Navigating the Download of NOAA Nautical Charts: The NOAA Website/title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" > <meta name="keywords" content= "Point Wilson Sail and Power Squadron"> <meta name="keywords" content= "Boating, Education, small craft navigation, navigation charts"> <meta name="keywords" content= "Jefferson County, Washington"> <script type="text/javascript" src="oodomimagerollover.js"></script> <script language="JavaScript"> function noRightClick(buttonClicked) { if (navigator.appName == 'Netscape' && (buttonClicked.which == 2 || buttonClicked.which == 3)) return false; else if (navigator.appName == 'Microsoft Internet Explorer' && (event.button == 3 || event.button == 2)) { alert("Website Protected"); return false; } return true; } document.onmousedown=noRightClick; document.onmouseup=noRightClick; if (document.layers) window.captureEvents(Event.MOUSEDOWN); if (document.layers) window.captureEvents(Event.MOUSEUP); window.onmousedown=noRightClick; window.onmouseup=noRightClick; </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="navigation.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://www.pointwilson.org/cssverticalmenu.css">  <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.pointwilson.org/cssverticalmenu.js"> /*********************************************** * CSS Vertical List Menu- by JavaScript Kit (www.javascriptkit.com) * Menu interface credits: http://www.dynamicdrive.com/style/csslibrary/item/glossy-vertical-menu/ * This notice must stay intact for usage ***********************************************/ </script> </head> <body>  <td> <table width="750" cellspacing="15" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0"> <tr> <td> <img src="images/dividers.png" class="left" alt="navigation tools"> <h1 class="center">Navigating the Download of Navigation Charts</h1>  <h2 align="center">Exploring the <i>Office of Coast Survey</i> Website</h2> <br clear="all"> <p>Now that your computer hard drive is clean and your Internet connection is smokin' you are ready to rock (and not hit the rocks). But before you download and view the free charts, you need some software to open and view your downloaded charts. The good news is there are free demo and trial software options and the Office of Coast Survey (OCS) website is once again there to help you locate and retrieve them. First, let's do a quick tour of Office of Coast Survey's website and nautical chart products ... </p> <p><a href="images/ocs_home2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="images/ocs_home.jpg" alt="OCS home page" style="float:right"></a>Navigate to the <a href="http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/" target="_blank">OCS website</a> and click on the tab labeled 'Nautical Charts & Pubs' at the left end of the blue bar. (Fig. 1) </p> <p>Your eagle eye will notice that on the <a href="http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/staff/chartspubs.html" target="_blank">Nautical Charts & Publications</a> page (Fig. 2) there are many resources in addition to free charts and links to viewers. So, before moving on, take a moment to run your eye down the three columns of links here. Before leaving, the Nautical Charts and Pubs page, bookmark the page because it is the perfect navigation starting point for future visits to the OCS website. </p> <p>Notice there are links here to valuable stand alone nautical chart products and publications you can download like the <a href="http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/cpdownload.htm" target="_blank">US Coast Pilot</a> and <a href="http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/chartno1.htm" target="_blank">US Chart No. 1</a>. And notice that in addition to two types of downloadable digital charts, Raster Nautical Charts and Electronic Navigational Charts (RNCs and ENCs) there is also an <a href="http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/OnLineViewer.html" target="_blank">On-Line Chart Viewer</a> (another nice bookmark for your browser) you can use to preview charts before investing time to download them.) </p> <p>There is also a very important link to the <a href="http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/updates/LNM_NM.html" target="_blank">OCS Chart Updates</a> webpage that can provide a list of all corrections specific to the current edition of any US chart by chart number from the USCG Local Notice to Mariners, NGA Notice to Mariners and even the Canadian Coast Guard Notices to Mariners. With exceptions, commercial mariners[i] are required by law to carry the latest paper charts for the areas they sail with all current notice to mariners updates noted on the chart. <a