ENC chart URL: http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/index.htm

The 'neat' thing about ENC charts (expecially if you have a 'mac'
running MacENC) is you can overlay GRIB weather info. A good forum
for Mac integration with AIS, GRIB, Course (tack angle) optimization,
etc. is http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/index.htm ... and the
best part is that the most 'elegant' macintosh platform for both ENC
and Raster is $99.00



In article , BF
wrote:

NOAA made them available about a year to 18 months ago, if memory serves.
I agree with you on raster looking more real and, on Fugawi at least,
zooming in and out seems more tedious.
But Fugawi ENC ships with a CD that has 3-D topography of some (don't the
extent) coastal regions that work with the vector charts that could be
useful in identifying entrances, etc. Don't know if these are available from
NOAA nor what one would need to view them.
BF

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
A friend and professional mariner passed this on to me. Maybe it's old
news
here, I haven't been following the issue. But, just in case anyone hasn't
heard:

MapTech's agreement with NOAA for raster charts has expired and NOAA has
now
made its raster charts available for free online.

This means that you can get entire raster chart collections for free from
NOAA. There 1,016 BSB format charts online at NOAA's website, but the
maximum that can be downloaded at one time is 100. So if you're intent on
suddenly accumulating a complete chart library of the U.S., it may take
you
some time and effort. But if you're only looking for a few specific areas,
or for updating your existing library, this is the easy way to do it. The
gov't continues to update these charts electronically as necessary.

Several private firms -- MapTech, Nobeltec, Richardson's, etc. -- are
repackaging these raster charts for sale on CDs and DVDs. Sometimes you
can
get such a disk free as a sales premium, if you buy another navigational
product from the same vendor.

For more information and downloads:
http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/Raster/Index.htm

The gov't is also making vector charts available for free on-line
down-load,
but the available number is less, and the vector charts are for some
reason
more difficult to download. The vector charts are also more difficult to
use, but that's a personal opinion. To me, vector charts just don't look
real; on my computer console a vector chart reminds me of a video game.

--
Roger Long