Marine Navigational Charts - Helping Mariners Navigate Through the Complex Labyrinth of Waterways

Nautical charts were designed to represent the spherical earth on a plane surface. These charts indicate features like water depth, shoreline location along with topographic features. These charts are basically employed for navigation purpose by mariners. Nautical charts provide information about anchorages, water depths, and shoreline locations to mariners. They use this information to safely navigate through the complex labyrinth of the ocean world. Marine navigational charts play a crucial role in planning voyages and safely navigating through waterways.

The British Admiralty nautical charts are followed by sea vessels in different parts of the world. UKHO or United Kingdom Hydrographic Office designed these charts according to the needs of commercial vessels. These charts also adhere to the rules and regulations defined by the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea. These charts are constantly updated by expert cartographers in order to make sure that vessels safely navigate through complex waterways. The nautical charts of British Admiralty were approved by the U.S. Coast Guard and are accepted as a standard for marine navigational charts globally. These charts also comply with the regulations of SOLAS or Safety of Life at Sea and are known to be quite accurate. With a range of scales, along with useful passage planning, ocean crossings, major coastal navigation points and entering ports, British Admiralty nautical charts surely meet the requirements of mariners all across the globe.

Nautical Charts: British Admiralty Charts, NOAA Nautical Charts and NGA Charts

As you are preparing for your next marine expedition, it is imperative to be fully equipped with all the instruments. This will ensure that you will be ready not only to deal with the challenges that you are preparing for, but also the unforeseen obstacles that might lie ahead. One instrument that is perhaps the most important of all is the nautical charts.

Nautical charts are navigational tools that help you sail through your course safely, by depicting the configuration for the shoreline and seafloor. They come either as physical charts (printed on paper) or as electronic charts (displayed on ECDIS), and are generally sourced one of United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO/British Admiralty), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Geospatial Intelligence (NGA).

The British Admiralty charts are produced by the office of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office. These charts set the standards when it comes to nautical charts, as they provide you with the most up-to-date nautical information. The NOAA nautical charts are charts that come in an electronic format. Printed “on-demand”, these charts are known for their accuracy, durability and user friendliness. Finally, the NGA charts are nautical charts that are used along with the NOAA charts. This is because the NOAA charts provide information of the coastal US while the NGA charts provide info of the open ocean.

So as you prepare for your next marine endeavor, buy the appropriate nautical charts and chart a safe route through your course.