Admiralty charts Vs Imray

flipper

flipper

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Not withstanding the recent thread about the smaller charts being withdrawn by the Admiralty, what are the pro's and con's of each?

I've only ever used Admiralty charts but notice the Imray charts are cheaper, which makes a significant difference when buying a whole set for my intended cruising area.

Thanks
Patrick
 
Imray charts quite often have little harbour charts round the outside. They seem to be harder wearing than Admiralty, but they're a b***er to write on with anything less than a really sharp pencil.

I prefer Admiralty, but use Imray:confused:
 
The basic data is the same, but Imray charts are aimed at the leisure yachtsman with additional pilotage and harbour notes. They are also available electronically with a pretty good simple nav programme.
 
Another major benefit of the Imray charts is that you need fewer charts than with the Admiralty. They don't have the same annoying habit of removing all detail from areas that are covered in a more detailed chart.

Also - although I am not sure about this - I think they publish the charts less frequently - so you can keep your Imray charts corrected up to date for much longer than you should with the corresponding Admiralty chart (not that that has stopped me in the past :) )

On the down side, I really don't like the colours on the Imray charts - when combined with the surface I find it very difficult to plot on them. I also find them less clear to read and understand than the Admiralty charts, but that might just be familiarity
 
Imray for me

I first started using Imray charts because they were cheaper and they could act as backup to a chart plotter. I have never caught one out and they are much easier to stow away and use than an Admiralty chart. Slightly more difficult to correct as the ink tends to smear on the waterproof paper. They always seem to have a larger scale plan for the bits I need.
 
I have only used Imray charts and I prefer the colour layout of the Imray charts to Admiralty ones but that’s probably just due to use and familiarity with the Imray product.:)
 
I prefer Imray charts wherever possible because the addition of the harbour inset charts at larger scales make them much more versatile, but of course they don't offer worldwide coverage. They are also easier to update, not the chart itself, which is the same pain for all, but to gather the data on-line by chart number, print it off and keep with the chart. That way with a quick check if the corrections are valid before your trip you can make a specific note or ignore them as the case justifies.
 
May I disagree with the majority opinion so far expressed? I prefer Admiralty charts. I did have a few Imray charts but I've now discarded them. I find Admiralty charts - standard, leisure or leisure folio - much easier to to read and to mark positions on. They are also a better size for my chart table.
 
I like Admiralty charts too but use Imray on the laptop and would prefer to duplicate on the chart table. Anyone know where I can get them unfolded as they wear through the folds in no time.
 
Having been brought up with Admiralty charts, and even for a while had the luxury of my own Navigators Yeoman to do my corrections etc for me I now use Imray. Yers I do think that Admiralty are the best, but they are expensive and now I have a plotter Imray give me the most cost effective paper back up.

Mind you if I wasn't on a budget I would buy only Admiralty but I am and charts are a significant cost at one chart per two days sailing on this trip so Imray gets my vote.
 
As an open powerboat user, I always found the waterproof paper of Imray charts one of their biggest selling points. Just lay them out flat to dry when I arrived home and they were fine. Colours didn't really matter, I could read Imray and Admiralty equally easily.
 
trapezeartist said:
There seems a certain simple logic about making sand yellow and land green. Also in making deep water darker than shallow.
Click to expand...

I prefer the logic that the bits you don't have to worry about are white and easy to plot on, whereas the darker it gets the more attention you have to pay to the pilotage to stay safe.
 
Coaster said:
May I disagree with the majority opinion so far expressed? I prefer Admiralty charts. I did have a few Imray charts but I've now discarded them. I find Admiralty charts - standard, leisure or leisure folio - much easier to to read and to mark positions on. They are also a better size for my chart table.
Click to expand...

I agree.

One reason for preferring Admiralty charts is that they adhere to strict international charting standards. If you can read an Admiralty chart, you can read any hydrographic chart produced by the equivalent national agency, anywhere, without any potential for confusion. In some parts of the world, the "Admiralty" chart is in fact produced by another nation and simply re-labelled - if you see "INT" sheet numbers, this may be the case (or it may be produced by the UKHO and re-labelled by another nation).

Imray charts, while excellent for the UK, do NOT reflect international standards, so if you get too used to Imray charts, you may find that it is a pain in the neck when moving to another part of the world, and given the different use of colour on the Imray charts, you may even misinterpret a chart.

A secondary point is that Imray - or any other equivalent charts - are produced using the data from the Admiralty charts. This necessarily means that they lag behind the latest surveying. Further, they are produced purely as a commercial enterprise, so less used areas will lag even further behind. Although Admiralty charts have a commercial aspect, they are still essentially provided as part of the UK's commitment to the international maritime safety apparatus.

Finally, as a cartographer, I just don't like the cartography of the Imray charts - but that is a personal thing, and I have to be careful as I work alongside someone who came to us from Imray!
 
Interesting replies. I think shall stick to Admiralty.

For info I have located the latest editions of the folio's I need, SC5606/7 Thames estuary and east coast for £37.95 each including delivery if I order both from toddchart.com in NI. Normally £44 each. Anyone used them?

Patrick
 
In fact for general usability I used to like the Stanfords charts - excellent printing on good paper. Very readable and much more manageable than either the admiralty or Imray charts
 
flipper said:
Interesting replies. I think shall stick to Admiralty.

For info I have located the latest editions of the folio's I need, SC5606/7 Thames estuary and east coast for £37.95 each including delivery if I order both from toddchart.com in NI. Normally £44 each. Anyone used them?

Patrick
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Todd Charts are a serious chart agency located in Bangor in Northern Ireland. I've bought charts from their shop and ordered them over the internet, so you need have no concerns about them being some fly-by-night internet set up.
 
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