Starting his career in the merchant navy, Desmond moved to working aboard commercial ships, where his interest in improving navigation has been the calling card for our work here at Seall ECDIS Ltd. This is the reason why he continues to push the company in focusing on the digital future of the industry, but something we as his team have all come to learn is that he hates the use of the term “Weekly Update”, and for good reason...
It is as simple as that, and for us, it makes no sense to provide weekly updates. Charts are developed as a continuous process from the moment a chart is published. The information about the changing navigational features are collated in order to inform vessels navigating in those areas, but only when changes are actually made. The industry has, for better or worse, utilised the erroneously labelled “Weekly Update” as a way of satisfying Onshore Surveyors that the vessel’s charts are up-to-date, but this information is derived from the edition number and not the date on a calendar.
This is why the possibility of UKHO’s ADDs programme became the flagship project at the end of 2021 and one of our 2022 development interests. By supplying access to data as it becomes available, the ADDs programme has quickly become the answer to Desmond’s industry frustrations.
