Leisure sailing

Leisure sailors do not use ECDIS and the associated ENCs. To a large extent leisure sailors use electronic charts from private chart producers. Leisure sailors use these electronic charts in chartplotters or in apps (on tablets or mobile phones) from private suppliers.

The Geodata Agency (GST) is continuously making updated chart data (ENC data) available to a number of the private producers of electronic charts. It is the private chart producers who independently decide when they make use of GST's chart data to update their own electronic charts.
As a leisure sailor, you should be aware that updates of electronic charts for use in chartplotters and for use in apps for tablets and mobile phones are controlled by the private suppliers. Therefore, seek information from the private suppliers and chart producers about when their electronic charts are updated.
Information on which private producers of electronic charts GST has an agreement with can be found on terms and prices.
From experience, several of the private chart producers have delays in updating their electronic charts.

Fehmarn Belt
GST will update the ENCs covering the Fehmarn Belt as the location of the work areas is adjusted and moved. Since there are frequent adjustments and moves, there will be many ENC updates.

It could cause problems for the private chart producers to achieve an update frequency for their electronic charts at a level similar to the update frequency for the ENCs.

Summary
Leisure sailors must be aware that the electronic charts they use may not contain a presentation of the work areas or a not updated presentation of the work areas.

By inquiry on VHF channels 68, 09 and 16, VTS Fehmarnbelt can inform about how the work areas must be passed.