href="images/chart_pubs2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="images/chart_pubs.jpg" alt="OCS home page" style="float:right"> </p> <p></a>Hmmm, up-to-date charts, sounds like basic good seamanship, right?! But for some reason, as a recreational boater, you escape this basic seamanship requirement which doesn't make sense. It's like saying, 'Hey, you are a relatively inexperienced driver so we don't require you to have all the tools you need to drive safely'. What?! Suffice to say good seamanship (beginner, advanced or anywhere in between) to carry always carry current <a href="glossary.html#paper">paper charts</a> aboard your boat when you are underway AND keep them up-to-date by manually correcting them for all the <a href="http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/updates/LNM_NM.html" target="_blank">notices to mariners</a> for the area you intend to sail.</p> <p>Why carry paper when we have free digital charts? Again, good seamanship means every hour or so while underway (depending on how fast you are moving) manually plot your '<a href="glossary.html#fix">GPS Fix</a>' on your paper chart or at least record the lat-lon, time, course, and speed in your log so when you lose your electronics (it will happen!) you can figure out where you are from your last fix and continue navigating by dead reckoning! </p> <p>NOAA's paper charts are $20 apiece – $22 for the <a href=" http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/pod/POD.htm" target="_blank">Print On Demand charts</a> that are printed after you order them and therefore come completely corrected for all notices to mariners. If you are planning a long trip, it gets expensive to have paper charts on board. If you are a recreational boater and need an up-to-date paper chart but do not want to buy new paper charts, check out OCS's experimental <a href="http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/staff/BookletChart.html" target="_blank">BookletCharts™</a>. </p> <p><a href="http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/staff/BookletChart.html" target="_blank">BookletCharts™</a>, the same NOAA nautical charts using the same chart numbers you might buy for $20-22 in full size print format, are reduced in scale (scale bar still allows you to measure distance accurately) and divided into 8½ x 11" format pages for easy printing on a home color printer. BookletCharts™ are, like the $22 Print On Demand charts, up-to-date as of the day you download them. Therefore, if you download and print them just before you leave on your voyage, you know you are good to go. BookletCharta™ are great way to have inexpensive, up-to-date, printed charts aboard your boat as a back up for your <a href="http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/FAQ_RNC.html#1" target="_blank">RCDS</a> or <a href="http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/FAQ_ENC.html" target="_blank">ECS</a>. </p> <p>Print out your local chart and try it out. If you like it, <a href="http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/staff/contact.htm" target="_blank">tell OCS</a> you appreciate it and then write or call your <a href="https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml" target="_blank">Congressional representatives</a> and tell them what a great job teh Office of Coast Service is doing -- it's the only way to keep our nation's nautical chart maker well-funded turning out products for us! <br>-- <i>Albert Foster, Point Wilson Sail and Power Squadron</i></p> <p>P.S. To see what else the NOAA's Office of Coast Survey is doing, check out resources on the <a href="http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/staff/gisintro.htm" target="_blank">GIS and Other Resources</a>. Of special interest to boaters is <a href="http://nowcoast.noaa.gov/" target="_blank">nowCoast</a>, a data portal filled with weather maps. </p> <p> </p> <table width="100%" border="0" class="nav"></tr> <td class="nav" width="15%"><a href="index.html">Overview</a><br>(Start here)</td> <td class="nav" width="14%"><a href="chart_formats.html">Select Chart<br>Format</a></td> <td class="nav" width="14%"><a href="chart_catalog.html">Find Chart</br>Number</a></td> <td class="nav" width="13%"><a href="chart_viewer.html">View<br>Charts</a></td> <td class="nav" width="14%"><a href="chart_updates.html">Update<br>Your Charts</a></td> <td class="nav" width="15%"><a href="ocs_site.html">OCS Site<br>Overview</a></td> </td><tr></table> </td></tr></table>  </td></tr></table> </td></tr></table>  <p><center> <script language="JavaScript"> document.write("This page last updated: " + document.lastModified) </script></center> </p> <hr> </body> </html>