Viewing Electronic Navigational Charts in Syroco Live
The team is excited to be rolling out a new feature in Syroco Live: the visualisation of Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC) in the map interface. The rollout of this new display option is ongoing for existing customers.
The same way users could already select different types of maps (satellite, streetmap, dark or light, etc.), choose which weather layers they want to see (wind, waves, currents, etc.), and whether to overlay regulatory/danger areas (ECA zones, piracy, hurricanes, etc.), Syroco Live now offers an option to display a ENC layer on the map. This is available in the toolbar, and provides options to select which information to display: depth, TSS, navigational aids, obstructions.
What is an Electronic Navigational Chart?
An Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) is a digital representation of a real-world geographical area for the purpose of marine navigation. Real-world objects and areas of navigational significance, or to a lesser degree - informational significance, are portrayed through facsimiles of traditional paper charts.
ENCs are primarily designed to be used with an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) and used for electronic navigation, but can also be overlaid by other software systems displaying geo-spatial data - which is the case of Syroco Live.
It is important to note that an ENC displayed in Syroco Live is not intended for actual navigation and cannot replace an ECDIS or the paper charts that are required by regulations.
ENC map layer in Syroco Live
The addition of this new feature intends to facilitate the workflow of using Syroco Live for bridge crews. When a voyage is computed by the platform, the user is now able to see immediately how the proposed route integrates in the navigation environment, especially in departure and arrival areas, when sailing through straights or near land. This feature provides assistance in the route analysis process. It can potentially alleviate the need to iterate through a cycle of uploading the route to the ECDIS to verify navigability and then having to make changes. Of course, this final check will always be required - again, the intent is not to replace the ECDIS! Navigational decisions and validations should always be conducted using the official ENCs.
Examples
The images below show some well-known navigation areas and feature different types of map combined with several ENC options. The actual number of combinations enables each user to select the most appropriate display options for their needs.
