Onboard chart management system launched by chart agent
Thomas Gunn Navigation Services has launched its TGNS Voyager 3 software, a fully automated onboard chart management system which provides a personalised database of charts, publications and Notices to Mariners (NTMs) organised in a convenient folio system.
TGNS Voyager 3 builds upon the existing Voyager 2 software, introducing the ability to receive corrections for Admiralty Vector Chart Service (AVCS) , Admiralty Digital Products (ADP) and Seamanship M Notices. Following comprehensive testing and sea trials the Voyager 3 software will be supplied to all Voyager 1 and 2 subscribers at no additional cost.
Voyager 3 will include a map display of BA charts and AVCS cells. Vessels will now have the ability to manage their own indexes and add charts and cells to the order basket. There will no longer be a charge for the digital supply of NP247 and NP234. These publications will be supplied in Voyager without any additional fee. In addition, Voyager 3 will allow users to add and remove charts to their index, and request additional ENCs.
The Voyager service provides weekly updates to the ships index which contains NTMs and tracings via Internet or e-mail. The Voyager data server compresses the data before sending it to the user to reduce the file sizes to a minimum. The ship only receives the files relevant to its chart outfit, further reducing the file sizes.
TGNS says the Voyager service has been fully tested and approved by the UK MCA and Admiralty UKHO, and has gained approvals from various other flag states in the company’s mission to obtain as many approvals as possible in order to assist clients with the transition from the original paper NTMs. Thomas Gunn, founder and managing director, says: “As a company we aim to be a leader. We have our own IT and research and development departments and we work hard to provide solutions for our customers. Voyager 3 represents one such solution and we are pleased to be unveiling it to our customers throughout the world.”
