Sitting here thinking about your post and what I previously posted,
and having tried to report to USCG some new obstructions and shoals
around Charleston that were dead wrong on the charts, I did a little
internet navigating to find a direct answer......

I went to NOAA's websites and found out that, in their own words:

"Coastal Survey Maps - Precise surveys of the nation's coast and
navigable near shore waters are the primary responsibility of the
National Geodetic Survey's Remote Sensing Division. The surveys
provide shoreline data for Nautical Chart production, and accurate
geographical references needed for managing coastal resources."

At NOAA's National Ocean Service, where the maps come from, I found:

"MapFinder no longer provides preview raster images of nautical charts
or historical maps and charts. Click here for more information."

Of course, these taxpayer-supported government bureaucrats don't
actually work FOR the taxpayers paying them, sort of like the FCC, but
for the publishers of the chart business. They don't want to show you
the charts for fear you'll just print them out for your boat for free.
That wouldn't "do", would it? You're not allowed to see realtime
lightning data from the lightning data collection system YOU paid for,
either, because some company *******s are selling it for them.

If you go over to where all the charts the taxpayers pay for on:
http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/pod/Pod.htm
you'll find out why......

"NOAA, Coast Survey, in partnership with OceanGrafix, LLC, offer
mariners official nautical charts continually updated by NOAA
cartographers to the latest Notice to Mariners and to all Critical
Safety Information known to Coast Survey in advance of its publication
in a Notice. From NOAA digital files OceanGrafix prints corrected
charts, to order, for sale to mariners through the Oceangrafix retail
network under the brand name Charts-on-Demand."

Why can't I simply download the chart I want from NOAA as a
gif/tiff/jpeg of PDF file and print it on my printer? PDF will scale
it properly for me and make it perfectly usable. Oh, I forgot, it's
about the M-O-N-E-Y.....but wait!....I already PAID the money to the
IRS!

The only way you can get a new chart is to pony up to:
http://www.oceangrafix.com/products.html
through one of its retailers who are SUPPOSED to order your chart,
then Oceangrafix prints your chart with the latest info WHEN THE ORDER
IS RECEIVED and ship it back to the retailer. Of course, this makes
the chart older than it would be if you had access to the chart,
directly from the bureaucrats who produced it you paid for.

Patent Pending, it says on http://www.oceangrafix.com/products.html

In Charleston, with two West Marine, one Boat/US and one Boater's
World store, the ONLY place you can access this product is:

UK-Southwind Sailmakers, Inc.
3 Lockwood Dr.
Charleston, SC 29401
843-722-0823
fax 843-722-0822

www.uksailmakers.com/charleston

down by the city marina. Bring the plastic. Nothing UK sells is a
discount. For those trying to avoid Macromedia Flash's virus
installation, do NOT visit:
www.uksailmakers.com/charleston
as it will loop indefinately trying to install Flash on you system,
dammit. "No" option only makes it repeat the installation attempt.

There was no form to fill out at NOAA's site to update that rock,
easily. I guess you'll have to go to your Coasties office and make
out a Notice to Mariners NOAA cartographers will get in a year or two.





Larry W4CSC

3600 planes with transponders are burning 8-10 million
gallons of kerosene per hour over the USA. R-12 car air
conditioners are responsible for the ozone hole, right?