Nova Scotia

[cferguson53]

Im planning a nova scotia cruise for next summer, and being old-school, I ALWAYS carry paper charts. Has anyone seen a supplier of chartkit type books of charts for Atlantic Canada? Buying individual charts from CHS is expensive.....

[AnsleyS]

Fergeson,

Where are you from and where are you sailing to/from?

[cferguson53]

boat based in georgetown maine (robinhood 36). planning couple month cruising nova scotia, mainly atlantic coast and bras d or, PEI

[kerrydeare]

Originally Posted by cferguson53

Im planning a nova scotia cruise for next summer, and being old-school, I ALWAYS carry paper charts. Has anyone seen a supplier of chartkit type books of charts for Atlantic Canada? Buying individual charts from CHS is expensive.....

Yes, that's true, and it's also true that boats are expensive. I am sure I have added nothing here that you don't already know. The point is that trying to shave a dollar in an offshore cruise is false economy. Better to learn this the "soft" way.

Over the years I have collected the NS charts from Fundy to PEI and my collection is nearly complete. I've done the same for many parts of Newfoundland and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Canadian charts are both expensive and first rate: there's no separating the two.

I also use electronic charts from the CMO and they are excellent (BSB4, I believe). They are in general much less expensive when it comes to complete coverage compared to paper originals. These days a total failure of electronics is rare (indeed it does happen in my own experience), so consider this route.

They say it sometimes gets foggy up that way so radar, plotters, AIS, autopilots, life rafts, EPIRBs, and all else should be aboard. You can't have too much "stuff" even when some of it goes south.

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by cferguson53

Im planning a nova scotia cruise for next summer, and being old-school, I ALWAYS carry paper charts. Has anyone seen a supplier of chartkit type books of charts for Atlantic Canada? Buying individual charts from CHS is expensive.....

Sorry, they don't do Chart Kits for Atlantic Canada like we do :-) Which is a bit odd, since 'unauthorized/not to be used for navigation' kits are available for the Great Lakes, and British Columbia...

Best source I've found for CHS charts has been Maryland Nautical Sales...

Atlantic Region

I've never found a better price than theirs, their online catalog is reasonably easy to use, and their overall service has been excellent... And, on some of the smaller harbor charts sometimes found in NFLD and Labrador, their price will be a bit lower to reflect the size of the chart... Whereas vendors like Bluewater and Landfall Navigation seem to fix the same price on every chart in the CHS catalog...

You'll love Nova Scotia, it's a wonderful cruising ground... Do you think you'll manage to get used to cruising without lobster pots? A trip up that way might spoil you forever, you know... ;-)

The Bras 'd Or is fantastic, as is all of Cape Breton... If you do decide to head into the Gulf of St Lawrence to PEI, I'd suggest you consider trying to get out to the îles de la Madeleine, if you have the time... A very cool place, one rarely visited by cruising boats, it seems...

[kerrydeare]

Originally Posted by Jon Eisberg

... Best source I've found for CHS charts has been Maryland Nautical Sales...

Atlantic Region

I've never found a better price than theirs, their online catalog is reasonably easy to use, and their overall service has been excellent...

Echo. I bought from Maryland Nautical over the years and their service is above good. If perhaps you are looking to acquire charts of the area (albeit older versions in which the rocks remained stationary), send PM. I am not heading up that way in the near term.

[AnsleyS]

Fergeson,

I sent you a PM about charts.

[cferguson53]

Originally Posted by AnsleyS

Fergeson,

I sent you a PM about charts.

I live in georgia, the boat is in maine. if you send me an address I'll send you a check

[Marner]

Canadian Hydrographic Service charts are Crown Copyright in the name of Her Majesty, unlike the US government, which is not permitted copyright. You cannot legally copy them or buy photocopies, unfortunately.

If you are planning to cruise the Bras d'Or Lakes, I suggest you take a look at Cruising Cape Breton | Your #1 info site it provides free cruising guides for the Bras d'Or Lakes and Coastal Cape Breton Island, and a wealth of information.

Marner