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31 Jul 2015 / Australia, all ports

Importance of using official nautical charts

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has issued a notice about the importance of using official nautical charts, after noting a recent increase in the use of unofficial charts for navigation. AMSA's Marine Notice No.16/2014 states that the country's port State control program has recorded deficiencies and detained ships using unofficial nautical charts for navigation. These include but are not limited to: photocopies, facsimiles or imitations of official paper charts, large format commercial printed copies of scanned Electronic Navigations Charts, and paper charts "assembled" by printing several small portions of a Raster Navigational Chart. Unofficial copies of nautical charts can be distorted, out of date or many omit important navigational features. For a nautical chart to be considered adequate for navigational purposes, it must be: i) officially issued, ii) the latest edition, iii) used in its original form, iv) maintained up to date using the latest available notices to mariners, and v) of appropriate scale suitable for the navigational task at hand. Australian official paper charts are issued and updated by the Australian Hydrographic Service (AHS) under the "Aus" series and provide bathymetric and near shore coverage of Australia�s area of charting responsibility. The series is also largely reproduced by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office as part of their world-wide "Admiralty" chart series. AHS charts are easily identified by their "Aus" chart numbers and AHS crest above the chart's title. There is no other alternative numbering system for "Aus" charts. The AHS distributes the full portfolio of "Aus" charts via AHS authorised chart agents, who sell and distribute "Aus" charts as "single' paper charts or grouped as "portfolios" of charts. A list of authorised AHS chart distribution agents is available on the AHS website at: www.hydro.gov.au. To identify unofficial nautical charts, a comparison can be made with a genuine official AHS chart. The "look and feel" comparison may raise suspicions that a chart is unofficial. An unofficial nautical chart may have: � ink of a different colour (and is not simply black and white); � inconsistent colour across the chart; � colours that can be erased; or � different paper weight or feel. If it is suspected that an "Aus" chart is not genuine, contact should be made to AHS by email ([email protected]) with relevant details. In cooperation with AMSA, AHS will actively seek to stop the production and sale of unofficial copies of AHS products The carriage of up to date nautical charts is critical to safe navigation. AMSA urges all purchasers, users, marine surveyors and recognised organisations to be vigilant in the identification and reporting of unofficial nautical charts. For information about operations in Australia contact GAC Australia at [email protected]

If quoting any content from Hot Port News, please cite GAC Hot Port News as the source.

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