NOAA to End Printing Paper Nautical Charts

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NOAA to End Printing Paper Nautical Charts
Cenoté, Wed Oct 23 2013, 07:06PM

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/weeklynews/oct13/nautical-charts.html
and an interesting newsletter from Activecaptain with a perspective on paper charts
https://activecaptain.com/newsletters/2013-10-23.php

Re: NOAA to End Printing Paper Nautical Charts
Gemini, Thu Oct 24 2013, 04:39PM

I read the Active Captain post. Very interesting and I tend to agree that paper charts could be the second most dangerous thing on board but… at this time both US and Can officials require them. It seems like NOAA is jumping the gun. Shouldn’t the regulations change before they stop printing the charts we need. I think this is inevitable and will result in more accurate charts with constant updating but I still like to browse the paper versions. Rick

Re: NOAA to End Printing Paper Nautical Charts
Windchime, Fri Oct 25 2013, 10:41AM

I too love and use all the new technology, and agree that real-time digitaly updated charts beat the heck out of trying to calculate the annual declination variance on the compass rose and hand writing notice to mariners notes onto our paper charts … but I also love to curl up with a big paper chart and swoon over daydreams of future adventures, exactly the same reason why I have a large nautical library of paper books – not Kindle.

We seem to be stuck in the middle again folks, first it was metric system and now the digital revolution … gee wiz

Re: NOAA to End Printing Paper Nautical Charts
Coastal Drifter, Mon Nov 25 2013, 09:34PM

NOAA are making pdf copies of their charts available for a limited time (until January 22, 2014 at http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/pdfcharts/

For the three-month trial period, NOAA is providing about a thousand high-resolution printable nautical charts—almost the entire NOAA suite of charts—as PDF files. The PDF nautical charts, which are exact images of the traditional charts currently printed by lithography, will be available for free download on October 22. Coast Survey will then evaluate usage and user feedback to decide whether to continue the service. The chart PDFs are listed by chart number. To find the chart you need, first use the Online Chart Viewer. (Improvements in chart PDF identification and organization are coming soon!)

Re: NOAA to End Printing Paper Nautical Charts
Mystic Rose, Thu Nov 28 2013, 08:16AM

I saw your post last night and went to the sites provided.

One, I still like a chart, you can write on it. you find longer distances much faster, and i like to have a chart. I downloaded the charts from NOAA and will save them.

Granted I use my GPS/chartplotter while sailing exclusively. My chartplotter is an older, smaller model and takes a long while to refresh so I like to have a chart to look at. It would way different if I had a 11 inch or bigger screen as some of the bigger boats.

When we get to a new marina or new bay we still go to something like Waggoners Guide to find the fuel dock, and specific docks.

Re: NOAA to End Printing Paper Nautical Charts
Mystic Rose, Fri Nov 29 2013, 08:17AM

I enquired on NOAA site about the requirement to have paper charts on board in the US.

They send back this: OCS response: Thank you for contacting NOAA. If you are a commercial vessel of a certain size, (for example >1600 tons)–then you are subject to legal chart carriage requirements. IN that case, you must use an official POD chart. However, if you do not fall into the chart carriage requirement regulations (most recreational vessels)–then you can carry any type of chart you want: Paper, electronic.

I have charts and generally they aren’t going to change that much in the years I have left to boat, so I am good.

I do think by the end of summer we are approaching the greater then 1600 tons of stuff on board.

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