Canada Maritime charts

[MooGroc]

I'm planning on sailing to the Canadian Maritime this summer and I need a chart plan. Ideally, I'd have a solution for:
1. my Garmin 740S
2. OpenCPN
3. my to be purchased B&G Zeus3 (or Vulcan)
4. paper charts

For the Garmin, I guess I have no choice but to purchase a card from Garmin (~$190).
I'm not sure about OpenCPN but I think I need to buy the (now unencrypted) charts from a Canada government reseller?
Perhaps a C-MAP or Navionics card for the B&G?

It seems paper charts are just too expensive (about $30 each) so I may have to live without them.

Any suggestions/thoughts?

[John_Trusty]

At one time, it was a requirement that all vessels navigating in Canadian waters have paper charts, but I believe that has been lifted. That said, in my voyages around the Great Lakes, I've never heard of any Canadian official asking to see any chart. This 1995 law seems to exempt recreational boaters, so perhaps our Canadian friends can chime in: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/...age-1.html#h-6

You might want to check what comes with your new B&G Zeus. I bought one last year (thanks Defender for the refurbished sale), and it included both US and Can charts on the same Navionics card. You might want to look at what's included in the package before buying the Canadian Hydro digital charts.

For reference on boating across the boarder: Visitor Information - Transport Canada

[MooGroc]

Thanks for the info. It would be a real bonus if new B&G chartplotters come with Canadian charts.

[GRIT]

I bought a B&G vulcan 5, and it came with all the Canada and US charts. Paid $500 for the Vulcan... The paper charts would have cost ten times that.

If you're going to PEI, send me a note if I can help.

If you have CM93, with your Open CPN, it covers the maritimes fairly well.

I've never heard of anyone being asked to show charts. I think electronic charts would be considered appropriate for navigation in this day and age. I navigate this way, and usually print off a small scale chart (large area) on a piece of paper, and mark the fairway buoys' lat and long, in case of electronic failure. This proved a saving grace, coming into Bermuda in a rain storm, when we did lose our electronics, about 4 miles from the fairway buoy.

https://www.navionics.com/usa/charts...=NavionicsPlus
$199 for Canada/USA

Cheers.
Paul.

[rbk]

Pretty sure the paper chart requirement is still there for commercial vessels over X? tonnage. The Canadian Government wont lift that requirement until they decide to give the potentially life saving charts away for free like the US. They'll keep the requirement and charge an arm and a leg for 40+ year old outdated charts, it should be criminal

[rbk]

Here we go...

"Carriage of Charts, Documents and Publications
4 (1) Subject to subsection (2), the master and owner of every ship shall have on board, in respect of each area in which the ship is to be navigated, the most recent editions of the charts, documents and publications that are required to be used under sections 5 and 6.

(2) The master and owner of a ship of less than 100 tons are not required to have on board the charts, documents and publications referred to in subsection (1) if the person in charge of navigation has sufficient knowledge of the following information, such that safe and efficient navigation in the area where the ship is to be navigated is not compromised:

(a) the location and character of charted

(i) shipping routes,

(ii) lights, buoys and marks, and

(iii) navigational hazards; and

(b) the prevailing navigational conditions, taking into account such factors as tides, currents, ice and weather patterns.

(3) If a ship, other than a pleasure craft of less than 150 tons, is making a foreign voyage, a home-trade voyage, Class I, II or III, or an inland voyage, Class I, the master and the owner of the ship shall have on board and make readily available to the person in charge of the navigation of the ship an illustrated table of life-saving signals for use by ships and persons in distress when communicating with life-saving stations, maritime rescue units or aircraft engaged in search and rescue operations.

(4) If a Canadian ship is of 150 tons or more, the master and the owner of the ship shall have on board and make readily available to the person in charge of the navigation of the ship the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual, Volume III, Mobile Facilities, published by the IMO."

[Seymore]

Originally Posted by MooGroc

It seems paper charts are just too expensive (about $30 each) so I may have to live without them.

$30Can or $30US? There's an exchange involved, $1.00Can = $0.75US so the cost of a Canadian paper chart is about $22US, which is a little more palatable.

Sales tax in Canada runs about 14%, so if you buy charts in Canada expect to add 14% to the purchase price. If you buy the charts by mail order from a Canadian chandler while you're in the US, there's no sales tax payable.

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by Seymore

$30Can or $30US? There's an exchange involved, $1.00Can = $0.75US so the cost of a Canadian paper chart is about $22US, which is a little more palatable.

Sales tax in Canada runs about 14%, so if you buy charts in Canada expect to add 14% to the purchase price. If you buy the charts by mail order from a Canadian chandler while you're in the US, there's no sales tax payable.

Canadian charts are priced at C$20 ... for most charts, there are some exceptions.
http://www.charts.gc.ca/documents/ch...nuary_2019.pdf

[deblen]

Digital charts




A helpful Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/268778300122540/

[KrazySailing]

I'd suggest you check Cape Breton Island's Cruising Information Resource for info like harbour charts, marinas, marine services, tides, guides, etc for Cape Breton Island and Canada's inland sea, the Bras d'Or lakes.