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HomeS-100 ECDIS (Layered Charts) Made Simple: 2025 Update
S-100 ECDIS (Layered Charts) Made Simple: 2025 Update
October 14, 2025
S-100 ECDIS matters because charts are turning into live layers. Instead of a single ENC view, bridge teams can combine official base charts with higher-resolution depth, real-time water levels, surface currents, navigational warnings, and under-keel clearance models in one place. That means clearer route checks, better tide and current planning, fewer last-minute changes, and stronger evidence for audits. It is also on a clock. The new standard begins entering service from 2026 and new ECDIS installations must meet the revised performance standards from 2029, so owners need a practical upgrade path. The payoff is safer approaches and tighter ETAs, but success depends on three things: good data coverage on your routes, simple presets that avoid screen clutter, and type-specific training so crews trust the new alerts and tools.
What is it and Keep it Simple...
S-100 ECDIS is like upgrading from a scanned road map to a live navigation app. The old chart (S-57) shows the roads. The new S-100 view adds layers like traffic, roadworks, and live speed limits. At sea, that means a base electronic chart plus optional layers such as high-resolution depth, real-time water levels, surface currents, navigational warnings, and under-keel clearance tools. Crews can turn layers on and off with presets, so the picture stays clear while planning and navigating.
UI differs by maker; risk of confusion during changeover
Use type-specific training and bridge presets for harbor/coastal/ocean
Situational awareness
Adds high-res depth, tides, currents, warnings for a richer picture
Too many layers can clutter; poor data quality can mislead
Limit to essentials per phase of voyage; verify source metadata
Data layers
S-101 base with optional S-102, S-104, S-111, S-124, S-129
Coverage varies by region; refresh cycles differ by office
Map trade routes against available S-100 products and update cadence
Alerts and validation
Improved route checks and safety contour logic with richer inputs
New alert logic can raise nuisance alarms if untuned
Test typical routes in a simulator; adjust thresholds and filters
Route planning & UKC
Supports dynamic under-keel clearance and tide-aware planning
Benefits depend on local S-100 quality and sensor inputs
Align UKC policy with pilots/ports; log evidence on critical transits
Integration
Standardized formats ease links to PPUs, VTS, weather and voyage tools
Legacy interfaces and shore workflows may need updates
Check APIs, file exchange, cyber controls before rollout
Hardware & performance
Modern processors handle larger multi-layer datasets
Older units can lag or stutter with heavy layers
Confirm CPU/RAM/storage/graphics and display resolution during upgrade
Training & change management
Structured, type-specific modules speed adoption and reduce error
Teams need time to rebuild muscle memory and presets
Short modules: new layers, alerts, route checks, incident drills
Compliance & timelines
Transition window allows dual-fuel operation and phased rollout
Mixed fleets face staggered upgrades and document control
Plan for use from 2026; new ECDIS must meet revised standards from 2029
Cost & ROI
Fewer deviations and cleaner approaches can save fuel and time
Licenses, data bundles and refits add up
Bundle upgrades with survey windows; negotiate by route/coverage
Cyber & resilience
Defined data models support validation and secure updates
More sources → bigger attack surface if unmanaged
Harden networks, control media, and maintain an ECDIS fallback plan
Migration strategy
Dual running lets crews compare S-57 and S-100 on real voyages
Parallel procedures can confuse without clear SOPs
Publish checklists for before/during/after the switch; keep evidence logs
Summary: S-100 turns ECDIS into a layered data system. The gains come from better depth, tides, currents and warnings in one place. Success depends on good data coverage, simple presets, tuned alerts, crew training, and a staged migration plan.
2025 S-100 ECDIS: What’s Really Working
Dual-fuel operation is live: Crews can run S-57 ENCs while adding S-100 layers where available. This allows a phased rollout without losing today’s workflows.
Useful layers with real coverage: S-101 base ENCs, S-102 high-resolution bathymetry on key approaches, S-124 navigational warnings, and S-111 currents on selected routes. Coverage varies by area.
Clearer route checks: Safety contours, dynamic under-keel clearance, and tide/current overlays reduce last-minute plan changes and suspicious chart edits.
Bridge presets reduce clutter: Harbor, coastal, and ocean presets limit layers to what matters, improving scan time and reducing nuisance alerts.
Shore integration is improving: Standard formats make it easier to push approved routes, layer updates, and post-voyage evidence to shore systems.
What still blocks scale: Patchy S-100 coverage on secondary routes, legacy hardware performance limits, and the need for short, type-specific training.
How owners prove value: Track port-call hours saved, deviations avoided, fewer late route edits, and fuel variance on tide-sensitive legs, then compare to data and maintenance costs.
S-100 ECDIS — ROI, Payback, NPV
Replace with your quotes and routes
Baseline and Finance
Effect Caps
Upgrade Costs and Expected Effects
Assumed Annual Effects (edit to fit your routes)
One-time CAPEX
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Annual OPEX (data + maint)
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Annual time savings
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Annual fuel savings
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Annual deviation savings
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Net annual benefit
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Payback (years, discounted)
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NPV / IRR
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Use vendor quotes for costs and your own voyage history for effects. Hours-saved and fuel-reduction are capped to keep results realistic. Benefits vary by route coverage of S-100 layers. This model is for training and pre-feasibility only.
