Nautical Charts

[ALEXDEV]

Well what a joke,

we need 16 printed nautical charts ( yes we have navigation equipment, but printed charts are for back up) for our trip down the east coast of australia Yamba NSW to Sorrento Vic, we started with getting chart quotes from retailers and that soon turned into $640.00, Then I thought the State Libraries will surely have them so I put in a request, I got a call the next day from the MAPS person, she was perplexed as the latest Chart she has of Vic is from 1992 (that's crazy they don't have an up to date chart of their own coast), so I emailed local members and the premiers department (no reply from any) the state library then said go to the National Library they have them, so I ordered the charts at a total cost of $264 that took an hour, then last night I received a Email from the NLA to state they don't have permission to print them under copyright and that I need written approval from HYDRO (The Navy) so I emailed them and this is what I got UNCLASSIFIED

Hi Alex

As these chart are to be used for navigation approval for printing by the NLA is not approved as the charts will not be in date and not safe to navigate by.


Regards

Now running out of time I have to pay $640 unless you guys know of any solution

Alex

[Nicholson58]

Bummer.

We get all US charts in electronic formats free. You apparently have the same choke-hold mess as Canada. Canada Hydrographic holds copyrights to the data paid for by citizens taxes and holds everyone hostage for serious money to own bed sheet size charts. We bought only the essential large scale few and used electronics. We found the paper charts grossly wrong in many places. We also found that there were hard to find chart books containing more convenient sized charts with a large region represented over many pages. We were also led to believe (Canada) that the paper requirement was for commercial vessels and that private boats could operate without. Perhaps you can borrow a set? Chart books are typically 50 to 75 dollars US covering an area about half the US east coast.

[ALEXDEV]

yeh its a joke then just now I discovered this its a microsoft product and can be used offline https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/p/i-...ot:overviewtab

also attached a screen grab

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Bummer.

We get all US charts in electronic formats free. You apparently have the same choke-hold mess as Canada. Canada Hydrographic holds copyrights to the data paid for by citizens taxes and holds everyone hostage for serious money to own bed sheet size charts. We bought only the essential large scale few and used electronics. We found the paper charts grossly wrong in many places. We also found that there were hard to find chart books containing more convenient sized charts with a large region represented over many pages. We were also led to believe (Canada) that the paper requirement was for commercial vessels and that private boats could operate without. Perhaps you can borrow a set? Chart books are typically 50 to 75 dollars US covering an area about half the US east coast.

[StuM]

I'd go for just a couple of large scale charts and electronics with backup (Navionics on a tablet and smart phone? ). I've got small scale charts that cover most of the Qld coast, but have never actually used them for navigation.

[Viking Sailor]

OpenCPN includes a print function. You can make your own chart book.

[capt jgw]

The trick would finding a large enough printer. An 8x11" chart would not be very useful.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by capt jgw

The trick would finding a large enough printer. An 8x11" chart would not be very useful.

Easy enough in any copy shop that does construction/architectural drawings copies.

[Viking Sailor]

Originally Posted by capt jgw

The trick would finding a large enough printer. An 8x11" chart would not be very useful.

I have for many years used cruising guide charts of harbors and anchorages successfully. They are about 8x11".



You can print to a USB drive, and take it to a store that does LARGE size printing. Or, you can buy just the few remaining charts you may need.

[ALEXDEV]

Originally Posted by Viking Sailor

OpenCPN includes a print function. You can make your own chart book.

Printers not the issue easy to get here and cheap

[RaymondR]

Having semi circumnavigated the continent a couple of times during the past five years using only electronic devices and digital charts I am slowly coming to the opinion that paper chart backups are not cost effective backups in Australia. I have a lot of them already but they are left overs from the pre GPS and chart plotter days.

I have a couple of computers and a tablet with OpenCPN and CM93 charts and another tablet and smart phone which both have Navionics on them at about $15 each. The smart phone and both tablets all have internal GPS.

If I was doing it from scratch I would go all electronic with lots of redundantcy, even if you have the paper charts you still have to also have a non electronic system of finding your position.

[BalticVicing]

Some years ago I downloaded tons of maps in BSB/Kap format from a pirate site. I recently figured how to convert them to image files. I used Posterazor to make it possible to print them in standard A4 size paper. After printing, I apply some tape and I have all the maps I need for free.

Here is one from the east coast of Australia:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ftlzsatez...iqUIlLDua?dl=0

PDF- file is printable and the TIF-file is the original map.
If you need more I'm happy to help.

[ALEXDEV]

I ended up finding this great program and I can print off it cost $43.00 AUD it can also be used offline https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/p/i-...ot:overviewtab

Thanks for all your help and kind messages Im going to promote the hell out of this here as I think its a joke these maps are not for free here unlike america, Its a safety issue

[ALEXDEV]

Originally Posted by BalticVicing

Some years ago I downloaded tons of maps in BSB/Kap format from a pirate site. I recently figured how to convert them to image files. I used Posterazor to make it possible to print them in standard A4 size paper. After printing, I apply some tape and I have all the maps I need for free.

Here is one from the east coast of Australia:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ftlzsatez...iqUIlLDua?dl=0

PDF- file is printable and the TIF-file is the original map.
If you need more I'm happy to help.

Thanks Heaps BalticVicing but do you have south of brisbane down to Melbs ?

[BalticVicing]

I have Brisbane to Port Jackson. Will update them here tomorrow.

[Steelcat]

Have you seen "Crawford's Marine Atlas" - Port Stephens to Jervis Bay that would save a lot of Chart purchases.

Be careful printing Vector charts as not all dangers are shown on all scales.

We started navigating with new and secondhand paper charts but have found that digital raster , Google Earth raster and vector with multiple backups and programs easier to use at a similar cost to paper.