On Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:51:52 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:52:18 +0700, Bruce In Bangkok
wrote:


A question. The NOAA charts are free because the government uses the
tax dollar to survey the area and print the chart, but what about
charts outside the U.S. ?

The US Navy is sporting around all over the globe are they using NOAA
charts? Paying the premium for the British Admiralty charts? Dead
Reckoning?

I'm sure that you can buy international charts from a shop in the U.S.
but where do they come from?
Cheers,

The U.S. Navy is supposed to go "paperless" for navigation this year.
This is interesting
http://www.dclab.com/navy_paperless.asp

And this
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/navy/docs/gis_hbk.htm
with much detail about nav data sources.

Very interesting. thank you.

My favorite line:
"During the Haitian crisis, a Navy ship found itself on a shoal
(according to CNN 'anchored just offshore')."

Never did find out where the Navy purchases paper charts, and I gave
up. Probably "Top Secret" except to 10,000 swabbies in BuPers.

--Vic

When I bought this boat the previous owner unloaded a pile of charts
easily 4 feet high. He was a retired Navy chief and mentioned that
"the navigating officer on the USS XXX is a friend of mine". I always
assumed that the charts were a world wide set.

But, what about all the folks that are carrying around those brass
gizmos - sextants I think that they are called.... Once the Navy goes
digital that will make sun shots redundant. Damn, the lead line is
gone, next it will be sextants and sooner or later the compass. What
will be left to differentiate us "sailors" from the farmers?


Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)