When did you last buy a chart

[DAKA]

Do you keep your charts updated with corrections or just buy new ones every other year ?

Since I have moved on to electronic charts I have been a bit lazy with the chart corrections /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Refueler]

Really only have a paper chart for :

a) decorating office wall

or

b) for planning and obtaining waypoints / references for passage plan.

c) close in work for harbours etc.

But saying that - I don't correct any - other than what I actually see. And then I only mark what affects me at 1m draft.

 

[LittleShip]

Dont buy paper charts at all................

Kwacker gave me a complete set for my cruising ground /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Never used them but they may come in handy someday!

Tom

 

[Kawasaki]

I buy them quite regularly but I haven't got many /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Depends, I suppose ref corrections.
If you just muck about locally all the time local knowledge will suffice.
Then again if I was going to pastures new, new charts I would have.
Plus I would check if there were any updates needed.
A chart is out of date as soon as it's purchased or could be that is.

There are two areas local to me which change quite often.
The Harbourmasters of both places print updates as and when.
These printouts only show a sketch of the new bouy positions etc.
The Lat and Longs are correct however and should be used to amend the relevant chart.
I actually 'survey' one area myself once or twice a year.
That is I pop out and 'fix' the bouys (gps) and amend the said chart.
Caernarfon bar can change dramatically.
I check the depth whilst out there too.
I find it interesting , plus it helps when Instructing.

I.m a chart freak anyway!
Plus I,m hopelous with Plotters , puters and lecktrickery gadgetts.
I look at a chart and can see the whole picture.
Plotters zooming in and zooming out does me ed in

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I think it's downright stupid not to have detailed paper charts for any area you intend to cruise. Firstly, electronic gadgets are not yet sufficiently advanced such that they are 100% reliable or can work if the electricity supply to them fails. Secondly, electronic charts are not always accurate and nor are they regularly updated
Probably I'm an old fashioned fuddy duddy but I always buy the best paper charts I can for any cruising area I want to visit. I actually enjoy just looking at them as, to me, they're almost works of art
Anyone care to speculate what an insurance co would think about a claim involving a boat hitting a rock because it's chart plotter failed and the owner hadn't bothered to buy paper charts as a back up?

 

[Major Catastrophe]

I buy a new chart every year, just to see which rocks Kawasaki has knocked the tops off and also to find the underwater trenches hlb has been digging.

 

[gjgm]

electronic gadgets are not yet sufficiently advanced such that they are 100% reliable
*******
I can vouch for that. Last year , the colour on my plotter went wrong,the whole screen being covered with yellow. This meant the "green" bits went yellow, and the "blue" bits.. well blue and yellow makes...?

Wasnt much water about... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Mr Googler]

Having been 25 miles of beachy head in a squadie 55 with the flashest plotter on earth beeping (lost fix) at me and the waves at head height on the flybridge I thank my luck stars for paper charts and doing proper nav en route.

Paper charts = no drama when things go pop

 

[alan17]

To be honest I update my paper charts regularly but not often. Before any cruise I check/update/replace the charts for areas that I may need plus adjacent areas that circumstances may dictate that I visit. I am selective about the corrections that I make on my charts. Some are hardly relevant to my needs. All new charts that I buy are checked by me for the listed corrections and updated if necessary.

 

[Kawasaki]

Yes it can be tedious to update sometimes.
If a depth spot has been changed from 7.1 m to 7.3 for example, I sometimes don't bother!

 

[blueglass]

being constantly on the move my charts never get a chance to go out of date. I buy charts for each new area and sell on ebay after passing through - there seems a healthy demand on ebay and it helps finance new chart purchase. Likewise with chartplotter chips.

 

[[2068]]

Being as I can't find anywhere to mount a 24" display on an S28, the paper chart still has it's place as an overview.

dv.

 

[Kawasaki]

On the other hand.
I was talking to a very experienced Salty Dog type the other day.
About this very subject.

This Bod has taught me lots too.
'Respect' as the youths say.
He said 'when did you last use a Sextant or do a running fix' etc etc.
'Hmm' says I
'Yer has ter keep up wiv the times though, arrgh' said Salty.
'But without basic skills and Papers laddie, yer could be scuppered aahrghh!'
Kinda summed it for Me!

 

[Searush]

Some years ago I went thro a major update exercise on my chart set. It was really annoying as I worked thro' the changes chronologically to find I was moving the same buoys back & forth on a regular basis as they were reparied/ replaced.

Rocks, coastlines & stuff don't change much, it's only the buoys & light characteristics that really change, plus the odd harbour works. I general, these are not too critical unless trying to spot a specific buoy or light - and if you have a fix, that isn't normally an issue. Of course, if the plotter & H/H GPS have both died & google earth isn't in range on my mobile, I could be stuffed. Or I could use soundings.

 

[pennycar9]

I am the proud owner of many admiralty charts that have been collected over the years, and I have used them all from time to time. The updating bits can be a bit tedious but there we are, has to be done. There has been some interesting comments here with regards to electronic versus paper. I will state now that I am a great believer in Admiralty charts,and wouldnt go to sea without them for the area I am cruising/working.

The MCA have relaxed the criteria on merchant ships having to carry Paper charts, providing the company fulfills the specifications for electronics, then you dont need to carry Paper. The HO runs a system called ARCS which is the service for electronic charting systems and are updated weekly Via the NM service.
Another point I have noticed in this post is 'Rocks dont move' well yes I will subscribe to that, with reservations.

Take a look at some of your charts,although not all carry a source diagram, some do. Some survey areas on source diagrams were carried out by a lead line survey maybe 40 years ago. While recent surveys are done by side scan sonar and show in great detail the sea bed profile, a lead line survey may well have missed a rock or a wreck. A good case in point was on television a few weeks ago where a coaster had run aground in the western isles, on an uncharted rock outcrop. One of the MCA salvage tugs, The Anglian Earl(I think) did a survey of the area and there was the outcrop, in an area surveyed by lead line in the early 50sand so did not show up on even the latest chart edition.

 

[DAKA]

[ QUOTE ]
Or I could use soundings.

[/ QUOTE ]

Your a lot braver than I am to navigate by soundings.


The only time I have ever used it was entering Harwich, my shallow alarm went off in 2 m /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I should have been in 10 m.

on checking , it was because I leave my lines drawn on charts (this was actually a mates old chart I was using) there were two lines almost parallel, I thought I was clear of a sand bank and cut the GPS course , I was on the wrong line /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Taught me to use different colours /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Nearly went aground, but I wouldn't normally consider a sounding as a safe form of navigation.
Could be due to my cruising grounds (humber) being so filthy , and I find soundings are unpredictable at speed.

Does anyone check depth on a chart as a quick fix check ?

 

[Kawasaki]

Yes, I happened to see that programne.
Very interesting.
Ref the MCA relaxing Criteria, that must be recent.
I know of a dissmisal, which related to lack of chart updates.
OK, that might have been the thin end of the wedge.
But it was mentioned.
Maybe 3 years ago, I forget exactly.
The Mate was fired.

 

[DAKA]

Thats an excellent example, you have me concerned now, I will look into updates.


Anyone know why MBM stopped printing them ?

 

[JKay]

I bought a"Humber Chart" that was 2 weeks old and its was wrong so I ran aground /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[--word removed--] 'appens /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[cliff]

[ QUOTE ]
Never used them but they may come in handy someday!
Tom

[/ QUOTE ]Ah, you got the new ones printed on tissue paper then? - Did you get the deluxe version with perforations making it easy to tear off the "squares"?
Personally I find the old type printed on "water proof" paper a little scratchy on the nether regions and a real bugger to get them through the pump.

Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity.