Admiralty Information Overlay
The Admiralty Information Overlay is a digital data set that is designed to be displayed over ENCs in ECDIS and other chart display systems to provide additional information to the navigator.
The Overlay contains all Admiralty Temporary & Preliminary Notices to Mariners (T&P NMs) and provides additional preliminary information that is specific to ENCs, such as reported navigational hazards that have been incorporated on paper charts but have not yet been included in ENCs.
The Overlay gives seafarers an easy way to view the information they need, in addition to the standard chart, to navigate safely and compliantly. The Overlay makes passage planning simpler and safer by clearly showing where important Temporary or Preliminary changes may impact a voyage. It also gives seafarers the same consistent picture of the maritime environment on their ECDIS as they have always had with the Admiralty paper chart.
The Overlay includes all Admiralty T&P NMs in force worldwide and additional information that relates specifically to ENCs, published as ENC Preliminary NMs (EP NMs).
The Admiralty Information Overlay User Guide can be downloaded here (PDF).
Compatible Equipment
The Overlay can be displayed on compatible ECDIS equipment and also in Admiralty e-Navigator Planning Station. Please see the Display Systems tab for an up to date list of compatible equipment, or consult your ECDIS supplier. Most ECDIS equipment installed prior to 2011 will require an upgrade before it will be able to display the Overlay.
To ensure the widest possible availability of the Overlay, a free trial version of the Orca Master electronic chart system (ECS) is available from SevenCs that will allow the Overlay to be displayed with a user's subscribed ENCs. A link to the SevenCs website is included in the list of compatible display equipment on the Display Systems tab.
T&P NMs
All Admiralty T&P NMs that are in force are included in the Overlay. Each NM is displayed as a simple red polygon (usually rectangular) with red hatched fill which indicates the area affected by the NM. Each NM carries the same NM number that is used in the Admiralty Notices to Mariners Bulletin.
The full text of the NM is included as an associated text file which can be displayed by selecting the 'Temporary Notice to Mariners' or 'Preliminary Notice to Mariners' feature in the ECDIS Pick Report. Any associated diagrams can also be viewed through the Pick Report.
EP NMs
ENC P (EP) NMs contain additional information that is specific to ENCs and cannot be published as a standard Admiralty T&P NM. These NMs are displayed in the same way as T&P NMs, as a simple red polygon (usually rectangular) with red hatched fill which indicates the area affected by the NM. Each NM is allocated a unique EP NM number.
The full text of the NM can be viewed in the ECDIS Pick Report against the Information attribute. Where additional information is needed to explain the NM an associated picture file displays an image showing the ENC superimposed over the current paper chart information.
To get access to the Admiralty Information Overlay, check that you have a compatible display system and then contact your Admiralty Chart Agent.