Keeping track of chart corrections

[requiem]

For those who keep paper charts, how do you record when no corrections are needed?

Do you simply list something like "no changes through xx/yy" at a fixed interval, such as monthly or quarterly? Or, do you simply refer to the current NM's list of charts affected from the start of the year through the current version and use that to catch up?

[Tillsbury]

I write the corrections date in the notes area, ideally near where the source dates are, whether or not any corrections were made.

[svHyLyte]

We are on the emailing list for the NOAA Notice to Mariners Chart Corrections/Updates which arrive weekly. For the charts we rely on, I use a liquid white-out to cover discontinued or moved marks and insert the new or moved mark using "Magic Tape" and the chart symbol template that's available from Celestaire for about $9.00 with a sharpie pen. For example, on NOAA Chart 11426, the leading marks to the Boca Grande pass on the southwest coast of Florida were moved, and some removed, some while ago. Relying on an uncorrected chart could have been problematic or hazardous given the reefs/shallows on the north side of the channel so making the changes was a necessary precaution. For changes in notes, I write them up and print them of lables and over-lay them on the original notes. Finally, I use a "sticky note" stickers on charts to record when changes have been made/updated. The process is a little time consuming but really not so bad and, IMHO, its a better use of ones time in the evening once a week than watching a movie or some other mindless exercise.


FWIW...

[PJHoffnet]

If you're an Old Navigator or ANAV and want to follow USN paper chart days routines, you could have a chart card - well, I'm a bunch of years away from my NAV days, but I have 12 charts I keep up to date (east coast of FL from about St Augustine to Key West). Every Wednesday when the District 7 LNMs come out I just run through it and mark up the charts and write the LNM number (i.e. 42/19) on the chart margin. When new additions come out I just download and print out the new chart.

[requiem]

Thanks all!

My hope was to avoid ending up with 52 notations a year on every chart, so I'm leaning towards using a variation of the chart correction card to keep track. That way I'd have just one sheet of paper to mark up (e.g. one column per chart, one row per week) and can refer to the appropriate LNMs when it's time to apply the corrections.

[ArmyDaveNY]

I like the sound of the chart correction card. Is this an official form and if not, what is a good source for a chart correction card?

On a related note, is there a source that shows all the corrections? I ask since I have a few paper charts that are a few years old now. Since I don't use them too often, I would be interested in updating them without the need to borrow a new chart and compare/contrast them.

[requiem]

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

I like the sound of the chart correction card. Is this an official form and if not, what is a good source for a chart correction card?

Go here and scroll down to the chart correction record cards: https://msi.nga.mil/MiscProducts

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

On a related note, is there a source that shows all the corrections? I ask since I have a few paper charts that are a few years old now. Since I don't use them too often, I would be interested in updating them without the need to borrow a new chart and compare/contrast them.

There's a handy search function here: Maritime Safety Information

Scroll down, enter a range of LNMs and the numbers of the charts you have, and it will produce a tidy list of updates.

A more manual method is to grab the current Notice to Mariners (not the LNMs!) from that site and look at the "Charts Affected by Notice to Mariners" section (not the "Chart Corrections" section). That should give you a list of all the NMs that contained updates for a given chart during the current year. You should be able to do the same for prior years, and having that information you then grab each of the specified NMs to make the corrections.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by requiem

Go here and scroll down to the chart correction record cards: https://msi.nga.mil/MiscProducts

There's a handy search function here: Maritime Safety Information

Scroll down, enter a range of LNMs and the numbers of the charts you have, and it will produce a tidy list of updates.

A more manual method is to grab the current Notice to Mariners (not the LNMs!) from that site and look at the "Charts Affected by Notice to Mariners" section (not the "Chart Corrections" section). That should give you a list of all the NMs that contained updates for a given chart during the current year. You should be able to do the same for prior years, and having that information you then grab each of the specified NMs to make the corrections.

This is good information and will be a big help. Thanks!