Foreign Charts

[shemandr]

We spent some time on Aruba recently cutesy of Jet Blue. I became curious about the waters around the Island and the distances to other Islands etc. When we returned I searched the NOAA web site and found nothing South of Jamaica. I checked with a local chart reprinter and they found a chart # but were unable to find an online version of it that they could access. The chart # they found is NGA 22460. What is NGA?
My question is for those of you who sail out of American waters. What are your sources for charts? Do you have to go to each county's cartography agencies? What about international waters?

 

[capta]

Before GPS and chartplotters charts were pretty much indispensable. As the US and Admiralty charts were pretty expensive, I was always on the look out for cheaper charts. Therefore, I've used Spanish charts, Portuguese, German, French and even Russian charts, etc. without a problem.
As most information on a chart is visual, it really doesn't matter what language the labels are in. It isn't of much consequence what this point or that bay is called, as long as the features necessary for safe navigation are correct, especially considering that there weren't any cruising guides either, so your decision making was done by what was on the charts.
Today, with the excellent cruising guides for most areas and GPS/chartplotters, I don't bother spending my money on any but the most general area charts. For instance, when I sail from the US to the Caribbean, I use International chart 400, plus a chip for Bermuda and the Eastern Caribbean for the plotter.
One must remember that Doyle's guides and others are infinitely superior to commercial charts for small craft use, as the charts are made for large commercial vessels and often leave out details that are necessary for safely navigating a small craft close to shore, where a larger commercial vessel would not venture.

 

[Benny17441]

Great answer Capta.