Cooking Anyone?

Now, the kitchen is not my natural habitat. But this I like. Cooking SDI anyone?

ECDIS Groundings

To continue the ZOC theme below it is apparent that some mariners switch off once everything is digital. When I worked in Geodesy we used to call them GAGs, GPS Assisted Groundings. There weren't due to errors in the GPS but in navigators' misundering the (then) very poor accuracy of GPS (due to Selective Availability) and the fact that the charts they were using weren't necessarily on WGS84 Datum.

And to my post title. Again, I'm not referring to groundings due to errors in the ECDIS, but errors in the misuse of information displayed on ECDIS. For example, CFL Performer ran aground on Haisborough Sand (E Coast England) in May 2008. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch report puts all fault on the fact that too much reliance was paid to the ECDIS without the mariners knowing how to use it properly nor having reference to any other navigational aid (they had their echo sounder off for example, hello?). Or the Pride of Canterbury which recently hit a wreck displayed on its ECDIS; or rather, it would have been displayed if they hadn't switched off the wrecks layer. In their 'defence' they state they were only using it as an aid to navigation but it's no excuse when you have paper charts on board.

Watch Your ZOCs!

The case of the unwatched ZOCs is currently doing the geo rounds. It's a sorry tale of navigators not paying attention to the age of their source data. Uncharted reefs means just that "'ere be dragons" and a big patch of white on a chart really does mean no information; it's not just a doodle space.

Behind the Times

I'm not doing well with updating this blog. But, hey, perhaps no-one has noticed so I'm exonerated?

I was very pleased for different time zones yesterday. As a rule I hate time zones but last night they worked a treat. I posted a message on our RICS Geomatics forum at 2200 and by this morning New Zealand and Malaysia had solved my problem.

Sorted.

And tomorrow I have a ZOC treat for everyone. Hold your breath...

Missing You, Conference

Actually I would like to be at two conferences right now - Geo9 in Coventry and Ocean Business in Southampton. I've had texts from people at both conferences today saying I'm being missed. Ah, how nice to be wanted . But my real day job needed me more so the RICS and others will have to wait. The end of the financial year is not a good time to be out of the office.

I had an e-mail from my mate in New Zealand this week telling me about the new Otago University website. So, here you go Ross, your free plug.