On-Line PILOT CHARTS

[GordMay]

Atlas of Pilot Charts:
http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/marit...c24fd73927a759

Pilot Charts depict averages in prevailing winds and currents, air and sea temperatures, wave heights, ice limits, visibility, barometric pressure, and weather conditions at different times of the year (monthly).

The Atlas of Pilot Charts set is comprised of five volumes, each covering a specific geographic region. Each volume is an atlas of twelve pilot charts, each depicting the observed conditions for a particular month of any given year.

The charts are intended to aid the navigator in selecting the fastest and safest routes with regards to the expected weather and ocean conditions. The charts are not intended to be used for navigation.

Including:

NGA 106: North Atlantic Ocean (including Gulf of Mexico), 2002
http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/marit...ID=detail_view

NGA 107: South Pacific Ocean
http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/marit...ID=detail_view

NGA 109: Indian Ocean
http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/marit...ID=detail_view


US Notice to Mariners:
http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/marit...c24fd73927a759

The US Notice to Mariners provides timely marine safety information for the correction of all US Government navigation charts and publications from a wide variety of sources both foreign and domestic. To ensure the safety of life at sea, the information published in the Notice to Mariners is designed to provide for the correction of unclassified nautical charts, the Unclassified NGA/DLIS Catalog of Hydrographic Products, United States Coast Pilots, NGA List of Lights, USCG Light Lists, and other related nautical publications produced by NGA, NOS and the USCG.

The US Notice to Mariners corrects NGA and NOS charts using information collected from many sources, among them the Local Notice to Mariners published by the various US Coast Guard districts. The US Notice to Mariners will contain only those chart corrections of interest to ocean going vessels.

Copies of the US Notice to Mariners dating back to issue 29/1999 are available for viewing and downloading.

Worldwide Threats to Shipping Reports:
http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/marit...c24fd73927a759

The Worldwide Threats to Shipping Report, compiled and published weekly by the Office of Naval Intelligence, contains a summary of recent piracy acts and hostile actions against commercial shipping worldwide, organized by geographic region. The report also includes any recent developments in the efforts to prevent piracy and prosecute the aggressors.

[Euro Cruiser]

Gord, have you found anything on the Web from NGA or other U.S. agency that discusses the schedule for digitizing the balance of the Pilot Charts? They've had the N Atlantic and S Pacific charts in place for several years now, with the Indian a somewhat newer addition if memory serves. I'm working on a project that would benefit from the other charts becoming available but I can't find an indication of their availability.

Similarly, there is a pilot project underway now that provides U.S. military and some commercial carriers to register with NGA and subsequently be able to download digitized NIMA/NGA charts. This is a wonderful option for Navy ships as they have enough sat bandwidth that they can pull down the latest chart very quickly. Whether that's going to be rolled out to other consumers - and what kind of fee structure will be used, if any - has my mouth watering...

Jack

[GordMay]

I have, in the past, discovered historic CIA, and other, intelligence documents, that were not (supposed to be) public information.
Unfortunately, the NGA doesn’t confide in me, regarding their current & future plans. I would also expect them to ignore any FOI request, I might tender.

Sorry Jack, I don’t have any information about future “rollouts”; but like you, my mouth waters at the possibilities ...