Route Check
Menu path |
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or |
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→ 
→ Select Route → Check route
→ Check routeImportant
Before activation, the route must be checked for navigational safety. Safety check settings are individual for each route.
Route check procedure
To check a route, in the Routes window, select the route and press Check route.
Check features:
Opening a route for editing resets the check status to “not checked”
To re-run the check, press Check route
The presence of navigational hazards within the cross-track distance (XTD) zone is checked
Tip
Manual entry of XTD values smaller than the minimum permissible value is not possible. If a smaller XTD value is required, modify the parameters used to calculate the minimum permissible value: drift angle, ENC accuracy, expected position fixing error.
Calculation formulas
Automatic calculation of minimum permissible XTD
The minimum permissible XTD value is calculated using the formula:
where:
\(B_t\) — vessel maneuvering band width
\(m\) — expected root mean square error (RMS) of vessel position fixing, entered by the user
\(c\) — expected RMS of bathymetric feature charting accuracy (CATZOC)
Note
For the calculation, the CATZOC value encoded in the cell containing the waypoint with the outgoing route leg is used. If the CATZOC value is > 2, the value entered manually in the route check settings is used.
Maneuvering band calculation
The maneuvering band is calculated using the formula:
where:
\(L\) — length of the vessel or barge-tow composition, in meters
\(B\) — beam of the vessel or barge-tow composition, in meters
\(a\) — maximum drift angle entered in vessel dimensions
\(V\) — design vessel speed on the route leg, in m/s
Route check statuses
By default, after creation or import, the route status is set to “not checked”.
Status |
Pictogram |
Description |
|---|---|---|
Safe |
|
Route has been checked and is safe |
Not checked |
|
Route has not been checked |
XTD problem |
|
XTD is less than the minimum distance to hazards |
Hazards found |
|
Navigational hazards have been found: |
Special conditions |
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Areas with special navigation conditions exist along the route: |
Note
Similar statuses are used when checking a route from the creation/editing window, but they apply to route legs.
Check exceptions
If any objects or areas have been excluded during check criteria configuration, pressing Check route will display a list of objects and areas excluded from the check.
Warning
A route with a “not checked” status is checked upon activation. It is recommended to perform the check in advance to identify and resolve potential issues.
Warning
Checking an extended route that crosses a large number of ENC cells may take a considerable amount of time. It is recommended to perform the check in advance.
Route check status reset
Reasons for resetting the “Checked” status:
1. ENC cell changes
New ENCs have been loaded
New ENC editions have been loaded
New update sets have been loaded
Update cells with statuses Re-Issue, Terminated have been loaded
Manual cell corrections have been made by the navigator
New areas to be avoided have been added (imported) by the navigator
NAVTEX objects have been added by the navigator
2. Vessel parameter changes
Maximum drift angle
Minimum distance to hazards
Vessel dimensions (including forming a barge-tow composition)
4. External routes
Routes received by any method also have a Not checked status and are treated by ECDIS as new.
Important
Any change to parameters affecting safety causes all previously checked routes to automatically receive a “not checked” status and require re-checking.
Route safety check criteria configuration
Individual route safety check parameters are set in the settings window, which opens by pressing 
.
№ |
Parameter |
Description |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Accuracy of mapping of relief forms |
Manual entry of bathymetric feature charting accuracy if CATZOC > 2 |
2 |
Expected error of route coordinates determinations (RMS) |
Manual entry of RMS — expected positioning accuracy on the route |
3 |
Minimum distance to hazards |
Minimum distance to hazards |
4 |
Navigation hazards |
Navigational hazards |
5 |
Safe water buoy |
Safe water buoys |
6 |
Safety contour |
Safety contour |
7 |
Areas with special conditions |
Areas with special navigation conditions group |
8 |
User defined areas to be avoided |
User-defined areas to be avoided group |
9 |
Save |
Apply settings |
10 |
Cancel |
Return to the route creation/editing window without saving monitoring settings |
Tip
It is recommended to configure check criteria according to expected navigation conditions and area characteristics. Stricter criteria increase safety but may limit route options.
Important
Route navigational safety check is not performed within the XTD.
Scanning is performed across the largest-scale cells falling within the navigational safety zone, which also accounts for the minimum distance to navigational hazards.
List of detected hazards
The status pictogram shows whether hazards have been detected on a given leg. Clicking the pictogram opens a window with a list of detected hazards in the vicinity of the selected waypoint and the next route leg. The route being checked is displayed on the map.
Working with the hazard list:
To view a detected hazardous object, select the hazard from the list
The hazard will be highlighted on the map for visual analysis
The degree of threat and the need for route correction can be assessed
Tip
Before plotting and checking a route, ensure that the vessel dimensions are correctly specified and the current draft is entered, and that the check settings are correctly configured for the route being created. If hazards are detected during the check, review the list and edit the route so that it is completely safe!
Important
Route navigational safety check does not depend on the current chart display settings or the displayed chart.
Scanning is performed across the largest-scale cells falling within the XTD.
Route checking recommendations
Before checking:
Ensure ENCs and update data are current
Verify vessel dimensions
Set safety criteria appropriate for the navigation area
Checking process:
Perform a full check of the primary and backup routes
Analyze detected hazards
If necessary, adjust the route or check criteria
Re-run the check after making changes
After checking:
Ensure that all primary and backup routes have a “safe” status
Regularly check the primary and backup routes when the current vessel draft changes or the water level changes
Warning
Route checking does not replace the navigator’s professional judgment. The final decision on the safety of the voyage is always made by the master, taking into account all factors, including weather conditions, vessel condition, and crew.