# The end of paper charts.



## jnorm59 (Oct 9, 2020)

As if we don't feel old enough already , the UKHO has announced it will stop printing paper navigation charts in 2026. Everything to be digital after this.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

BAD NEWS!!!!!! What happens if you 'chart's crashes? Find the Atlas from the ship library?

One comment is that small boats will have to use little 'phones' etc for your charts. Can you navigate around the coast with a little phone? How can you plan passage without some good references? What about The Pilots? The only good news about this is that you will never have to do chart corrections. That will be done instantly! Every Second Mate will give a great CHEERS!


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

It is like starting a long car journey without a spare tyre.

(But a market, perhaps for agents to print off corrected chart to-order - before the dilettantes write their own apps I hope).


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

What happens when the power goes off ?


David

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## jnorm59 (Oct 9, 2020)

You blame the C/E!


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## kohl57 (Jul 29, 2006)

Just astonishing. If so inclined, one could literally destroy most of the world's services, infrastructure, aerial, land and sea navigation by simply infiltrating the technology. And people are inclined, already. One click and it can all "go black". Starting with the power grid in your town or city. 

Oh well, at least on the old ST. HELENA, with satellite navigation (but still no shipboard computer system btw) deck officers still did a Noon Sun Shot with sextants and our deck cadet, too, was expected to be able to use a sextant. We pursers used Adler typewriters, carbon forms, discharge books and paid our crew in cash, too. How did we manage without seeing or using a mousepad or a "device" for three and a half months? Pretty well.

Peter Kohler


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## rogd (Jul 2, 2018)

Blame it on the leckie!!


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## Norm (Jun 21, 2006)

Peter, you were happier in those days.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Back at GCNS in 1978, one of the lecturers warned us, "Don't rely on this new proposed 'system'. If a war start, the Russians will shoot down the satellites and you will be back to zero."


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## waldziu (Jun 17, 2008)

Where will Stokers purloin the Navigators Notebooks from?


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

One can still enter a manual ECDIS position in the event the warring parties spoil their own cruise missiles' ability for precision by upsetting the various GNSS. I am not sure if one can use it to make the usual ceremonial scribblings that go on before you lot are ready to wield the hambone and ridicule he who has declared the meridiemal position furthest from that given by satellite.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Varley said:


> One can still enter a manual ECDIS position in the event the warring parties spoil their own cruise missiles' ability for precision by upsetting the various GNSS. I am not sure if one can use it to make the usual ceremonial scribblings that go on before you lot are ready to wield the hambone and ridicule he who has declared the meridiemal position furthest from that given by satellite.


In English please.  

I am not worried about the position on the chart.... if I know that there are no 'soundings' on my course. Worse, that shaking and rumbling is what I just went over!


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

I rely on you types to navigate Stephen. By all means teach (or try to) the Hambone/Chronometer process (pre noon) from the Greek that it has always been to me.

ECDIS does alert one to risks along the way when planning a passage. Recent experiences (I understand from one who has had to explain to clients 'Why?') suggest that if one fails to listen to the gadget during planning then it declines to warn you when you are where you should have planned not to be (at or just passed your Shakenrumbly Banks or under the guns of Navarone I guess).

I had, until these recent upsets, thought that the chart data linked to the position (however derived) so alerting the watch as necessary. Was that not what we were told ECDIS would do for us or was that only with vector charts?


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

The Mate once showed me on a chart of approaches to South Africa, an inscription 'First Tree sighted heading south' Alongside it, of course, was pencilled in 'Last Chance for Dogs heading North' !!

Not any more sadly. 

David

+


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## taffe65 (May 27, 2007)

david.hopcroft said:


> What happens when the power goes off ?
> 
> 
> David
> ...


“Keep the heid an’ cairry oan”, the 2nd will open Fort knox and plug in the dilithium crystals and all will be well. Any star trek fans will understand, I confess I,m not in that category.


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## kohl57 (Jul 29, 2006)

I remember when ST. HELENA did the first ever (well for a ship carrying passengers) cir***navigation of Tristan da Cunha (and Nightingale and Inaccessible Islands) we prepared duplicates of our chart of it all which was given to every passenger. Actually, I think I did the cut and paste (and with real paste, too!) "graphics" for it, too. I guess that's an idea gone now along with dated paper menu cards and ship's stationary. 

Sobering to think that since everything is now "on line" now all those zillions of "selfies" and memories of this and future generations will just vanish with every cancelled phone, Google account or Cloud account. No negatives, no prints, no paper, letters or postcards... nothing tangible. It's like they never existed. 

Peter Kohler


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Peter,

Do not think about the loss of negs, prints, papers etc etc I spoke to a Maritime Museum regarding photos, books etc. A Director, retired several years ago told me the best thing to do get a large pile of material and have a bonfire. Very sad.

Stephen


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## kohl57 (Jul 29, 2006)

Heartbreaking. Then again, one is cheered by Canada, Australia and New Zealand which lead the world in not only preserving photographs, do***ents and "hard copy" but putting so much of it on line. That's one reason so much of my research and writing is on Canadian, Australia and New Zealand lines and ships! Preserve the stuff and get it out there and history will revolve around you! As it should....

Peter Kohler


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## P.Arnold (Apr 11, 2013)

Amazon River, my Valiente, Booth Line, 1968.
I recall the charts as being ‘hand drawn’, with major ports, Santarem,Obidos, Itacoatiara, etc being identified. Intervening Villages along the way would be identified with local names from Merseyside, Seacombe, Egremont, Birkenhead. The pilots on board 24/7 would draw or change features such as sandbanks, position of which would/could change because of the seasonal rains.
That’s how I remember it. !


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## Phil Healy (5 mo ago)

Stephen J. Card said:


> BAD NEWS!!!!!! What happens if you 'chart's crashes? Find the Atlas from the ship library?
> 
> One comment is that small boats will have to use little 'phones' etc for your charts. Can you navigate around the coast with a little phone? How can you plan passage without some good references? What about The Pilots? The only good news about this is that you will never have to do chart corrections. That will be done instantly! Every Second Mate will give a great CHEERS!


What? There will be second mates??


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## Phil Healy (5 mo ago)

P.Arnold said:


> Amazon River, my Valiente, Booth Line, 1968.
> I recall the charts as being ‘hand drawn’, with major ports, Santarem,Obidos, Itacoatiara, etc being identified. Intervening Villages along the way would be identified with local names from Merseyside, Seacombe, Egremont, Birkenhead. The pilots on board 24/7 would draw or change features such as sandbanks, position of which would/could change because of the seasonal rains.
> That’s how I remember it. !


I remember. I had to draw one for the ship's first few visits to Hoddaydah before the chart was issued by the Admiralty. It didn't look pretty but at least we never went aground.


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