Navigation: The future of nautical charts - only plotters instead of paper?

Hand on heart - do you get new nautical charts on board every year? And if so, in traditional paper form or as an electronic chart for the plotter or tablet? Both systems have advantages and disadvantages, which is just as clear as the fact that hardly any cruise can be planned and succeed without a nautical chart. So there is no question that they are necessary - but is the paper version still up to date?

The development of paper nautical charts began at the end of the 18th century. The first surveys were carried out on the German North Sea coast in 1867. During this time, data collection for the production of nautical charts was increasingly centralised by the authorities. In the USA, logbook entries had already begun to be analysed in order to create maps of wind conditions at sea, which later developed into pilot charts. In 1861, the Hydrographic Bureau was founded in the Prussian Ministry of the Navy; the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) was established in 1990. Among other things, it is responsible for producing and publishing official German nautical charts. In order to create, check and correct the information in the nautical charts, BSH navigators regularly carry out surveying trips.

The procedure is similar for hydrographic offices worldwide. They collect the data with which they produce nautical charts or make them available to private nautical chart publishers under licence. In Germany, for example, these are NV-Verlag or Delius Klasing Verlag, which offer handy paper nautical chart sets for use on pleasure craft.

Paper nautical charts will be discontinued in the USA by 2025

It is still taken for granted by many owners and skippers and is considered good seamanship to purchase an up-to-date set of nautical charts for the planned sailing area from these providers at the start of the season. However, the trend away from paper and towards electronic nautical charts is unstoppable. In the USA, for example, the 2024 season will be the last in which the responsible authority, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), still issues paper charts. "All traditional NOAA paper nautical charts will be phased out by January 2025," says the agency. It has already begun to phase out individual nautical charts and will discontinue the production and maintenance of traditional paper nautical charts and associated raster chart products and services by January 2025. "Mariners and other users of nautical charts are encouraged to use the electronic nautical chart, NOAA's primary nautical chart product," NOAA's publications state.

This step was announced back in November 2019. The reason given was that "the discontinuation of traditional chart production will allow NOAA to devote more resources to improving electronic navigational charts." In future, the focus will therefore be entirely on ENC vector charts. ENC stands for Electronic Navigational Charts and refers to the official hydrographic vector data. However, the authority will continue to provide raster charts for its certified chart agents, from whom these can still be purchased on paper. Whether they will still be updated annually is still completely unclear. However, the US authority has introduced an exciting tool as part of this changeover: Anyone has the opportunity to create customised nautical chart sections from official data as a PDF. At https://devgis.charttools.noaa.gov/pod/ you can get an idea of how it works. Instructions help with this.

The trend away from paper is also recognisable in Europe

In the United Kingdom, the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) announced in July 2022 that it would cease its paper chart production by the end of 2026 in order to expand its focus on digital navigation products and services. The plans to discontinue the widely used Admiralty Standard Nautical Charts (SNCs) are in response to the increasing use of digital products in both commercial and leisure shipping. "Admiralty Maritime Data Solutions' digital navigation portfolio can be updated in near real time, significantly improving the safety of life at sea (Solas)," the UKHO said, explaining the move.

The conversion process was to be closely coordinated with UK and international stakeholders, including distribution partners, defence customers, commercial and recreational users, international regulators and colleagues in the global hydrographic community. However, during this process it became clear that the changeover would take more time. The discontinuation of paper charts has therefore been postponed to an as yet unspecified date after 2030.

When YACHT visited the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency in 2018 to go on a survey trip with the nautical chart experts, Stefan Grammann, head of the Nautical Information Service at the time, also recognised that the importance of paper was already dwindling. "But I'm not predicting when paper nautical charts will no longer exist," he said at the time.

Paper nautical charts: necessary or just a nice extra?

The BSH sports boat chart sets in the handy Din A2 format have now been discontinued. Now sailors can still fall back on the individual charts, which are offered in Din A1 format, contain the same information as the former smaller-format charts and are only printed to order. This also has advantages, as Udo Cimutta, nautical engineer at the BSH's Nautical Information Service, explains: "The print-on-demand process takes current requirements into account: you order a chart here, then it comes out of the printer and is corrected to the current status."

In light of these developments, are paper nautical charts still absolutely necessary or just a nice navigational accessory? The fact that they must be carried on board recreational craft is a result of the international Solas regulations and the German Ship Safety Ordinance. However, unlike in commercial shipping, these charts do not have to be official. Officially recognised charts, i.e. those from private publishers, are sufficient, explains Udo Cimutta.

However, while paper charts may be dispensed with under certain conditions in commercial shipping and also on yachts that are required to be equipped in accordance with Solas, this is not necessarily the case on recreational craft. Cimutta explains: "In commercial shipping, type-approved ECDIS systems may be on board, official ENCs must be used and participation in the weekly update service is required." If these criteria are met, paper charts are no longer mandatory. "My personal opinion as an experienced captain and navigator is, however," says Cimutta, "that paper charts will still be found on the bridge for some time to come. To a trained eye, they still provide all the information at a glance. The nautical chart will retain this significance for a very, very long time."

So far, everyone is familiar with the message when opening the digital map that it is only a navigation aid

Nevertheless, he believes the time has come for change on recreational boats: "It is high time that the legislator defined framework conditions under which small boats can also navigate with electronic equipment. This is simply common practice."

