Course Overview
The purpose of this course is to provide students with knowledge, skills, and a thorough understanding of the ECDIS, in order to safely navigate vessels whose primary means of navigation is the ECDIS. This course covers the requirements of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers Convention (STCW1978), as amended by the 2010 Manila Amendments (STCW2010). The course content is as per Transport Canada’s TP 4958E and IMO model course 1.27. Students will be trained and assessed using ECDIS and other associated navigational equipment in a simulated environment. Students will perform exercises in setting-up the ECDIS display best-suited for the area of navigation, perform basic navigation functions in accordance with the Collision Regulations, create, check, and monitor routes, and take proper and effective action when dealing with equipment failures and malfunctions. Those planning to enter the course should be proficient in nautical chartwork, and be familiar with visual navigation and bridge watchkeeping duties, including the operation of the Radar and ARPA. Students should also be familiar with Windows-based personal computing operating systems, using keyboards, mice, and trackballs.
Prerequisite(s)
- Chartwork and Pilotage, Level 1 (C&P1)
Credits
3.0
- Not offered this term
- This course is not offered this term. Notify me to receive email notifications when the course opens for registration next term.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Operate the ECDIS equipment, use the navigational functions of ECDIS, select and assess all relevant information, and take proper action in the case of malfunction.
- State the potential errors of displayed data, and errors of interpretation.
- Distinguish between ENC’s and RNC’s, and other types of electronic charts.
- Explain how the ECDIS meets SOLAS chart carriage requirements.
- State the requirements of the ECDIS as per IMO’s Performance Standards for ECDIS.
- Assess the quality and accuracy of chart data, and extract relevant chart information.
- Describe the performance limits of sensors, and their impact on the ECDIS.
- Manage and update chart data.
- Perform route planning and monitoring in open, as well as confined, waters.
- Manage ECDIS-related alarms, indications, and warnings.
- Manage the display of AIS and ARPA targets, and the radar overlay.
- Manually fix the vessel’s position.
- Explain why ECDIS should not be relied upon as the sole reliable aid to navigation, and the dangers of over-reliance on ECDIS.
- Define safe water and set safety parameters.
- Monitor the integrity of the system.
- Record voyage data and replay previous voyages.
Effective as of Winter 2026
Related Programs
Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ENAV 3105) is offered as a part of the following programs:
- Indicates programs with a co-op option.
School of Transportation
- Nautical Sciences
Diploma Full-time
- Watchkeeping Mate Near Coastal (WKMNC)
Certificate Part-time
Programs and courses are subject to change without notice. Find out more about BCIT course cancellations.