Which Paper Charts for the Med? (Merged Thread)

[ZigZaging]

This season will see us enter the Med, our plan is to slowly work our way east during the summers. May we ask the forums advice on purchasing paper charts? We normally use Imray charts although they seem limited in the Med and quite large scale, whichever choice we make it’ll be a considerable investment so any suggestions will be gratefully received.
Our helm mounted Raymarine chart plotter uses Navionics CF cards, we are also considering purchasing Tiki Navionics Gold for our onboard nav computer – the ability to use the card in both plotters at the same time is appealing. Any views good or otherwise welcome.
Our normal practice is to passage plan on paper then transfer waypoints to the plotter keeping the paper chart on the table as backup.
Many thanks

[boatman61]

For the W Med I found the French charts to be very good actually... cant remember the name tho' but a google should throw them up quick enough..

[multihullsailor6]

I use large scale Imray passage charts for general planning only and rely on my electronic charts for more detailed planning and navigation.

I do find recent pilot books a not-to-be-missed item for cruising as they not only show you the harbour information but also some of the anchoring possibilities.

If you check in to Marina Bay in Gibraltar, just past the shore-side end of the jetty is an engine maintenance shop / chandlery who buy and sell second-hand charts and pilot books from cruisers entering and leaving the Med. The prices are good.

[Charlie]

Originally Posted by boatman61

For the W Med I found the French charts to be very good actually... cant remember the name tho' but a google should throw them up quick enough..

But will the run away if a German boat approaches.

Sorry couldn't resist.

[ZigZaging]

Which paper charts for the Med?
This season will see us enter the Med, our plan is to slowly work our way east during the summers. May we ask the forums advice on purchasing paper charts? We normally use Imray charts although they seem limited in the Med and quite large scale, whichever choice we make it’ll be a considerable investment so any suggestions will be gratefully received.
Our helm mounted Raymarine chart plotter uses Navionics CF cards, we are also considering purchasing Tiki Navionics Gold for our onboard nav computer – the ability to use the card in both plotters at the same time is appealing. Any views good or otherwise welcome.
Our normal practice is to passage plan on paper then transfer waypoints to the plotter keeping the paper chart on the table as backup.
Many thanks

[goboatingnow]

Imray is about the only real practical alternative, Admiralty are too expensive for the coverage. Basically plan on Imray and use the plotter for detailed work. Occasionally in many countries I picked up a local chart from time to time , SHOM are good in france. But these days getting widespread paper charts for the med is getting harder and harder to do and expensive to boot

Dave

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Charlie

But will the run away if a German boat approaches.

Sorry couldn't resist.

Actually this nonsense is very insensitive and plain factually wrong and insults the memory of 100,000s of brave french soldiers that lost in two wars.

Bit rich coming from a country never actually invaded.

sorry - couldnt resist

Dave

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Charlie

But will the run away if a German boat approaches.

Sorry couldn't resist.

Italian boats have a similar problem... only have reverse gear...

[goboatingnow]

as churchill is oft quoted

"You can always count on Americans to do the right thing—after they’ve tried everything else."

dave

[Teknav]

Most commercial and private pilots the world over use Jeppesen charts for their navigation and reliability; Jeppesen charts are not cheap. Check their maritime charts division! Mauritz

[Charlie]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Actually this nonsense is very insensitive and plain factually wrong and insults the memory of 100,000s of brave french soldiers that lost in two wars.

Bit rich coming from a country never actually invaded.

sorry - couldnt resist

Dave

The Allied casualties figures for D-Day have generally been estimated at 10,000, including 2500 dead. Broken down by nationality, the usual D-Day casualty figures are approximately 2700 British, 946 Canadians, and 6603 Americans. However recent painstaking research by the US National D-Day Memorial Foundation has achieved a more accurate - and much higher - figure for the Allied personnel who were killed on D-Day. They have recorded the names of individual Allied personnel killed on 6 June 1944 in Operation Overlord, and so far they have verified 2499 American D-Day fatalities and 1915 from the other Allied nations, a total of 4414 dead (much higher than the traditional figure of 2500 dead). Further research may mean that these numbers will increase slightly in future.
GuidedTours

I am neither pro or anti war but I believe WWII was a necessary one. While I am nowhere near old enough to have participated in even Vietnam my Abuela (Grandmother) welded liberty ships and My FIL fought in North Africa. They told me jokes of the same vain as the one I made. I am sorry if you were offended by it but I often have verbal spars with my daughter's boyfriend who is French. We both laugh and he comes back with good barbs on Americans (as you did with your quip from Churchill) at which I laugh.

Any war is a complete and utter tragedy. The loss of young lives so that a powerful elite can have a pissing match is abhorrent.

It was a joke not a political statement. Lighten up.

[Jacques2]

hI 8
I am a French citizen and I don't mind...
To answer to the original question, the french maps are edited by the SHOM. Here is a link with their site (in french sorry) with their address in different countries.
IMHO, large scale paper maps, with complete Navionics, and Imray Pilot Guides for each country will be enough for beginning and to make your own opinion about what you need.

Points de vente agréés - Etranger

[tedgorton]

a quick note to say that for Greece, I have the Imray charts but like many of those who commented, rely on the chart plotter for up-close work.. However I have a backup, an iPad with GPS (not built-in, a Bad Elf dongle as my iPad has no 3G thus no GPS), and the iNavX 23XG Mediterranean charts, better than the plotter but harder to use in the bright sun or rain. cheaper than the paper charts, but who would want to rely only on electronic ones? However it is great to have an electronic backup.

[jckb]

I will sound a warning about charts for Greek and Turkish waters. Although relative geographical positioning is good, the datum of some charts have errors.

In some places a yacht at anchor in a bay will find its chart plotter position being shown on the top of a hill some 500m distant. And differences between visual fixes and GPS fixes of 100 to 200 m are common. These errors lie both in paper charts and in plotter charts - which were usually derived from the paper charts anyway.

So, before relying on GPS positioning, take a visual fix in the area to find out what the real difference is between your GPS and the chart datums.

[ZigZaging]

Many thanks for all your help and advice, Has anyone used these charts from Bellingham
Bellingham Chart Printers