This paper was presented at the Third Electronic Chart Technology Conference, SASMEX International, Brighton, 22–23 April 1998.

Electronic Chart Systems have been used by mariners across the entire user spectrum without official standards or specifications for 10 years. In the last three years, the debate has centred on chart data and the merits of differing cartographic technologies. There is little new that can be said for or against raster or vector technologies except what actual users might say to support the requirements of their day-to-day operations. Today, we approach a new stage as ENCs start to become available but only for limited areas. This in turn means that ENCs are capable of supporting the only approved electronic chart system, ECDIS, in a limited way. There is an urgent need for alternatives to ECDIS to cover those areas where ENCs will continue to be unavailable for the foreseeable future. This paper therefore summarizes a feedback from users of RCDS and ECDIS-type systems to demonstrate the benefits which can be secured from official recognition of RCDS systems as the legal equivalent of paper chart navigation.