A practical approach to the production of ENC with high density bathymetric content

Abstract

Over the last two years, the Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO) has published and maintained Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC) with greater scale and higher density bathymetric content than those derived from paper nautical charts. Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) is investigating the production of ENCs with high density bathymetric content which will likely replace the traditional berthing ENC.

This article describes the approaches adopted by AHO and LINZ to produce such ENC using current IHO standards. The article describes also how AHO and LINZ engaged with stakeholders to meet the demands of large ships navigating in confined waters with small safety margins.

ENCs with greater scale and high density-bathymetric content represent an opportunity for Hydrographic Offices to not only enhance safety of navigation under normal circumstances in confined waters, but also to potentially expand the range of weather and tidal conditions in which safe navigation may be conducted.