News and insights

Across recent UKHO webinars and industry events, several questions have appeared repeatedly. Here, we address some of the most common and look at what mariners and operators need to know at this stage of the transition.

Discover how S-131 could help make trusted, machine-readable port infrastructure data more accessible and usable, supporting safer navigation, more efficient port calls and increasingly digital maritime operations.

Efficient passage planning depends on bringing together trusted information from multiple sources. As the volume of information available to bridge teams grows, the challenge is increasingly about finding what matters and understanding it efficiently. We explore how reducing unnecessary friction can give navigators more time to focus on the decisions that support safe navigation.

Setting the ECDIS safety contour correctly is one of the most effective things a bridge team can do to prevent grounding. When configured for the vessel's actual draught, margins and operating conditions, it controls how depth information is displayed in ECDIS and alerts the crew before the vessel approaches unsafe water.

Could having more maritime data actually reduce the amount of interpretation required on the bridge? In this multimedia feature article, pilots, mariners and hydrographic offices reflect on evaluating trial S-100 data sets across four challenging port environments, revealing a consistent view of how richer maritime data could support more efficient navigational decision-making.

For most navigators, the sound of an ECDIS alert is unmistakable. Depending on the watch, an ECDIS alert can mean anything from a routine chart update to an imminent grounding risk. The challenge is knowing which is which – and acting accordingly.

In March 2026, the UK Hydrographic Office (the UKHO), in collaboration with NorthStandard and ship operators Minerva Marine and the Angelicoussis Group, carried out S-100 simulator trials in Athens, Greece.

Simulator trials conducted with commercial mariners from leading tanker, LNG and bulk fleets have provided new insight into how S-100 performs in practice, highlighting improvements in clarity, decision-making and planning — alongside the need for careful implementation and training.

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has completed a series of bridge simulator trials for its next-generation S-100 data.

In March 2026, the UK Hydrographic Office (the UKHO) joined global partners at the Center for Simulator Maritime Training (CSMART) to test how S-100 data performs in realistic navigation scenarios.

New data from NorthStandard highlights where bridge teams are confident with ECDIS and where understanding can be strengthened.

In February 2026, the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) brought S-100 data into a live training environment at ECDIS Ltd, working alongside industry partners to explore how the next generation of hydrographic data performs in realistic navigation scenarios.