When the first edition of this book was published in 2009, the mandatory carriage of ECDIS had been agreed at IMO but implementation seemed a long way off. On 1 July 2012 a comprehensive rolling phase-in schedule began and this second edition recognises that practical guidance on equipment, training and operational practices is now needed urgently.

Everything you need to understand in order to manage this fundamental change from navigating by paper charts to navigating by ECDIS is covered. This theoretical knowledge is made real through contributions from sea-going members of The Nautical Institute who have been using electronic charts for some time. Unsurprisingly, many of these contributions relate to training.

Best practice is encapsulated in the industry recommendations for ECDIS training and familiarisation (including a familiarisation checklist), drawn up by a group coordinated by the Institute, which are included as appendices.