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Navigation Aid Overview
The world of marine charts has moved from the simplest presentation on large paper, to a wide variety of media and presentations. Time has conjured up vocabulary and acronyms that seems to grow without bounds.
Overview discussed below are: Paper charts, Print on Demand charts, PDF charts, Booklet Charts, Light List, Local Notice to Mariners, Coast Pilot and Chart one. See “Navigational Aids - electronic “ for the host of options available to PC, pads and smart phones.
Print on demand chart
The simplest Marine chart, the paper chart, is still available in marine stores. They are now called “print on demand” charts as the latest “up-to-date” version is available on the internet. Certified NOAA agents print the charts.
Purchase NOAA paper nautical charts from certified agents. These charts meet carriage requirements for vessels.
PDF formatted charts
Use PDF charts for planning voyages and personal use. These carts are page sized so they can be printed on a typical home printer.
Booklet Charts
Booklet charts are large paper reduced in scale and segmented in to page size paper. The booklet charts are handy for the boater that does not have the area required to display the larger charts.
Supporting Marine Navigational documents
Light list, Local Notice to Mariners, Coast Pilot, Chart one
Light List
Light List will contain a complete description of every Navigation Aid encountered on or around the water. The Light List is organized by Coast Guard Districts which makes it a large document.
Local Notice to Mariners (LNM)
A good source of information about a harbor can be found in the Coast Pilot 6 (Coast Pilot 6 covers the Great Lakes system, including Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior, their connecting waters, and the St. Lawrence River.)
U.S. Chart No 1
Chart 1 is not a chart. Chart 1 is a document that provides description of symbols, abbreviations and terms used on paper and electronic navigational charts. PDF version of Chart One can be down loaded from the web site http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/chartno1.htm
Hard copies can be purchased from marine stores or the internet.
Overview discussed below are: Paper charts, Print on Demand charts, PDF charts, Booklet Charts, Light List, Local Notice to Mariners, Coast Pilot and Chart one. See “Navigational Aids - electronic “ for the host of options available to PC, pads and smart phones.
Print on demand chart
The simplest Marine chart, the paper chart, is still available in marine stores. They are now called “print on demand” charts as the latest “up-to-date” version is available on the internet. Certified NOAA agents print the charts.
Purchase NOAA paper nautical charts from certified agents. These charts meet carriage requirements for vessels.
PDF formatted charts
Use PDF charts for planning voyages and personal use. These carts are page sized so they can be printed on a typical home printer.
Booklet Charts
Booklet charts are large paper reduced in scale and segmented in to page size paper. The booklet charts are handy for the boater that does not have the area required to display the larger charts.
Supporting Marine Navigational documents
Light list, Local Notice to Mariners, Coast Pilot, Chart one
Light List
Light List will contain a complete description of every Navigation Aid encountered on or around the water. The Light List is organized by Coast Guard Districts which makes it a large document.
Local Notice to Mariners (LNM)
The changes to the marine topology are documented by NOAA in a Local Notice to Mariners document (LNM). The LNM will document new obstructions to navigation, new or removed Nav aids, reduced capacities of Nav Aids and hours or periods of operations of nav aids.
Coast Pilot
A good source of information about a harbor can be found in the Coast Pilot 6 (Coast Pilot 6 covers the Great Lakes system, including Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior, their connecting waters, and the St. Lawrence River.)
U.S. Chart No 1
Chart 1 is not a chart. Chart 1 is a document that provides description of symbols, abbreviations and terms used on paper and electronic navigational charts. PDF version of Chart One can be down loaded from the web site http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/chartno1.htm
Hard copies can be purchased from marine stores or the internet.