The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has released its latest Marine Notice online that highlights the ongoing use of unofficial paper and electronic nautical charts onboard for navigation.
AMSA reports that it continues to see unofficial papers used and indicates that official nautical charts are required in order to comply with flag state requirements of SOLAS.
Unofficial charts include photocopies, imitations, large format commercial printed copies of scanned ENC and paper charts assembled by printing several small portions of a Raster Navigational Chart (RNC).
These official charts include those issued by or on the authority of a government, authorised hydrographic office or another relevant government institution.
According to the authority, ships can be detained if they don’t use the required official charts when amending original voyage plans enroute.
It also reports that small-scale charts have been found to be used when large-scale ones are more appropriate, which is contrary to safe navigational practice.
Fathom-News
editor@fathom-mi.com
