Paper Charts

Stu Jackson · Mar 15, 2009

Nereussailor said:
Do you own paper charts? And where do you purchase them. I've been to WM, But $24 for one chart really seems like a lot. I've looked at the Maptech Chart books, but the only ones I have seen are the big ones. Doesn't anyone make a chart book or a chart that is reasonable in size and price? and if so, Where would I buy them?

Of course we have paper charts. I keep them up with LNM as required. I bought a Maptech Chart Book for our area and it's just great. The WM catalog has pretty much all the charts known to man to sailing in the US. What else could you ask for? Smaller charts??? - but that's completely counterproductive, because the larger a chart, regardless of scale, the more you can see. In this case bigger IS better and I don't understand your need for "small." If they don't exist, you cant buy them.

letterman · Mar 15, 2009

I agree...maptech

Mine cost over $100 each and they paid for themselves on one trip. The 4 I have are Lake Erie (actually Richardson Chart), The Chesapeake, Norfolk to Florida and Florida.

Big? No way...they stay below unlessnconditions are perfect in the cockpit. I used the dinette table.

Expensive? You can download the whole world and burnit on disc. BUT, I prefer the paper charts. They are easier to use.

Benny · Mar 15, 2009

US Chart Services of Osprey Florida offers free charts covering selected areas of the Florida penninsula. These are usually given out at the boat shows and sometimes can be found at marina stores of a given area. On one side of the chart you get a photographic reproduction of the NOOA charts and in the other side some advertisement from local marine shops and services. The quality is rather good but most lack plotting scales but when used in conjuction with electronic plotters we have found them to be quite adequate. Sometimes it is hard to get a hold of a specific chart in short order and these have worked for us. I think they only do the Florida adds but the price is right especially for backup.

Ross · Mar 15, 2009

Print your own from here. http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/

John Nantz · Mar 15, 2009

Yup, over 500 of 'em

West cost of North America, Northwest US San Francisco to the Bearing Strait and Cape Barrow (with global warming might be able to use some of these), Europe North Sea to Greenland, Norway, Baltic Sea and down to the Straight of Gibraltar, 80 charts for around Great Britain, plus the Adriatic, Hawaiian Islands to Wake, and a smattering of others like Narragansett (sp?) Bay, Block Island, and some South Pacific areas.

Also got digital charting for basically the world albeit some a tad out of date now.

There are strip charts for many heavily traveled areas such as The Northwest Passage (not a NOAA publication and comes in a North and a South book), but the scale on some of these leave a little to be desired. The Northwest Passage one, for example, is good for trip planning but not good for exploring. Then there is the Evergreen Atlas that covers from Puget Sound to about Cape Caution, another private publication which is a knockoff of NOAA charts, and this is pretty good.

If it works for you, a good chart book can save a lot of money and then buy what ever detailed charts you need for special areas of interest.

I had the GPS on my computer chart go out while in Alaska in probably one of the worst possible places and in pea soup fog. That was probably the only place I didn't have the most detailed paper chart along! Fortunately we did have the next best paper chart and very slowly picked our way toward a rocky bay where it was shallow enough to anchor and figure things out. Turned out it was a slightly loose screw on a breaker jumper wire. It was just tight enough it the continuity was okay but loose enough so there wasn't enough good power.

Stu Jackson · Mar 15, 2009

Thanks, Ross

I plumb forgot about those, now bookmarked!

Hermit Scott · Mar 15, 2009

Ross has a link to a great resource. The best part is you can print them to any size you want! I am going to print my sailing grounds at kinkos so they are on nice paper and bigger than my printer will allow.

Ross · Mar 15, 2009

It is things like that chart service and the navigation aids that are maintained with MY taxes, somebody elses taxes get wasted on congressional junckets and 400 dollar toilet seats.

jackhartjr · Mar 15, 2009

Here's one you can say...gee...is he stupid' of what for asking that question...Here it is; Is there an economic way to be able to print these mush larger than a home printer can do it? Talking about the NOAA charts that Ross linked us too?
Thanks
Jack

Stu Jackson · Mar 15, 2009

Larger size printing

One would think that a CD-ROM drive would be able to handle the file sizes and as Hermit suggested, take it to Kinko's or other large size printing places. I wouldn't be surprised if you could simply send them the file name by email and pay for it when you pick it up. Amazing what we can do when we're not sailing...how dreadful, you mean there's something other than sailing?

Ron20324 · Mar 15, 2009

In downtown Annapolis we have the Fawcett's chandlery. They print charts to order in the large, NOAA-size. This way they/you get the very latest updates. I doubt any of the Westies do it, but there may be others? Some computer printing programs let you print up to garage-door size, but you have to tape the pages together.

Hermit Scott · Mar 15, 2009

I think I won't have to pay taxes this year becasue all my earnings were capital gains under $40k. Thank you George Bush.

jackhartjr · Mar 15, 2009

As for Jack, I might not be the smartest person on this planet, but at least I can spell and have enough brains to ask a question when I need help.

Nereussailor...just in case you thought I was directing something your way...when I wrote "Here's one you can say...gee...is he stupid' of what for asking that question!"; that was not directed at you...it was a preface to my question.
Jack

John · Mar 15, 2009

Not only paper charts... Out here, we took the Coast Guard Auxiliary class in coastal navigation. I assume it's offered elsewhere. For those without years of experience, it's definitely worth the time, especially if you're planning any longer trips. They make the point (also made here) that you never know when your electronics may go out for any one of a number of reasons. Also, what I found was that it gave me a better understanding of navigating in general.

bobtigar · Mar 16, 2009

Charts...Sailorman in FT. Lauderdale. The selection is a mess but he has 1000's. This is a place whetre cruisers come when they have moved to land to sell their stuff. Last charts I bought were $6/ea. They have chart books too. Bob

jackhartjr · Mar 16, 2009

Nereussailor, be careful at Sailorman...you need to do your homework prior to going...they are good as to pricing on some items and not so good on others.
It is easy to look at something there...say, "Wow, I need that" and spend almost retail for it.
There is another place north of Jenson Beach as I recal...and I do not remember the name...that has a lot more "Stuff'!
Jack

Capt. Kermie · Mar 16, 2009

Economical?

jackhartjr said:
Here's one you can say...gee...is he stupid' of what for asking that question!
Here it is.
Is there an economic way to be able to print these mush larger than a home printer can do it? Talking about the NOAA charts that Ross linked us too?
Thanks
Jack

If you want them in color the answer is 'NO', you are talking about a large amount of ink, that is the costly part, the paper is cheap, if it is just regular photocopy grade. I would like the entire PNW collection of NOAA chart booklets and there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 booklets, each with upwards of 20 pages albeit some are only 10 or 16 pages and I would like them printed single sided so that I can join them up side by side or end to end depending on the configuration. On top of that I would like them printed on heavier magazine stock for durability and quality but that would only increase the cost. Then I want them protected so I guess I will need a big 2" binder that is also weather proof or plastic of some sort to keep out the wet. Man this is starting to sound expensive, perhaps you work for an advertising company that has all the requirements and all you have to do is go in and print them at the company's expense, then it may be cheaper, but to do it yourself the cost is relative to your desired quality.

One more thing comes to mind, "is there not some maritime laws or legal reasons that require boaters to carry paper charts" I am sure there is some legal requirement on the Canadian side of the PNW that stipulate boaters carry paper charts over and above the electronic ones for the area they are navigating.