SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS FOR ROUTE PLANNING

Route Planning
It should be possible to carry out route planning including both straight and curved segments. It should be possible to adjust a planned route by, for example:
adding waypoints to a route; deleting waypoints from a route; changing the position of a waypoint; changing the order of the waypoints in the route.

It should be possible to plan an alternate route in addition to the selected route. 2

Route Planning
An indication is required if the mariner plans a route across an own ship's safety contour. An indication is required if the mariner plans a route across the boundary of a prohibited area or a geographic area for which special conditions exist It should be possible for the mariner to specify a limit of deviation from the planned route at which activation of an automatic off-track alarm should occur. IMO RESOLUTION A.817 (19) 3

 Leglines and waypoints are created in the 'Planning' mode of the ECDIS. ECDIS provides the following functions to construct such a route net easily:
Create Leg Create Waypoint Insert Waypoint Move Waypoint Edit Leg or Waypoint Remove Leg or Waypoint Import Routes

The specific functions for route planning include:

Selecting the sea area and the required waters for planning the whole passage. Selection of relevant route planning information from sailing directions, tide tables, weather forecasts from ECDIS and other sources. Finding specific information such as port regulations, speed limits and safe anchorages.
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The specific functions

Actual construction of route by the input of waypoints. The adjustment of the planned route by editing waypoints. Curved track planning using the inputs of turning radii, wheel over point and safe speed. Determining the course and distance on various legs by using the cursor or calling up the waypoint list. Setting the marks. 6

The specific functions

Setting track limits. Use of planning notes specifying details such as rudder angle or speed required in a specific location in much the same way as a navigators notebook. Determining the expected passage times. Allowance for current when plotting a track. Selecting a safety depth and contour in accordance with the ship dimensions and the manoeuvrig parameters to be used.7

The following example shows the route net of a medium container vessel to serve the ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp and Felixstowe in the northern approaches to Dover Strait, with extensions to Hamburg, Le Havre, and further afield.
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A route net in the early state of construction.

The same route net at a later point of development

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The complete route net in the overview

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 After the alternate routes are planned the actual route (that route, the vessel will use next) must be selected. ECDIS supports this operation with its 'Auto Selection' function (Select Route). If the way through the route net is unambiguous, this function will trace the route automatically. If more than one leg departs from a waypoint, the 'Auto Selection' function asks for the mariner's decision. Selected Routes may be cleared or partially cleared if necessary.
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'Select Route' function in operation to search for the way from the Wester Schelde to Rotterdam.

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The route net with the selected route

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The display of the alternate routes in the route net may confuse the mariner. To avoid this, ECDIS allows the operator to switch the alternate routes off.

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A search pattern for a research, supply or salvage vessel

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Route Checking
After a route is planned, it is necessary to prove that the route fulfills given safety criteria. This has at least two reasons:
the mariner responsible for navigation and route planning has to follow external criteria given by the charterer, the owner, and the master of the ship. because ECDIS thins the display of the chart at smaller scales and even loads chart data depending on scale, the mariner may not see all dangers if he uses the wrong scale for route planning. Therefore a route check is required.
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 A set of minimum requirements that a route must fulfill for every vessel in every trade:
A planned route shall not cause the grounding of a vessel A planned route shall not cause the collission of the vessel with floating or fixed objects or obstructions A planned route shall take into account that, depending on circumstances and navigational aids, the vessel may deviate more or less from the route.
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 Therefore three parameters are defined representing the above mentioned safety requirements. The values of the parameters have to be adjusted for each vessel:
the safety draught the safety air draught the safety distance
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Menu for definition of the safety parameters

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 The safety values must be maintained along the whole planned route. This is proofed by the 'Route Check'. The route check has to be performed before the ship starts her voyage! If the route check encounters a violation of the safety parameters, the object that causes this violation is highlighted. The route is not properly planned and has to be corrected.
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A case of violating the minimum distance requirement by passing too close to a cardinal buoy

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The route is corrected

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 After the correction the route must be selected and checked again. If the route is OK, the planned route can be exported into a file or a waypoint list and the vessel may start her voyage.

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The planned route passed the route check

Waypoint list

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Raster Chart Display System

The waypoints and course lines are drawn on the ARCS chart in use with mouse clicks. When the program notices that the route has reached the chart border, a new chart is loaded automatically. If desired, the program can select the largest scale chart for route planning automatically. When connected to a GPS receiver, vessel's position is shown in real time on the largest available ARCS chart in relation to the planned course lines.
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