Buy nautical Charts from US Government and $$ave

Y

yzer

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Eliminate the middleman. You helped pay for them with your taxes, why not get your NOAA paper nautical charts from the government and save some bucks?

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Look familiar? These are the up-to date editions of the NOAA charts I've used and loved for years. What you see are the latest editions of two NOAA nautical charts that I just bought from the government for $19.75 each. The charts are two-sided charts: north half on one side and the south half on the other. Free shipping via ground. I ordered online, paid an extra $6.00 for "priority shipping" and had the two charts in my hands in less than 48 hours.

These are the latest NOAA charts for SF Bay and California Delta from the US Government:

1. View and select the Pacific Coast chart you want here. Write down the nautical chart number(s). The catalog at the top of this list makes it easy to identify all of the local charts.
http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/PacificCoastViewerTable.htm

2. Order the nautical charts directly from the US Government. Enter a single chart number at the "Product Search" block on the upper right of this page. Hit the blue delta button next to the box. You can then make a shopping cart like any other online store.
https://naco.faa.gov/ecomp/Catalog.aspx?a=NAUT+NOS+PRODUCTS

The differences: US Government NOAA charts vs. retail (OceanGrafixs) print-on-demand (POD) charts:

1. The charts themselves are exactly the same. Both use the latest editions of the NOAA charts. The government charts are printed. The POD charts are made from digital copies of the government charts.

The difference is in the notes and corrections. The government NOAA charts will include all of the corrections (including LNMS) up to the chart edition date. The POD charts will include all of the the above plus corrections (includings LNMS) current to the date you order the chart.

Here is an example of the Nautical Chart 18661 I use a lot and purchased from the government two days ago. The current Government Edition 29 of 18661 was issued December 9, 2006 and includes corrections current to that date.

If I paid more and purchased the POD version of 18661 on the same day: it would be a digital copy of the same government chart, but would include all corrections as of August 21, 2007.

However, both charts will be obsolete as soon as I get them in my hands. The notes and corrections on the government chart will be eight months obsolete and the POD charts will be one day obsolete.

It doesn't matter if your paper chart is a Government chart or a POD, the only way you can keep either chart up to date is to write in the new corrections as they happen. You can find the current corrections here:

http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/updates/index.htm

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/lnm/d11/default.htm
 
Glad to see someone is talking charts (paper charts). Waiting to see how many people say, "I have a chart plotter, don't need paper charts". The dumb ones will come, wait and see.
 
I have a ChartBook for the SF Bay area, which includes the Delta. It is in an easier format, bound in a 2 ft x 1.5 ft size. Every page is water resistant. But it was more expensive! The charts are arranged as if you are boating, so you just turn the page to go to the next chart.
 
I have no problem using the larger paper charts even at a windy helmstation. The bigger the chart, the more detail and the easier to read. In fact, NOAA Chart 18663 will show part of the Stockton Deepwater Channel in twice the detail as 18661, but 18661 is usually plenty of detail for me (and a larger area).

The problem with the plastic laminated chart collections is that they tend to be very stale. If you look up the date of the NOAA charts upon which your collected charts are based, you might be surprised to find just how old they really are.
 
The publishers updated their chart books last year and I was able to upgrade for $25. I just really like the format. It is the perfect size to lay flat at my helm. I mainly use it to research an area down bay or out the gate, not for actual navigation.
 
I use the NOAA electronic charts with MapTech Offshore Navigator. I have access to a large format plotter so I can print my own on demand. You can download the updated charts for free from the web. I always update my charts for an area just before I am going to go through the area.
 
That's a great way to do it, Mike. I don't want to think about what a color printer of that size would cost me, so I'll be sticking with a current set of government paper charts.
 
Flutterby, where did you get your paper charts updated? We have the same one as you but I know that they have to be outdated.
 
Contact the publisher, same one's who publish "Bay & Delta Yachtsman". However, this was a special they were running. By sending in the front cover of my chartbook along with a check for $25, they sent me an updated chartbook. They are selling the updated books, but I'm not sure about the price!

How did your surgery go? Is your shoulder getting better?
 
Thanks, I will have to check into that.

Shoulder surgery went rather badly. Went for my post op Wednesday. Dr. said when he opened my shoulder up all he saw was the top of the humerous. Practically all of the rotator cuff was gone. He reattached as much as he could and repaired tendon as best as he could. He was not at all happy with the outcome. Now it is a matter of time to see how it heals and how much I can recover in physical therapy. After that, we'll see. I'll miss out on salmon and sturgeon fishing, but I was told I could be the designated driver.
 
Sorry to hear such bad news on your shoulder!!!!! Maybe you could be a candidate for a shoulder replacement [similar to a hip replacement] if there is such a thing. Best of luck to you.
 
The doctor said I definitely would be a candidate for shoulder replacement if needed. That would be the next step if this doesn't work. He is also checking into some other options. He said if this surgery didn't work the pain would be so bad we would definitely have to do something. Oh well, such is life over 50, lol.
 
There is a website I go to for updated charts. Free too. I am not sure if they are just for The Capn software, or for anyone. If anyone is interested, I will publish here.

Paper charts are great. I would never trust my life to chart plotters alone.
 
Here is a better link for viewing all of the NOAA charts:

http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/

From the NOAA:

The nautical chart is a fundamental tool of marine navigation. It shows water depths, obstructions, aids to navigation, channels, shoreline, and more – hopefully all the information mariners need to navigate safely.

NOAA’s 1,000-plus U.S. coastal and Great Lakes nautical charts are viewable here on-line. Each chart is up-to-date with the most recent Notices to Mariners. Use these on-line charts as a ready reference or planning tool. Use one of NOAA’s printed or digital charts on your voyage.
 
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