Buy pleasure craft charts online: The new DK sports boat charts are here!

Up-to-date paper nautical charts are part of the basic equipment on board every yacht. It is crucial to have access to the latest nautical information when navigating, not only for legal reasons, but above all for safety reasons.

Legal requirements for nautical charts

According to the Ship Safety Ordinance, up-to-date paper nautical charts must be carried on all ships flying the German flag, regardless of whether there is an electronic nautical chart system. This also applies to privately used pleasure craft. The waterway police monitor compliance with this regulation and can impose fines for violations, as has often happened in the past. Charts that are up to date with the current "Nachrichten für Seefahrer" are considered current. Non-official editions, such as those published by Delius Klasing Verlag, are sufficient for pleasure craft.

New purchase of nautical charts

The simplest method of updating is to buy new sets of charts. The Delius Klasing Verlag sports boat charts have just been published. can be ordered here.

Updating recreational craft charts

It is cheaper and more sustainable to correct existing maps yourself than to buy new ones. To this end, map publishers provide annual correction sets and also publish corrections at different intervals during the year. These include all important changes - either as cover sheets to stick on or as written instructions for correction.

For the correction you need:

• Current correction documents (PDF or paper version)
• Sharp scissors
• Waterproof pen
• Waterproof glue stick
• Possibly a scalpel to remove old entries

The workflow is as follows:

1. Carefully study the correction documents and allocate changes to the map sheets
2. Cut out cover sheets exactly
3. Carefully remove old entries
4. Stick on cover sheets precisely, ensuring correct positioning
5. Enter textual changes with a waterproof pen
6. Note the update status on the edge of the map

Depending on the scope of the changes, it takes around 1 to 3 hours per set of cards. The cost of a correction set is around 20-40 euros, which is significantly cheaper than buying a complete new set of cards. You can find instructions with pictures here.

Advantages of independent updating

In addition to the cost savings, manual correction offers further advantages:

• More intensive examination of the map material
• Better understanding of changes in the district
• Flexible updating, even on the move
• Sustainable use of existing maps

In addition, the correction documents can also be carried as a PDF on mobile devices and accessed on the move if required.

Limits of paper map updating

Manual correction reaches its limits as soon as map sections or scales change fundamentally. It is then almost impossible to avoid buying new map sheets. Even in the case of very extensive adjustments, the effort involved in making your own corrections can quickly become disproportionately high.

In most cases, electronic nautical charts on plotters cannot simply be updated manually. Instead, it is usually necessary to purchase a new, updated chart chip. Some providers - such as Navionics - do allow free online updates for a limited period of time.