Print On Demand Navigational Charts Coast Pilot® Electronic Navigational Chart Dates of Latest Edition Raster Nautical Charts

In response: Our January/February '99 issued carried an opinion piece by Dr. Joseph Carnevali of Navionics concerning an agreement between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Maptech. The article was entitled "NOAA and Electronic Charts: Market or Monopoly." Below, a NOAA official explains the agency's novel public/private partnership

The nautical chart is the fundamental tool of marine navigation. It depicts water depths, aids to navigation, obstructions, traffic control schemes and other information critical to the safe and efficient use of the nation's waterways, and to the protection of our marine environment.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) is charged by law to produce the national suite of nautical charts. This responsibility comes from the irreplaceable role that marine transportation plays in the nation's interstate and foreign commerce. Ninety-eight percent (by weight) of the United States' foreign commerce travels by ship ($1/2 trillion of cargoes annually). Fifty percent of those cargoes are oil or other hazardous substances. Thee is a roughly comparable amount of domestic shipping. The nautical chart is an indispensable part of this marine transportation infrastructure.

NOAA compiles the official nautical charts for the U.S. Carriage of these charts is mandatory for some vessels such as those high value, high risk ships carrying our foreign and interstate commerce. Requiring carriage of the official chart helps to insure that those mariners have the best available information and helps to insure that vessels sharing our restricted waterways are making critical navigation decisions based on the same information. Mariners may carry whatever additional charts, publications and navigation tools they find useful.

The Emergence of Electronic Navigation
The appearance of inexpensive computers and the Global Positioning System has allowed sophisticated electronic navigation systems to emerge. This technology is revolutionizing marine navigation and is providing the greatest advance in navigation safety since radar.

NOAA's responsibility for charting continues to apply in this electronic age. To meet this responsibility, NOAA has been deeply involved in developing electronic charts, systems and standards since the early 1980's. Results from this work include the International Maritime Organization's standards for Electronic Chart Display and Information systems (ECDIS) and the International Hydrographic Organization's standards for Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) plus recently adopted standards for Raster Chart Display Systems (RCDS) and Raster Nautical Charts (RNCs). Another result has been a national suite of raster nautical chats and, in early 1999, vector charts that meet the standards for ENCs but which are not merely copies of the paper chart.

"The CRADA (cooperative research and development agreement) was selected as the method which offered the greatest flexibility to respond to rapidly evolving needs at the lowest risk and cost to the taxpayer."

The RNCs and ENCs, which are produced by NOAA collaboratively with the private sector, will serve as the official charts that may be carried in place of paper charts. This "official" status applies to the regulated vessels for whom chart carriage is mandatory -- a market estimated at 1% of the potential market for electronic charts. The 99% of the market that is unregulated may use any public or private product which meets their needs.

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