Russian Ships Will Not Be Able To Go To Sea

• 17.03.2022, 22:53

The navigation chart updates have been disabled for them.

Russian vessels will soon not be able to leave ports because of the refusal of Lloyd's Register Voyage Rus to sell and update all its products and services in Russia, namely electronic navigation charts.

Most Russian vessels use C-MAP electronic navigation charts. Until recently they were supplied by Lloyd's Register Voyage Rus, whose Russian office is registered in St Petersburg. It has already officially notified Russian customers that it is halting the sale and updating of all its products and services because of the war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine, reports Black Sea News.

"The cartographic products have a fixed-term and an indefinite licence. About 99% of ships use a fixed-term licence. By a certain date, the next payment for the use of the cartographic product has to be made. In this case, fresh proofs are received throughout the year. And the ships using electronic charts receive these updated products in the ports and then they go to sea. What will happen if the e-charts are not updated? The port inspectorate will not let a vessel leave the port. This can happen either on the Russian side or outside the Russian Federation. In the latter case, the vessel will not be able to return home," said Aleksey Migalin, General Director of the Russian NavMarin company, member of the working group on import substitution in radio-electronics Navigation Devices.

The expiry of the licence for cartographic products may occur during cargo transportation. If ships have a set of paper charts and they are corrected, the safety of navigation will still be respected.

"Today, the situation with updating electronic charts is a real problem. And it is very acute because Russian-flagged vessels will remain in foreign ports, various kinds of sanctions will be imposed on them and eventually it may lead to confiscation of the vessel," Migalin added.