Moving towards Electronic Navigational Charts for safer navigation

To better align with international standards and best practices, the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) will be phasing out Raster Navigational Charts (RNCs) to offer safer Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) products and services.

RNCs are simply a digital image, whereas ENCs are interactive by nature and provide value-added information that enables safer navigation. RNCs were developed as an interim digital product until ENCs could be more widely developed and deployed. The RNC standard, as per the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), has not seen enhancements for many years, while other IHO standards and formats (and the resulting products, such as ENCs) have evolved and introduced greater functionality and inter-operability over time, offering improved safety.

This process of progressively phasing out the Raster Navigational Chart (RNC) catalogue offered in BSB format will begin in late 2021 starting with areas where sufficient ENC coverage is available. CHS will continue to support Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) users by offering Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC) in S-57 format, as well as non-GNSS users by continuing to offer paper charts.

To learn more about the advantages of ENCs over RNCs, please visit What is the difference between a raster chart and a vector chart?

To view the listing of RNCs to be cancelled, please see the Notices to Mariners Edition 06/21.