Realized you can make your chart easier to see, with less clutter? And what can simple office tools do to prevent eye strain, make browsing safer, and working with charts easier? Use these simple steps for safer sailing anywhere in the world.
Use “bright and bold” highlights to bring out vital chart symbols.
Learn the exact locations of the perfect anchor points before you get there.
Identify reliable depths versus unreliable depths on your chart or plotter.
Tools you will need:
* Pencils
*Direction measuring instrument (parallel rulers, Weems plotter).
* Yellow, orange and blue highlighters.
*Blue, green, magenta colored pencils.
*Fine tip marker.
*Scotch magic tape (permanent or removable).
Scan, mark and protect your expensive graphics
Master mariners always use a step-by-step process to chart their shipping lanes, scanning along the shipping lane for hazards, and marking the most important locations such as shoals, wrecks, emergency anchorages, and important aids. navigation that affect your navigation safety.
Follow these seven easy steps in the order shown each time you chart a course for a day sail, cruise, or long-distance voyage. It will keep you safe and give you the confidence that you can see “at a glance” what is coming.
1. Use parallel rulers or Weemsplotter. Trace each course along your navigation route with light pressure with your stylus. Use light lines in this step. That way, if you need to erase, you can do it effortlessly or mess up the chart.
2. Scan along each line of the navigation course to ensure that the course does not cross over dangerous shoals or shallow depths. If you do, delete that leg and change it to a safer ride or split it into two rides to avoid the hazard.
3. Use brightly colored highlighters or colored pencils to make dangerous wrecks or important navigational aids (buoys, lights, or landmarks) near the course.
4. Look for pockets of deep water off the course line where you can anchor to rest or in an emergency. Make the depth contours of the shoal stand out by tracing them with a dark blue pencil (or similar marker).
5. Stay in water at least twice your draft depth. Coastal charts often show water depth contour lines in six foot increments beginning at 30 feet. That means the next depth contour would be 24 feet, then 18 feet, 12 feet, and 6 feet. Mark the outermost depth contour that is equal to at least 2 times your maximum draft.
Example:
If your draft is 5 feet, you should mark the 12-foot (or more) contour curve. Set the alarm on your depth sounder, GPS, or chartplotter to go off at that depth. This gives you time to turn the boat into deeper water.
6. Recheck each course for hazards. Double check each plotted course to make sure the marked direction matches the direction indicated by your plotting tool. When you are satisfied, go to the final step.
7. Run a piece of tape over the top of each of the light penciled travel lines. Run your fingers over it a few times to make sure it sticks to the chart surface. Lay a straight edge on top of the tape and darken on each row line with the felt tip marker. This makes your courses stand out in any weather or light condition.
Use your pencil to write the course in magnet degrees at the top and the length of the course leg at the bottom of the line. When you label, write on the tape. This protects the paper chart and the tape surface can be written on and erased as needed.
- Sailing Advice from Captain John: How do you remove the tape when you are done with the cruise? Use one of these two quick methods. