Charts in the cockpit

[jwilson]

These days I have a chart table and two plotters - one at the helm, but I have sailed quite a lot of miles with nothing but paper charts, steering and handbearing compasses and leadline, on boats far too small to have a chart table. I later added a sextant and tables, and finally (wonder of wonders) a Seafarer echo sounder that ran on a 9v battery. Shortly afterwards I ran aground accidentally for the first time!

"At sea" you heave to and look at the chart and maybe plot crossed bearings or work a sight and kneel on the cabin sole and plot it on a bit of plywood on a berth. Harbour entrances are best dealt with by photocopying bits of charts or the plans in Reeds or another almanac and laminating them onto A4 sheets and tucking one under your jacket.

I was never one (and in general still take this laid back approach) for the sort of 254 degrees for 1.8 miles then 305 degrees for 0.8 miles passage plans, or even much of an overall plan. If the wind changed a lot I went somewhere else. And on a small sailing boat you were rarely going so fast that you did not have time to re-plot.

I once got a short sharp lesson about the need for pre-planning though when I was asked to navigate a very fast powerboat and we were going into the Scillies ......

 

[Never Grumble]

I have a Blue Performance chart sleeve. An Admiralty Leisure size chart fits in nicely. I like to have the chart up on deck for reference when going in and out of unfamiliar harbours and its more fun point stuff out to kids than trying to show them same on a plotter, helps them build the bigger picture.

 

[lustyd]

They HAVE withdrawn the Small Craft Folios, which used to be sold from chandleries in a neat folder with 15-30 charts for around £45.

The replacement Small Craft Charts have to be purchased as single sheets, starting at £15 a sheet. So your £45 now gets you just 3 charts as opposed to 15-30 charts. Bulk discounts start to kick in for multiple sheets, but still at least twice the old price.
Also, I believe that no UK chandlery has the expensive printers needed for the PoD service. So cannot now buy over the counter when needed. Needs to be mail order from a major chart distributer - few of which are near yachting harbours.

They released some new versions in October. The folios are still in chandleries and online. They plan to remove them in a few years but they are definitely still for sale

 

[dunedin]

They released some new versions in October. The folios are still in chandleries and online. They plan to remove them in a few years but they are definitely still for sale

Old stock being used up. No new UKHO Folios being printed. If you like them buy the latest versions now before the last ones are sold.
I updated three of our Folios to the last versions.

 

[doug748]

Old stock being used up. No new UKHO Folios being printed. If you like them buy the latest versions now before the last ones are sold.
I updated three of our Folios to the last versions.

I had not heard of this. Great news though:

" This change will provide several benefits to the vessel and end user including:
The ability to purchase only those charts that will be used, instead of being required to purchase the full folio...."


However the cost for the same coverage will be at least doubled, which is not such a great benefit ?
and.......the, sort of, USP about buying a folio is that you buy a batch, at a good price, knowing that you are fully covered, down to small scale, in that cruising region.


So actually the "several benefits" boil down to a minimum100% price rise. Looks like the Admiralty are set to bow out of this market.

.

 

[lustyd]

Old stock being used up. No new UKHO Folios being printed. If you like them buy the latest versions now before the last ones are sold.
I updated three of our Folios to the last versions.

and yet the press release I linked to said they were releasing new ones, and the chandlery I visited last week had them in stock.

 

[requiem]

However the cost for the same coverage will be at least doubled, which is not such a great benefit ?
and.......the, sort of, USP about buying a folio is that you buy a batch, at a good price, knowing that you are fully covered, down to small scale, in that cruising region.

That was my concern as well; the individual charts add up very quickly once you include harbour charts and the like. At least they have published a schedule of discounts to ease the sting:

• 5-9 charts receive 35% discount
• 10-14 charts receive 65% discount
• 15+ charts receive 75% discount

and yet the press release I linked to said they were releasing new ones, and the chandlery I visited last week had them in stock.

New editions to be released last September and earlier, to tide people over until the new service launched last October. Since they're moving to a Print-on-Demand (POD) service, this looks like similar cost-cutting to other HOs. I wouldn't be at all surprised if within 5-10 years they announce the replacement of these charts with a vector-derived product.

 

[tmtracey]

Does this mean that Imray will stop producing folios too in the near future? Hope not..

 

[neilf39]

I bought a chart cover from one of the booksellers at SIBS 3 years ago. Folio charts fit in it and you can keep 5 in it. The cover is transparent and shuts via magnets. It's brilliant. You can write on it with a chinagraph pencil. Not sure who made it. It's on the boat at the moment.

Just found it. Oneocean folio cover from Bookharbour

 

[Never Grumble]

and yet the press release I linked to said they were releasing new ones, and the chandlery I visited last week had them in stock.

The press release says they are introducing the new service October 2021 and describes the new service as buying the leisure charts on an individual basis. I suspect any folios in the chandlers are old stock. The new folios they released were conveniently dated before the October cut off date.

I just looked on Todd Navigation and can see they no longer list the folios but the leisure charts on an individual basis. The advantage of buying this way will be that they are up to date at the time of purchase with NMs added, whereas the folios required the user on purchase to apply all NMs from the date the folio was issued.

 

[dunedin]

That was my concern as well; the individual charts add up very quickly once you include harbour charts and the like. At least they have published a schedule of discounts to ease the sting:

• 5-9 charts receive 35% discount
• 10-14 charts receive 65% discount
• 15+ charts receive 75% discount

New editions to be released last September and earlier, to tide people over until the new service launched last October. Since they're moving to a Print-on-Demand (POD) service, this looks like similar cost-cutting to other HOs. I wouldn't be at all surprised if within 5-10 years they announce the replacement of these charts with a vector-derived product.

So just 4 sheets costs £60 - whereas a previous folio of up to 25 sheets was just £45, including plastic folder. And probably need to add postage charge, as no chandleries have Print on Demand. It is clear that any benefits are for the UKHO, not the boater.

I think that all UKHO (“Admiralty”) paper charts have been based on vector data for many years. But yes presumably they will seek to push to more use of electronic charts - even though they insiste these “must not be used for navigation”!

 

[dunedin]

Does this mean that Imray will stop producing folios too in the near future? Hope not..

I believe that Imray are very much continuing with paper based leisure charts for the foreseeable future, and indeed have just released a new Leisure Folio for the Mull area of Scotland. Not as wide coverage as the old Admiralty folders, but a welcome move.

 

[Never Grumble]

So just 4 sheets costs £60 - whereas a previous folio of up to 25 sheets was just £45, including plastic folder. And probably need to add postage charge, as no chandleries have Print on Demand. It is clear that any benefits are for the UKHO, not the boater.

Dont buy 4 its cheaper to buy 5 and get the 35% discount applied. I've used Todd Navigation in the past for paper charts and they dont charge postage if you order over £75.

 

[dunedin]

Dont buy 4 its cheaper to buy 5 and get the 35% discount applied. I've used Todd Navigation in the past for paper charts and they dont charge postage if you order over £75.

Do you get the 35% discount on all the charts, or only from the 5th onwards?
When they first announced it none of the websites I looked at could cope with the pricing.

 

[lustyd]

That's partly why they're still selling the folios while the new service beds in and the channel catches up with the technology.

 

[dunedin]

That's partly why they're still selling the folios while the new service beds in and the channel catches up with the technology.

The UKHO isn’t doing anything - it has dumped the problem onto the distribution channels. The paper Folios on sale now are old stock which was still held by chandleries and wholesale distributors.. The chart distributors now have to decide if and how they supply single sheet Print on Demand, and provide support via their websites.

 

[lustyd]

The UKHO isn’t doing anything - it has dumped the problem onto the distribution channels. The paper Folios on sale now are old stock which was still held by chandleries and wholesale distributors.. The chart distributors now have to decide if and how they supply single sheet Print on Demand, and provide support via their websites.

Please provide evidence of this, their website doesn't say anything beyond the fact they will eventually be phased out and that new versions of folios were released late last year. The very idea that they would release and distribute new folios two days before discontinuing them is crazy. They also have a whole section descibing the ongoing updates for these folios.

 

[lustyd]

Also, chandleries have PLENTY of stock, not just using it up. All of the chandleries local to me in the Solent continue to have the full displays out with the same selection as before.

 

[Never Grumble]

Do you get the 35% discount on all the charts, or only from the 5th onwards?
When they first announced it none of the websites I looked at could cope with the pricing.

I've no idea, but had assumed that would be discount on whole order! Try emailing Todd Navigation ADMIRALTY Charts & Publications, Imray Charts, Nautical Books, Electronic Charts & Digital Services | Todd Navigation I notice they price each chart at £13.50 and still refer to the discounts. I dont need any at the moment as I went and bought all the folios as they came out last year to make sure I didn't end up in this muddle.

 

[jwilson]

Folios all well and good and I now buy Imray as they have a better coverage for a Falmouth base. Admiralty Folios you need two sets if you go much east or west. I certainly won't be buying Admiralty folios in the future at £15 each individual chart....

The OP asked however about charts in the cockpit and even Folio size charts in a plastic sleeve are too big for this in any breeze. In most small boats without a wheelhouse charts really need to stay below.

I'm horribly drawn towards electronic only for ordinary coastal cruising, although I'm generally ultra conservative: I still value sextant and tables offshore as I have more than once been deep sea on boats with no functioning engine and electrics, let alone fancy electronics including so-called "waterproof" stuff. Yet charts really are better for the "big picture" overall view, unless of course you are in a superyacht with a 32" plotter.