An electronic navigational chart or ENC is an official database created by a
national hydrographic office
A hydrographic office is an organization which is devoted to acquiring and publishing hydrographic information.
Historically, the main tasks of hydrographic offices were the conduction of hydrographic surveys and the publication of nautical cha ...
for use with an
Electronic Chart Display and Information System
An Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) is a geographic information system used for nautical navigation that complies with International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations as an alternative to paper nautical charts. IMO re ...
(ECDIS). An electronic chart must conform to standards stated in the
International Hydrographic Organization
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental organisation representing hydrography. , the IHO comprised 98 Member States.
A principal aim of the IHO is to ensure that the world's seas, oceans and navigable waters a ...
(IHO) Publication S-57 before it can be certified as an ENC. Only ENCs can be used within ECDIS to meet the
International Maritime Organization
The International Maritime Organization (IMO, French: ''Organisation maritime internationale'') is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. The IMO was established following agreement at a UN conference ...
(IMO) performance standard for ECDIS.
ENCs are available for wholesale distribution to chart agents and resellers from Regional Electronic Navigational Chart Centres (RENCs). The RENCs are not-for-profit organizations made up of ENC-producer countries. RENCs independently check each ENC submitted by the contributing countries to ensure that they conform to the relevant IHO standards. The RENCs also act collectively as one-stop wholesalers of most of the world's ENCs.
IHO Publication
S-63 developed by the IHO Data Protection Scheme Working Group is used to encrypt and digitally sign ENC data. Chart data is captured based on standards stated in IHO Publication S-57, and is displayed according to a display standard set out in IHO Publication S-52 to ensure consistency of data rendering between different systems.
IMO adopted compulsory carriage of ECDIS and ENCs on new high speed craft from 1 July 2010 and progressively for other craft from 2012 to 2018.
See also
*
Inland Electronic Navigational Charts
*
Raster Navigational Charts (NOAA) Raster Navigational Charts (RNC's) are created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States Government. Each original chart is scanned at high resolution with color separate overlays. The raster file also cont ...
*
Navionics
Navionics is an Italian manufacturer of electronic navigational charts, headquartered in Massarosa, Italy. The company operates worldwide with subsidiaries in Wareham, Massachusetts, Plymouth (United Kingdom), Hyderabad (India) and New South Wal ...
*
C-MAP
References
WEINTRIT Adam: The Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). An Operational Handbook. A Balkema Book. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton – London - New York - Leiden, 2009. ({{ISBN, 9780415482462), http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9780415482462
External links
IMO Electronic Chart OverviewTransas Electronic Navigational Charts, World FolioInternational Centre for ENCs, one of two RENCs in the worldPRIMAR, one of two RENCs in the worldUnited Kingdom Hydrographic OfficeElectronic Chart Centre (ECC)Office of Coast Survey, has free download of ENCs for US.Inland Electronic Navigation Charts (US)Open Electronic Navigation Charts Directory
Electronic navigation
Navigational aids
Nautical charts