The UKHO intends to withdraw from paper chart production by 2026

https://www.admiralty.co.uk/sunsetting-paper-charts

by airbreather • 4 years ago

47 25 4 years ago

admiralty.co.uk

Plans to withdraw the UKHO’s portfolio of ADMIRALTY Standard Nautical Charts (SNCs) and Thematic Charts is in response to more marine, naval and leisure users primarily using digital products and services for navigation.

dave4420• 4 years ago

If, like me, you’ve not heard of UKHO before — https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_Hydrographic_...

smnrchrds• 4 years ago

I thought it would be the Home Office. This makes more sense.

clort• 4 years ago

I always said I wouldn't transition to electronic charts until I can get a high resolution e-paper like device which can show the chart at a reasonable size with reasonable detail and I can leave it on the chart table or take it outside. I haven't looked lately so I don't really know if a large tablet would do it for me. The problem I've always found with electronic charts is that you get an overview or detail and the middle ground is vague. I don't like not having the detail on the overview.

tbh I'm getting to be a bit of a dinosaur; I don't really sail much out of my home area (~30 mile radius) which I already know quite well, and even then I already have paper charts covering several hundred miles around. I don't have many admiralty charts (Imray charts are printed on waterproof paper so have been more useful) and as they say, the rocks don't change much.

Stevvo• 4 years ago

A standard feature on electronic charts nowadays is "declutter"; you can configure what level of detail is shown at each zoom level.

Prcmaker2• 4 years ago

Ive experienced similar with some local national parks. They now expect people to rely on digital navigation rather than paper, so only produce maps suitable for driving from landmark to landmark. Though I don't personally enjoy navigation by electronic device, having a hard copy backup is critical and getting harder to have.

eternityforest3• 4 years ago

Seems like a fair amount of skill would be needed to actually use a map reliably in a park, especially for hikers. Do people still know how to use them? I think I'd probably get lost .

Prcmaker2• 4 years ago

However much skill it may or may not require pales in comparison to recharging a phone rocks and sticks. Papers maps and a small compass are cheap, light weight insurance.

roter• 4 years ago

Having come back to sailing/cruising after many years I was surprised at the level of navigational knowledge of the typical boater. In the old days, I had my charts, my hand-held compass, binoculars, dividers, etc. Now people go out with their smartphone and end up hitting the wrong side of a marker. Course, there seems to be less drinking and boating these days so that's a plus.

For those interested there are a lot of free options for charts. One is OpenCPN [0] which provides an interface to charting and all your electronics (e.g. AIS, GPS, radar). There are free raster & vector charts available worldwide (e.g. NOAA) which can be downloaded onto your PC or Raspberry PI.

[0] https://www.opencpn.org/

yardie• 4 years ago

If you have source on free charts I’m all ears. Except for the US, most charts are paid. There are a few non-legal sources like CM93.

As a cruiser who tried to make do as cheap as possible I gave up and bought a subscription for Navionics. There was very little choice in truly free charts.

matt_the_bass• 4 years ago

Free charts from NOAA are only US waters. Few other countries provide their charts for free.

Previously one had to pay for paper charts, now one pays for digital charts.

Gwypaas2• 4 years ago

The professional side has just about migrated to ECDIS. [1] Certified electronic charts with extra screens and independent power backups to make it as safe as regular paper charts in emergencies.

Almost all new ships on international voyages are required to have ECDIS and year by year it covers more older vessels.

What is left is commercial smaller vessels which tend to have a set of certified paper charts over the area they operate rolled up in a corner of the bridge and then use a unclassified electronic system for day to day operations.

Then we have the boating/cruising people, they have been electronic forever. People do not care enough about backups but it is what it is. Personally I run a large power bank and charts on my phone allowing me to navigate for days in case the boat's systems die.

All in all, the market for paper charts have become increasingly niche over the years.

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Chart_Display_and...

i_am_proteus• 4 years ago

Yep. NOAA announced in 2019 that their paper charts would be phased out by 2025, in favor of electronic charts.

https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/charts/future-noaa-chart...

j-bos2• 4 years ago

Are certified electronic charts hardened against EMPs?

eternityforest3• 4 years ago

Is anything about the ship hardened against EMPs?

Gwypaas2• 4 years ago

You will not get insurance to operate your ship in a warzone either way. That was the problem with for example the Ukrainian grain export.

So on that question, no, not more than any other system on board. A hardened navigation system does not help if your common rail injection system is fried.

rerdavies2• 4 years ago

My first thought was to scramble to see if Canada had any plans to stop printing the Canadian National Topographic System map series (not nautical maps, but topographic maps that cover the entire landmass of Canada).

For wilderness canoeists, topographic maps are indispensable, and not replaceable by electronic systems. There are no electrical outlets in the wilderness, lugging batteries across 3km portages isn't an option, and canoe trips can easily last two or three weeks.

Fortunately, they don't currently have plans to stop. However, the Canadian government has recently added a list of Certified Map Printers in addition to the older network of Map Dealers who carry the entire series of thousands of maps (but frequently run out of the map you're looking for). Presumably, Certified Map Printers will print maps on demand. Sounds great!

Incidentally, you can also download Canadian topographic maps for free, and print them out yourself. But going into the wilderness with maps that aren't waterproof would be tantamount to suicide.

I wonder if the UKHO has made similar provisions to refer customers to print shops that have the equipment to print waterproof charts on demand.

maptime• 4 years ago

The issue isn't the printing of the physical chart itself it's the compilation of data to create a readable chart that complies with the international cartographic standard.

Most UKHO charts are currently printed at a distributor location on giant inkjet printers. Incidentally the charts are only water resistant not waterproof

Lev1a2• 4 years ago

But going into the wilderness with maps that aren't waterproof would be tantamount to suicide.

Couldn't you laminate the maps yourself, when you're already going through the trouble to print your own?

matsur• 4 years ago

Or use a ziploc bag. Works fine.

The UKHO intends to withdraw from paper chart production by 2026

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