British backpedaling : UKHO postpones phasing out of paper Admiralty charts to at least 2030 ! Six months after setting the target of 2026 for the complete withdrawal from production of all paper navigation charts (¹), UKHO (United Kingdom Hydrographic Office) said the 2 February than in response to user feedback, It now plans to continue providing a paper card service until 2030 at least (²).
While affirming that he still believes that the future of navigation is digital., The UK Office stated that consultations with users and various organizations had highlighted several important transnational and regulatory factors that needed further consideration.. UKHO stresses that it is committed to consulting closely and more widely with its UK and international partners on the proposal to stop production and to listening to feedback from users and individual organisations.
Just like the sextant, Sailors have relied for hundreds of years on paper charts to position themselves and plan their navigations. The UK was – and remains – one of the standards for reliability and accuracy. But the office found that most seafarers had already gone digital., especially after the entry into force of the SOLAS mandate (³) for the transition to ECDIS (³). However, it became clear that more time was needed to meet the needs of specific users who did not yet have viable alternatives to paper maps..
UKHO seeks to assure users that the elements of its paper chart portfolio necessary for safe navigation will be maintained during the transition period. Furthermore, He said he would work with his international colleagues and partners., in particular through the IMO (³) and IHO (³), in order to progress at an appropriate pace.
Despite the decision to extend the withdrawal schedule by at least four years, UKHO reports rapid decline in demand for paper products, affirming that the future is clearly digital. UKHO highlights benefits of digital technology, including the ability to perform updates in near real time, this, According to her,, Significantly improves navigation accuracy and ease of use. These benefits will be further enhanced with the introduction of the next generation of navigation solutions..
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(¹) Announced end of UKHO paper nautical charts
(²) Source : The Maritime Executive
(³) See Maritime Glossary for these acronyms
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This is good news.