So far, however, everyone who works with a plotter or tablet is familiar with the notice when opening the chart that it is only a navigation aid. Dr Heiko Wychodil, a lawyer specialising in recreational craft law, explains that the "nautical duty of care" must also be observed when using nautical charts on purely privately used yachts. "However, the latter are not defined anywhere, but essentially result from so-called good seamanship," says Wychodil. "On a private yacht, I would carry a paper chart on a larger scale and take the detailed views from the electronic chart."

Against this background and, above all, in order to be able to prove that careful planning has been carried out in the event of an insurance claim, the charts must be up to date. What exactly this means, however, is not checked by the waterway police as part of routine inspections. "Nevertheless, insurance companies may check whether an up-to-date or corrected nautical chart was on board in the event of a claim. However, such checks fall within the scope of civil law and therefore do not fall within the original remit of the police," says the Kiel State Police Office.

Many skippers have a healthy scepticism towards electronic nautical charts

But why should sailors want to do without paper charts at all? After all, they offer many advantages, even if hardly any crew sails without an electronic chart. They provide a good initial overview for cruise and route planning and distances can be recognised at a glance. They train the overall understanding, senses and orientation and suggest less illusory reality. Paper maps are unrivalled in their simplicity; you don't need to familiarise yourself with the settings as you would with a plotter. They are also - apart from falling overboard and getting wet - fail-safe.

Udo Cimutta: "Many skippers have a healthy scepticism towards electronic media. After all, it suggests a high level of accuracy. If you don't use it with a healthy sense of proportion, but see it as a reflection of reality, it can lead to problems."

The reason why electronic nautical charts, and vector charts in particular, are so popular is due to the high density of information, although this can also lead to confusion. This is not the case with electronic raster charts, which are the digital image of the paper chart and therefore have their fans. The advantages of electronic nautical charts are obvious: despite clammy fingers, the plotter is still easier to use in the cockpit in windy and wet conditions than a fluttering paper chart. Routes can be planned or re-planned quickly and updates installed quickly and easily.

However, autorouting in particular must be handled critically, as examples of absurd route suggestions repeatedly show. And the many zoom levels must also be handled with care, as the serious accident involving the Volvo ocean racer "Vestas Wind" during the 2014/15 race around the world repeatedly mentioned in this context shows. BSH expert Cimutta also points out that the correction status of electronic nautical charts is difficult to recognise.

"The paper nautical chart in its traditional meaning for navigation is dead"

So what could happen next - will paper nautical charts only be on board as a fail-safe redundancy to the plotter in the foreseeable future?

The trend is clearly recognisable: it is moving away from paper and towards digital. However, developments at the UKHO in the UK show how complex and lengthy the process of moving away from paper charts is. Udo Cimutta gives reason to hope that it will be with sailors in this country for a while yet. "The paper chart in its traditional meaning for navigation is dead," says the BSH nautical expert. "But as long as there is a demand for them, we as an office must ensure that paper nautical charts are issued. That will be with us for some time to come."

Interview with sports boat school operator Klaus Schlösser: "Unstoppable trend"

As an experienced skipper, instructor and co-developer of navigation solutions, he keeps a close eye on the nautical chart market: Klaus Schlösser from Bremen on the opportunities and challenges of change.

Klaus, can you imagine that sailing yachts will only be navigated with electronic nautical charts?

Klaus Schlösser: I am sure that we will not be able to stop this trend. Personally, however, I would always like to have paper charts on board. As an instructor, I would always recommend it.

What are the advantages?

With digital nautical charts, we run the risk of not grasping the big picture, but also important details. I'm not denying digitalisation, on the contrary, I'm also involved in app development. But in terms of clarity and handling, I think it's very important to have a paper nautical chart. Or an appropriately sized tablet. But these are not currently available on the market.

What trends do you see in electronic nautical charts?

The manufacturers of chart plotters are trying to incorporate more and more features into their products in order to be marketable. The nautical chart, i.e. what I really need, is only a small part of what the devices can do. It's easy to lose track of the essential functions. Especially when you charter and switch from one manufacturer to the next. It is particularly important to recognise whether the chart is up to date or how I can quickly check whether it is set to WGS 84, for example.

When you set sail, what do you use to plan and navigate yourself? With paper and a plotter? Many people plan a trip with a printed nautical chart, but tend to use an electronic one when they're underway.

This is quite a common variant. What I personally don't like is a media break. So if I use paper charts from one manufacturer and electronic charts from another, I don't have the same chart image. I use paper charts for planning and lay out the appropriate ones for my stage. I like to use them to get a quick overview. I also use the chart plotter for travelling the route.

Under what conditions do you think electronic nautical charts could be sufficient on recreational craft?

It would be important that our training in Germany also teaches us how to deal with the pitfalls of digital nautical charts. Keyword: incorrect zoom levels or not being able to see at a glance that other important data is hidden behind a piece of information. I think it's dangerous to say that anyone can learn by doing. There are plenty of situations in which you can quickly overlook certain things on the plotter. And then the question is: am I trained enough to deal with it? It's similar with radar. There are many great devices, including for recreational boating. But basically, many people are not trained in its use. So is it even a reliable tool that I can rely on?

How could the problem be solved?

From the manufacturer's point of view, it would be desirable for there to be an accompanying process in which everyone sits down together and develops common standards for digital recreational craft charts and devices.