Digital Charts

Official Electronic Navigational Charts – ENCs – are vector-based electronic charts, designed to meet the relevant chart-carriage requirements of the IMO Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) convention. During installation into the ECDIS system, ENC files are converted to the SENC (System Electronic Navigational Chart) data with similar contents.

ENCs are produced by Governmental Hydrographic offices of individual nations; each Hydrographic Office is responsible for production and updating of ENCs for its territory.

• ACES 
  For customers of eGlobe G2 ECDIS, ChartWorld distributes ENC data in SENC format. ChartWorld SENC distribution, with ACES (Advanced ChartWorld ENC Service) as its designated name, has been tested and approved by DNV for compliance, with DNV Report No. 2002-1392 rev. 02 Requirements for SENC distribution.
• AVCS
  The Admiralty Vector Chart Service brings together Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) from HOs around the world with new ENCs produced by UKHO, in co-operation with foreign governments; this is done to provide the most comprehensive, official, worldwide nautical chart coverage available. AVCS only contains ENCs that meet Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Carriage Requirements for use within Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS).

The provision of a timely, reliable, worldwide and uniform ENC data distribution service is a major organizational challenge; thus the IHO developed the WEND (World-wide ENC Database) concept to meet these requirements.

WEND includes a conceptual arrangement that describes a network of Regional Electronic Chart Co-ordinating Centers (RENCs). RENCs act as a wholesale outlet for ENCs. The ENC data are then delivered to users through a network of data service providers.

ChartWorld is a qualified ENC Service provider, delivering ENC data on behalf of the RENCs and Hydrographic Offices. ChartWorld holds the following certifications and approvals, related to ENC distribution:

• UKHO Qualified Distributor for AVCS (Admiralty Vector Chart Service) and ACES
• Certified NOAA ENC Value Added Distributor.
• Value Added Distributor of Primar and ICENC RENCs.

The following value-added ENC services and distribution channels are available from ChartWorld.

• Customer-Controlled ENC Service
  This is classic ENC Service, intended for customers who want to control ENC ordering by a given vessel for particular voyages. ENC data for the voyage are selected automatically, the order is created and placed on hold, and the customer can review every ENC order before approval.
• PAYS (Pay-As-You-Sail)
  The global collection of ENC charts is preinstalled in your ECDIS; this simplifies the process of ENC data handling, saves time, and provides data for efficient voyage planning. The service ensures that the user has immediate access to worldwide ENC coverage in the event of rerouting for operational or contingency reasons. The ENCs can also be freely viewed and accessed for planning purposes. The charts used for navigation will accurately be registered, automatically reported to ChartWorld and then invoiced. The services may considerably reduce cost for certain types of voyage - a charge is made only for the charts covering the route actually sailed.
• Flat Fee
  The Flat Fee ENC data service is intended for customers who want to plan their navigational budget and reduce operational workload related to ENC-data order processing and invoicing. The vessel will receive a license for all ENC charts required for the planned voyage. The ENC licenses and data could be delivered at the voyage-planning stage; alternatively, the global collection of ENCs can be pre-installed and then the charts used are reported (PAYS+). ChartWorld's superior optimisation and flat-fee service will ensure you are not affected by data price rises from HOs.

Our ChartWorld team of experts are here to review every request your vessel makes. This will save you considerable time in the office, on the final review; this is because we can assist the crew to ensure all necessary ENCs are provided for the next voyage. Visual and email confirmation are provided for full visibility regarding our value-added service.

• IENCs
  Inland ENCs are compiled for use in Inland ECDIS applications. Like ENCs they are based on IHO S-57. To meet specific river-navigation requirements, IENCs have extensions (e.g. features not relevant for maritime ECDIS, like notice marks). The Inland ENC Harmonization Group (IEHG) was formed in 2003. Its task is to harmonize and support the development of international standards for Inland ENCs.

• PENCs
  bENCs serve as a bathymetric complement that should be used in combination with an ENC or IENC; by contrast, so called PENCs (Port ENCs) contain all information types that can be found in ENCs and/or IENCs. PENCs are compiled for operations and manoeuvres that require large-scale charts (e.g. 1:2000 or better). Hence the most accurate topographic data is used when PENCs are compiled. The PENC product specification was drafted within the framework of the Efforts Project WP 1.3 PortECDIS, which was led by Hamburg Port Authority.

• bENCs
  bENC stands for bathymetry ENC. bENCs contain high-density bathymetric information. They serve as a S-57 bathymetry complement for regular ENCs. SevenCs developed the bENC concept 15 years ago and drafted a product specification which was derived from the IHO ENC Product Specification.
  bENCs have become very popular for use in portable pilot systems. Production can be automated to some extent, because the content is limited to depth contours, selected soundings, depth areas, and quality-related information. For this purpose, hydrographic-survey datasets are used as input.
  The Inland ECDIS Harmonization Group adopted the bENC concept in the Inland ECDIS Standard 2.4.

ChartWorld Charts

ChartWorld charts are the perfect charts for vessels in coastal navigation and pleasure crafts. They are vector nautical charts derived by ChartWorld from S-57 data produced and licensed to us by national HOs for non-SOLAS applications only. ChartWorld digital charts include data from the following HOs: Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Iceland, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the USA. Other countries are being regularly added to the service.

ChartWorld digital charts are regularly updated but not maintained fully in accordance with SOLAS requirements and must not be used as a replacement for up-to-date and authorized official nautical charts or ENCs.

ChartWorld offers ChartWorld digital charts in unencrypted S-57 (where allowed), encrypted S-63 and in encrypted directENC (SevenCs SENC) format.

For one-off prices please visit our web-shop. For volume and multi-vessel discounts please contact support@chartworld.com.

PROFESSIONAL+ Worldwide Vector Chart Database

i4 Insight's vector charts for commercial navigation

Professional+ is a worldwide vector chart database for use on navigation systems such as ECS and ECDIS.

Professional+ is a global vector chart database that navigators have benefited from for years in the ECDIS and ECS systems. The chart sources are based on official charts (both paper charts and digital charts). The charts, produced by i4 Insight, should only be used as a navigational aid. This data however, facilitates the full functionality of an ECDIS, and is an excellent training choice for navigators before switching from paper to ENC.

ChartWorld offers Professional+ digital charts in S-57 format, encrypted according to IHO S-63 standard.