Get Raster Charts to Ensure Your Safety When Out On the Sea

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In old days, no mariner worth its salt left home without an armful of marine charts tucked under his arm and a magnetic compass in his pocket. The marine chart is for the mariner what the road map is for the driver. Today, most marine charts are in electronic format and more than likely displayed on a marine GPS device, a chart plotter or combo marine electronics device. GPS technology is considered to be a great advancement in terms of marine navigation.

A marine chart is one of the most fundamental tools available to the mariner. It is a map that depicts the configuration of shoreline and seafloor. It provides water depths, locations of dangers, locations and characteristics of aids, anchorages, and a number of other features required by every marine for a safe voyage.

Marine charts come in two formats - raster charts and vector charts. A raster marine chart consists of digital images that show you geo-referenced features, whereas, vector charts are a combination of digitized paper that can be overlaid with objects and information accumulated in a database.

These marine maps are generally available pre-programmed on data cards that plug directly into your chart plotter so it is quick and facile to install and upload them.