Since 1862, those lithographic nautical charts
available in marine shops and other stores have
been printed by the U.S. government and sold to
the public by commercial vendors. The decision
to stop production is based on several factors,
including the declining demand for lithographic
charts, the increasing use of digital and
electronic charts, and federal budget realities.
“With the end of traditional paper charts, our
primary concern continues to be making sure that
boaters, fishing vessels, and commercial
mariners have access to the most accurate,
up-to-date nautical chart in a format that works
well for them,” said Capt. Shep Smith, chief of
Coast Survey’s Marine Chart Division.
“Fortunately, advancements in computing and
mobile technologies give us many more options
than was possible years ago.”
NOAA will continue to create and maintain other
forms of nautical charts, including the
increasingly popular Print on Demand (POD)
charts, updated paper charts available from
NOAA-certified printers. NOAA electronic
navigational charts (NOAA ENC) and raster
navigational charts (NOAA RNC), used in a
variety of electronic charting systems, are also
updated weekly and are available for free
download from the Coast Survey website. NOAA
will also announce a new product full-scale PDF
(Portable Digital Format) nautical charts,
available for free download on a trial basis
online.
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