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NavigationAqua Map Chart Viewer, free online nautical charts - tall ship event as a live example

Hauke Schmidt

 · 23.05.2026

In the Sail4th-250 version, the "Gorch Fock" can be followed on its way to America.
Photo: Screenshot, Aquamap
With the Chart Viewer, Aqua Map offers a free online nautical chart for viewing in the browser. The system covers many sea areas and shows basic functions such as chart view, navigation mark information and weather overlays - free of charge, without registration and without installing an app.
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Chart Viewer is aimed at sailors who want to plan trips or view an online nautical chart on their PC in advance. Unlike the mobile Aqua Map Appwhich is primarily intended for navigation on board, the online nautical chart is purely web-based and requires no installation. A current example demonstrates its practicality: as the official navigation partner for the Sail4th 250 Celebration (three to eight July 2026 in New York and New Jersey), Aqua Map has provided a specially enhanced version of the online nautical chart. Visitors can follow the fleet of tall ships - including the German training ship "Gorch Fock" - live in the Chart Viewer.

Online nautical chart with restrictions

The Aqua Map online nautical chart covers most sea areas worldwide, including Germany, the Netherlands, England, the Mediterranean and the USA. One exception is Denmark: for licence reasons, the country does not allow its nautical charts to be viewed online, which means that Danish waters are not available on the free online nautical chart. This is a restriction that also affects other providers. Nevertheless, the online nautical chart provides a useful overview for planning trips in the North Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean or transatlantic routes.

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Basic functions: View maps, call up information

The free functions of the online nautical chart are limited to the essentials: Users can view the nautical chart at various zoom levels, call up information on navigation marks and water depths and get an overview of harbours and anchorages. A special feature is the weather overlay: as in the mobile Aqua Map app, users can display wind, wave and current data directly on the online nautical chart. The wind data comes from the high-resolution NOAA HRRR model with a resolution of three kilometres and hourly updates - but only for US coastal waters. Worldwide, wave data from the NOAA Wavewatch III model and ocean currents from the Global Real-Time Ocean Forecast System are displayed. A 48-hour forecast slider enables planning several days in advance.

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No route planning in the free version

One important restriction: route planning is not possible in the free version of the online nautical chart. If you want to create routes on your PC and transfer them to mobile devices, you need the paid version. Only with an Aqua Map subscription can routes be planned and saved in the online nautical chart and synchronised with the mobile app. The Aqua Map mobile app is a fully-fledged navigation app for iOS and Android that also works offline and can display routes, waypoints and AIS data. The online nautical chart is therefore intended as a planning tool, not as a replacement for navigation on board.

Follow the "Groch Fock" live

For the Tall ship parade on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the USA Aqua Map has provided a specially enhanced version of the online nautical chart. From the third to eighth of July 2026, the largest fleet of tall ships in US history will gather in New York Harbour. The German training sailing ship "Gorch Fock" will also be there. This fleet can be live in the online chart.

TECHNICAL DATA AQUA MAP ONLINE CHART (CHART VIEWER):

Platform:

  • Web-based online nautical chart, no download required
  • Works in every modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
  • No registration required for basic functions

Cover:

  • Available worldwide (Germany, Netherlands, England, Mediterranean, USA, etc.)
  • NOT available: Denmark (licence reasons)

Free functions of the online nautical chart:

  • View nautical chart (all zoom levels)
  • Information on navigation marks, water depths, harbours
  • Weather overlay: wind, waves, ocean currents
  • Wind data: NOAA HRRR model (3 km resolution, hourly updates, US coasts only)
  • Wave data: NOAA Wavewatch III model (worldwide)
  • Current data: Global Real-Time Ocean Forecast System (worldwide, incl. Gulf Stream)
  • 48-hour forecast slider
  • Colour coding according to intensity (red = highest values)
  • 7-day weather forecast via tap on map
  • NOAA Marine Text Forecast (US coasts)

Restrictions free online nautical chart:

  • No route planning
  • No synchronisation with mobile app
  • No offline function

Paid version:

  • Route planning possible in the online nautical chart
  • Transfer to mobile Aqua Map app (iOS/Android)
  • Synchronisation between devices
  • Advanced navigation functions
  • Price: Premium access around 25 euros, nautical charts for Germany 20 euros.

Hauke Schmidt

Hauke Schmidt

Test & Technology editor

Hauke Schmidt was born in Hanau, Hesse, in 1974, but moved to the coast at the age of an Opti and grew up sailing dinghies and tall ships. School and semester breaks were used for extensive Baltic Sea cruises. During and after his oceanography studies in Kiel, he took part in various international research trips to tropical and polar regions. The focus was on ocean currents and their influence on climate change. Eventually he was drawn back to his home coast and to YACHT. He completed a traineeship there and has been working as an editor in the Test & Technology department since 2009. His core tasks include equipment and boat testing, as well as practical topics relating to electronics, seamanship and refits. As a passionate DIY enthusiast, he loves to spend his summers on the water with his family and winters working on his boat

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