Charts ad Pilots

Noddy

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I'm hoping to go.

Don't really know the answer to your question. I have not done the research yet - still attacking the boat with an angle grinder and waiting for the weather to warm up so I can start glueing it all back together again.

I guess there will be an Atlantic Chart thingy for the main passage.

I've got a bit of pilotage info in Reeds but am on the lookout for an Azores pilot.

Azores charts?

Someone else put this link on the forum http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/
For weather stuff.

Have a look at the chart publisher's catalogues etc and let us know what you find.

Cheers
Paul
 

helixkimara

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I,m going to the Azores too.
I suggest getting the "Atlantic Islands Pilot" or "The Atlantic Crossing Guide" by RCC Pilotage Foundation in case you miss. These will give you suggested charts, and a great deal more.
I supose if some "Jester" gave you a list of charts and missed a chart out, which happened to be exactly where you end up. Say "Greenland" then we would never forgive ourselves. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 

Gargleblaster

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I managed to cross from Falmouth to Newport, Rhode Island and back this year without any charts. I realised I didn't have them on board about 24 hours out of Falmouth but didn't go back for them. I had put them in a cardboard tube wrapped in cling film and left them leaning against a desk in my office - where I found them on my return. I did have chartlets for Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, as I had to thread my way through nearby shoals in thick advection fog. The rest of it was done from memory of the charts, graphpaper and waypoints I had written into my navigation journal. I used celestial navigation on the way back for the practice and found I could still find my way, it does help if you have Ushant and the Scillies lat/long written down somewhere.
In 2006 I didn't intend calling into the Azores but broken rigging forced me. Fortunately I had a waypoint for Larjes on Flores written in my journal from a previous visit. On the way back to the UK I also managed to get into Corvo Harbour [if it can be called that] using just common sense and my eyeballs despite the numerous rocks around the entrance.
Now I'm not advocating that no-one else needs charts, but it is possible to get places without them. I won a prize in 2003 for getting to Sweden and back from the East Coast without using charts - only ran aground once in the Baltic.
However all that said when I buy charts I buy second hand ones that are usually stamped 'Not to be used for Navigation' and can find my way around without too much trouble using them. Some fellow near Leicester or Northampton does quite good deals on them if you search the web. Some of them are even sepia in colour and dated 1928. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

jesterchallenger

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Atlantic Islands pilot is very good, covering the Azores, Canaries, Madeira and Cape Verdes, published by RCC Pilotage Foundation and available from Imray - www.imray.com. For all European ports down to Gibraltar, the Cruising Association Cruising Almanac 2007 - 2008 gives chartlets and sailing directions from the Baltic to Gibralatar, so handy if you need a bolt hole in between Plymouth and the Azores. British Admiralty do a passage chart of the eastern N. Atlantic, handy for the big picture and Imray publish charts of the Azores for when you arrive.
Hope that helps.
 

andlauer

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Bonjour
I agree with John (yes that John !) that offshore you don't really need charts, under normal condition. I went to Newport and back and I used the world map provided for free with the GPSNavX navigation system. The most interesting information was the main cargo routes.
I also had on board some paper charts and especially some of the shore areas.
I had the complete USA cost raster charts CD for a few dollars with detail charts.
Eric
 

andlauer

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Re: Charts and Pilots

Bonjour
The Brake brothers crossed the atlantic, in the trade wind, witout any navigation system. No compas....
They used the sun as a compas in the south atlantic and the position of stars at sunset to define the latitude ! They arrived at the Desirade as planned.
When the sky was cloudy they would wait !
Eric /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 

sanna_dhu

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Re: Charts and Pilots

Bonjour Sterenn,

In reply to all the replies so far, I am more interested in historical weather information, currents etc... as an aid in planning my route - I agree that a chart is unnecessary for the main crossing.

Vive la legion!
 

Conachair

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[ QUOTE ]
The most interesting information was the main cargo routes.


[/ QUOTE ]
Now that would be useful to have onboard. Anyone know of a website with details of main shipping routes?
 

andlauer

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Re: Charts and Pilots

Bonjour sanna-dhu
I tried the URL option in the editor. I have a playing kid spirit!
So you should find an electronic version of the pilot chart on the following web site.
The URL is for the french version but the pilot chart are in US language. You may switch to english if you can't understand Atlantique for Atlantic and 6 for june !
For each month you have a sheet.
Eric

Pilot-charts
 

andlauer

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Re: Charts and Pilots

Ca marche !

I forgot Nord for North in the required translation !
Un rien amuse les enfants !
Eric /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
G

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Re: Charts and Pilots

[ QUOTE ]
Bonjour Sterenn,

In reply to all the replies so far, I am more interested in historical weather information, currents etc... as an aid in planning my route - I agree that a chart is unnecessary for the main crossing.

Vive la legion!

[/ QUOTE ]
Take yourself over to:
http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/maritime

Select 'Publications' from the Find Menu, then use the drop-down box to source Pilots and Sailing Directions for the whole world.

If memory serves, Pilot chart 106 covers the North Atlantic. There's a separate chart for each month, giving the kind of information you're looking for.

Colin
 

Gargleblaster

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Re: Charts and Pilots

Eric has reminded me the charts I do use constantly are what I call 'Routing Charts' and Eric calls 'Pilot Charts'. Always looking at the box I am in to see if I can expect winds over F8#. Also useful for the currents and to see if there are supposed to be ships about and how often you should get up at night.
#However this year in a couple of the quadrants where it said I had a 0% chance of F8 or above I was encountering F9s, but then I understand summer in Northern Europe wasn't up to expectations either. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

andlauer

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Re: Charts and Pilots

Bonjour
You are right : Statistics are nonsense.
We are only interested in specific cases !
They are not statisticable!

The pilot charts are made out of the vessels reports but the vessels are avoiding areas where and when bad weather are forecast. As a consequence the pilot charts may be considered as optimistic.
0% of F8 may be the consequence of 100% forecast accuracy of F8 !
Eric
 

sanna_dhu

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Re: Charts and Pilots

sterenn, bonjour. I hope I know my 'nord' from my 'north', ancien legionnaire, caporal six ans, says that I should do!

Thanks to the great response from everyone so far to my original post. I hope to see some of you in the Azores next year although I may not be allowed to be part of the official Jester (I'm 42').
 
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