www.cairnscharts.com.au/

I agree.

I don't buy charts anymore.

I sailed most of Tassie, East Coast of oz without charts. I have 2 hand held chart plotters. raymarine c70 and c80, navionics on iPad ......If the satellites fail I think there will be more problems than a sailor trying to find a harbour without a paper chart!

I agree Franrick, I also have a chart plotter plus iPad with Navonics. I just want charts as a backup and to have a bigger overview of an area than a little screen.

As I've said before I use charts as a backup and the chartplotters, we all have multiple systems nowadays, as the primary navigation tool.
The risk isn't with the satellites going off, it is an electrical failure onboard. A hand held with sufficient spare batteries and a chart covers that problem. Putting an occasional fix on the chart on a passage does give a big picture view and if you suffer an electrical failure you have something to work off.

MorningBird said..
As I've said before I use charts as a backup and the chartplotters, we all have multiple systems nowadays, as the primary navigation tool.
The risk isn't with the satellites going off, it is an electrical failure onboard. A hand held with sufficient spare batteries and a chart covers that problem. Putting an occasional fix on the chart on a passage does give a big picture view and if you suffer an electrical failure you have something to work off.

Way to go. On board electrical failure is the weak link in the chain. Hand held with spare batteries solves the problem.

Rob S said..
There is a lot of salt water out there. Electronics don't like it.
I still think I need to log position regularly from GPS so can go back to charts at any time if everything electronic fails.
The question for me is how many charts / detail required to get home with flooded Laptop, Tablets, phone, handheld GPS and chart plotter.

You only need a waterproof handheld GPS and a good supply of batteries. Preload all the useful waypoints from the comfort of the lounge. The only weak point in navigation these days is paper charts! First bit of water below and that blotting paper is the first to go. Even a bit of condensation is enough for the paper to become in accurate.

I am thinking of carrying spare batteries for my paper charts from now on.
Seems a sensible thing to do.

I think what people need to do is simulate a scenario where they might need to actually navigate in less than postcard conditions. Soak your hands in a bucket of water for a bit then with either bare hands or gloves use their navigation apparatus of choice. Try that tablet or smart phone with wet fingers. Then wipe your fingers with a towel and see how long it is till they actually work. As soon as your palm hits that paper chart its all over but you may have plasticized charts and crayons.

Yep, just been down the chandler and brought another Paper Chart. I've got the virtual ones on the chart plotter and iPad but my next trip is about 800nm off shore. I carry spare sheer pins for the outboard so why not a back up for navigation.

Just a point on updating charts. I don't update my paper charts, it just isn't viable. I do update my chart plotter and navionics online.

When Cisco and Havefun and I were taking Ciscos new toy to Bundaberg we had to make a short notice diversion into Port Macquarie at night. We checked the charts and it said there were leading lights. We couldn't find them although the park inside the entrance had a big spotlight which could have been one of the leading lights. After a couple of goes we asked VMR. The leading lights had been replaced by a sector light about a year previously.

The only way you could find that out was by looking up the NSW Maritime website and looking for updates for Port Macquarie. As we didn't know we were going into there until half an hour before we did that wasn't really an option. Didn't even think of it. The bright white light was the sector light, we just didn't go far enough off it to see the colour change.

About 8 years ago I two handed a mates boat to Coffs Harbour. As we approached Coffs at 0200 I was looking for the light on the little island just south east of the entrance. The paper charts (his not mine that time) said it was a blue light (from memory) with a flashing signal of some sort. We could see a white flashing light but no blue light and it was hard to tell if the white light was a marine light or something ashore. The white light was it.

My point from this is that while the rocks and hard bits might not change position on your un updated paper charts things like lights will. I was surprised how often they do change. It isn't viable to update every chart for where you might end up needing the detail. Just beware that lights, sand bars and channel markers do move/change quite often and by a fair bit.