Question Ref US charts.

[Georgiegirl]

Just a quick question.

In posts people refer to NOAA charts. Pray tell what are these? Are they the US version of the UK Admiralty charts? Over here we can get leisure editions of full scale Admiralty charts easier to fit on the chart table and printed on thinner paper as well as electronic version of charts. And now tough chats (encased plastic ones for the cockpit about the size of A3 paper). As well as other publishers such as Imray. Do you not have any of these options for US waters?
Thanks

G

[Morgan Paul]

Hi G, Have a look:
Navigational Charts - Office of Coast Survey

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Georgiegirl

Just a quick question.

In posts people refer to NOAA charts. Pray tell what are these? Are they the US version of the UK Admiralty charts? Over here we can get leisure editions of full scale Admiralty charts easier to fit on the chart table and printed on thinner paper as well as electronic version of charts. And now tough chats (encased plastic ones for the cockpit about the size of A3 paper). As well as other publishers such as Imray. Do you not have any of these options for US waters?
Thanks

G

Over where? If folks would fill their location in on the profiles we might be able to understand the posts better.

[Georgiegirl]

Good point.

The UK. Other-side of the Atlantic after you've hit Ireland.


Formally known as Great Britain.

[Vasco]

NOAA charts are the charts made by the US government. The good thing is that they are not copyrighted. You can download all of them for nothing. You can print them yourself or buy them from companies that specialize in printing them in all sorts of formats.

[Lodesman]

Georgiegirl,

It may interest you to know that many countries have their own hydrographic services. Not all have worldwide coverage like the UKHO, but the NOAA does. As has been stated previously, there are numerous options for downloading, printing or purchasing the charts, and plasticized versions, booklets, etc are available from commercial publishers such as Maptech. IIRC, the UKHO and NOAA obtain hydrographic surveys (purchase or reciprocal arrangement) from other countries' HSOs in order to produce their charts. For the most part, UKHO and NOAA products are comparable in quality.

Kevin

[btrayfors]

"Not all have worldwide coverage like the UKHO, but the NOAA does."

Not really. NOAA charts cover U.S. waters only. The US Navy Hydrographic Office publishes charts covering non-U.S. waters.

NOAA charts are available in several formats, including the free online downloads, as mentioned above. You can also view them online. Some cruising grounds, such as the Chesapeake Bay, also are covered by NOAA's "Booklet Charts", which are smaller format and are intended for printing. These, too, are available online for download.

You can order the latest charts -- full size -- from a number of print-on-demand outlets, saving you the trouble of updating the charts with the frequent Local Notice to Mariners publications (which, these days, are available only online).

Bill

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by btrayfors;179092Not really. NOAA charts cover [B

U.S. waters only[/B].

Oops, I stand corrected Bill. I was under the impression that one could order the NIMA (or NGIA as it is now known) charts through NOAA and its distributors. Am I wrong?
AFAIK the ENCs are available online, though not "approved" for civil use

Kevin

[btrayfors]

Kevin,

Yes, it's all quite confusing these days as the names keep changing, and as new types of products are released.

Basically, the difference is that charts of U.S. waters, including territorial waters, are produced by a civilian agency (NOAA...part of the National Ocean Service) while charts of non-U.S. waters are produced by a military agency (NIMA/NGIA, formerly the Defense Mapping Agency). Used to be they were produced by the Navy Hydrographic Office (HO). Hard to keep up with this alphabet soup :-)

With regard to charts of non-U.S. waters, here's what Bluewater Books and Charts has to say:

"NIMA (National Imagery and Mapping Agency):

NIMA charts are produced by the U.S. government. Formerly known as Defense Mapping Agency (DMA), chart coverage includes international waters other than the territories and possessions of the U.S. While developed for military and government purposes, they are considered excellent nautical charts. Updated regularly, they provide worldwide coverage. Printed in full color on heavy stock."

Bill

[Amgine]

Non-US waters charts from the US govt are often licensed from the relevant country. For example, there is a data-sharing agreement with the UK. (Often this means a UK chart of US waters are, in fact, the same thing as the US chart of those waters. Vice versa may also be true.)

[hellosailor]

"NOAA charts are the charts made by the US government. The good thing is that they are not copyrighted."
Rick-
I'm not sure that's quite right. The copyright on US government works is technically assigned to "we the people". That's us Americans, and does not include foreigners, aliens, and sojourners.
I've never been able to find any detail on this, but suspect it technically means the charts are freely reproduced and shared among US citizens--but non-citizens have no right to them. That's not the same as not being copyrighted, and under the Berne Convention they would need a disclaimer on them to remove/relinquish copyrights. I haven't seen one of those, either.

I'd be real curious to find out what that status really is though. (Are there any foreign commercial republishers of US charts??)

[Daddy's Dream]

Originally Posted by btrayfors

.............. With regard to charts of non-U.S. waters, here's what Bluewater Books and Charts has to say:

"NIMA (National Imagery and Mapping Agency):

NIMA charts are produced by the U.S. government. Formerly known as Defense Mapping Agency (DMA), chart coverage includes international waters other than the territories and possessions of the U.S. While developed for military and government purposes, they are considered excellent nautical charts. Updated regularly, they provide worldwide coverage. Printed in full color on heavy stock."

Bill

My only question..... Is there a place where we can download these for free?

Or is the US Government prevented from distributing these charts to the civilian population by the treaty?

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Daddy's Dream

My only question..... Is there a place where we can download these for free?

Start here: Digital Nautical Chart