO specifications will be used when available and official raster charts
elsewhere. The area covered by the
proposed demonstration is described by the limits of IHO INT Chart Region B. However, vessels participating in the
demonstration may have origins or destinations outside the region. Raster charts are digital facsimile copies of paper charts,
instantly familiar to the user. The
chart data is stored as a series of colored dots, known as pixels, which means
that the computer systems itself cannot distinguish charted features such as
buoys and lights. In this sense the
data is “unintelligent”. However, the
vessel’s real time GPS position can be displayed on the chart, along with ARPA
targets acquired from radar.
Additionally, the user can draw overlay information onto the charts to
show the vessel’s planned route and other features such as danger areas. The electronic chart system can compare ship
position (derived from GPS or other navaid) with any of this overlay
information to give warnings of cross track error, waypoint approach, etc. If the user has defined danger areas on the
raster chart then the system can provide automatic anti-grounding alarms. Raster charts, issued officially by national HOs, satisfy
the SOLAS requirement for the carriage of charts wherever ENCs are not
available, provided the vessel carries an appropriate folio of paper charts as
determined by the national maritime administration. Raster charts, which are official, are called Raster Navigational
Charts (RNCs). Vector charts can look very different from paper charts
because there is a great deal of flexibility in how they can be displayed by
the electronic chart system. They often
appear to be significantly simpler and are shown with new symbology instead of
the traditional chart symbols. A vector
chart is produced by capturing all the chart detail from the paper chart and
entering it into a computer database.
As a result of capturing the data in an “intelligent” form the
electronic chart system can provide extensive functionality. For example, using vector charts, it is
possible to simplify the screen display by de-selecting the less important
chart features. This sort of
functionality is not possible with raster charts. The IMO has ratified the standard for electronic chart
systems that will satisfy SOLAS requirements for the carriage of charts. These systems are called ECDIS (Electronic
Chart Display and Information System); to meet IMO requirements vessels must
use vector charts issued or authorized by a national HO. The vector charts are called ENCs
(Electronic Navigational Charts), and must be prepared in a specific data
format developed under the auspices of the International Hydrographic Organization,
specifically, S-57, edition 3.0 or 3.1. Given the challenges to widespread production of electronic
charts in the region, the CGMHC determined SHARED to be a practical interim
step toward adopting the WEND concept. Accordingly, a working group of the
Commission has been charged with developing a draft plan for implementing
SHARED in the CGM Region. The draft plan contained herein builds on the work of
a joint Anglo-French study team, which toured the region in December 1998 and
provided an initial assessment of surveying and charting needs in several
coastal states. Since the principal issue for the Caribbean Sea-Gulf of
Mexico Region is the lack of ENC data, the highest priority will be to consider
options for ENC production. Under the
WEND concept, national HOs are responsible for producing the ENC data of their
own waters, although they are at liberty to use commercial companies to assist
them with production. This makes it
difficult to project time frames for availability. Given that ENC data are both expensive and time consuming to
capture and quality assure, the data are likely to become available slowly,
with HOs concentrating mainly in areas where considerable commercial demand
exists. In producing ENCs of the region’s
major ports, it is of utmost importance that the data are uniform from one port
to the next. This is accomplished by
consistent interpretation of the S-57, edition 3.0 or 3.1 standard, and in
particular, the ENC product specifications contained therein. Data exchanges and workshops have proven to be effective
ways to pursue the objective of consistent, homogeneous ENC availability. This was the case with the most recent
demonstration of SHARED aboard the Republic of Singapore Navy vessel RSS ENDURANCE. The ENDURANCE’s round the world voyage was
supported by ENC data from six national HOs.
To ensure the uniformity of these data and their compatibility with the
ECDIS aboard RSS ENDURANCE, the contributing HOs exchanged data with MPA
Singapore, the demonstration coordinator, months in advance of the voyage. As a result, the demonstration was a
resounding success. Similarly, an
extension of SHARED to the CGM region will require close coordination among the
nations that presently produce electronic charts, namely Colombia, Cuba,
France, U.K. and the U.S., in order to ensure data uniformity and
compatibility.
Overview
Specific CGMHC Objectives
Area of Operation
Raster and Vector Charts
Raster Charts
Vector Charts
The CGMC Approach to SHARED
Scope
Action Required
Deliverables