PILOT CHARTS

[GordMay]

A Pilot Chart's historic, average statistics, provide a basis for making an informed judgment, of ocean conditions, when planning a voyage.

Has anyone used “Cornells’ Ocean Atlas” [2], and compared it to the NGA’s “Atlas of Pilot Charts” [1]?

If so; how would you compare their respective usefulness [for a cruiser]?
Did you use the 1St, 2Nd, or new 3Rd edition?


The NGA 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. The information used to compile these averages was obtained from oceanographic and meteorologic observations, over many decades, during the late 18Th and 19Th centuries.

[1] “Atlas of Pilot Charts” ~ by the Maritime Safety Office, of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency [NGA]
Free ➥ https://msi.nga.mil/Publications/APC

Cornell's Ocean Atlas claims to be the first significant innovation in pilot charts, since pilot charts were developed, by Lieutenant Maury of the US Navy, in the mid-1800s. The first edition, published in 2012, was based on satellite observations, undertaken in the previous 20 years (1991-2011).
In the 12 years, since the first edition of this atlas was published, there has been a marked intensification of the effects of global warming, on weather conditions, throughout the world.
In this fully revised and updated 3Rd edition, the main focus is on all changes that may affect offshore voyages.

In a 2012 interview, with ‘Cruising World’ Cornell notes that:
“... considerable discrepancies [between the old NGA charts, and his new Atlas charts] can be due to two very different factors. They can be due to climate change but could also be explained by the fact that some of those earlier observations weren’t so accurate or were based on limited sources. This is particularly the case in less frequented areas of the oceans, both in the tropics and high latitudes, where there have been fewer observations over the years than in areas regularly crossed by commercial ships ..."
➥ https://www.cruisingworld.com/jimmy-...s-ocean-atlas/

[2]“Cornells’ Ocean Atlas” ~ by Jimmy and Ivan Cornell (3Rd Edition, 2023)
Pilot charts for all oceans of the world ...”
$99.99 ➥ https://cornellsailing.com/publicati...s-ocean-atlas/

” ... Pilot charts have been the most important passage planning tools since the middle of the nineteenth century. In spite of all the advances in electronics and aids to navigation, any prudent navigator planning a longer voyage should continue to refer to pilot charts as valuable sources of information on weather conditions, tropical storm seasons and critical areas, as well as prevailing winds and currents.

In the 12 years since the first edition of this atlas was published there has been a marked intensification of the effects of global warming on weather conditions throughout the world. In this fully revised and updated edition the main focus is on all changes that may affect offshore voyages.

One of the most noticeable phenomenon is the decrease in the regularity and reliability of trade winds, as witnessed by sailors on some of the frequently travelled ocean routes. However, the most significant and visible change has been the increased intensity and extent of tropical cyclones, both in the duration of the critical seasons and the areas affected. As this phenomenon as such a major impact on voyage planning, and safety generally, in order to provide a full perspective on the current situation, this new edition contains all relevant facts for every area of the world that is affected by tropical cyclones.

To present an accurate picture of the actual weather conditions that prevail in the world’s oceans, the pilot charts featured in this atlas are based on the data collected by a network of meteorological satellites, augmented by observations obtained from meteorological buoys and other sources, during the last twenty-five years. The most detailed information is displayed in windroses, with every single windrose being based on a total of 218,000 samples of data ...”

[GordMay]

"Passage Planning” ~ by John Kretschmer
Planning an ocean passage starts with knowing when to go and which way will get you there fastest.
➥ https://sailingmagazine.net/article-...-planning.html

”... Timing the right seasons and prevailing winds for offshore passages with the need to avoid hurricanes and heavy weather requires a bit of forethought.

Sailors have been following the prevailing winds for millennia and for now, at least, global wind patterns are still quite predictable. We will examine some of the classic routes from the U.S. coasts in this article, however there are two indispensable references that budding world cruisers need to have aboard (Atlas of Pilot Charts, and Jimmy Cornell’s books ‘World Cruising Routes’ & ‘Cornell’s Ocean Atlas’) ...”

[dlj]

I've never felt the need to pay $100 for Cornell's pilot charts when I can get the pilot charts for free. I'll be interested in hearing what people say that have used it.

I do have a recent edition of his World Cruising Routes. A resource that I use you have not mentioned is the British Admiralty publication Ocean Passages for the World. I find the charts in that publication to be very useful. I wish the more modern publications would include similar charts.

dj

[Tupaia]

VPP - Visual Passage Planer software works well for $49

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by dlj

I've never felt the need to pay $100 for Cornell's pilot charts ...
... A resource that I use you have not mentioned is the British Admiralty publication Ocean Passages for the World. I find the charts in that publication to be very useful. I wish the more modern publications would include similar charts.
dj

Each volume of Ocean Passages for the World has the following recommended retail prices:
Hardback Paper Publication: £95.40

ADMIRALTY Ocean Passages for the World Volume 1 - Atlantic Ocean
£87.50 [≈± $110 USD]
➥ https://www.marinesocietyshop.org/ad...atlantic-ocean

[dlj]

I use the 3rd and 4th editions. I've had them many years. I've no knowledge of the new ones except they are expensive and I am happy with the ones I have.

dj

p.s. the third edition is the one with separate charts that I find most useful.

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

VPP - Visual Passage Planer software works well for $49

Have you used this app? Can you pick anytime of the year for a passage, I mean, can you do "what ifs" for different times for the same route? The demo only option is January, so can't really try other times.

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

Have you used this app? Can you pick anytime of the year for a passage, I mean, can you do "what ifs" for different times for the same route? The demo only option is January, so can't really try other times.

Yes it allows different months

[dannc]

Originally Posted by dlj

I've never felt the need to pay $100 for Cornell's pilot charts when I can get the pilot charts for free. I'll be interested in hearing what people say that have used it.

I do have a recent edition of his World Cruising Routes. A resource that I use you have not mentioned is the British Admiralty publication Ocean Passages for the World. I find the charts in that publication to be very useful. I wish the more modern publications would include similar charts.

dj

I have a 1950 edition that was "presented to the Royal United Service Institution" by the Admiralty in 1951. The book is a work of art in of itself and does contain all of the charts.

I wonder if it just sat in a book shelf and never used or was it used, by whom and why? I wish the book could talk.

Later,
Dan

[maury]

Has anyone tried this app on ipad.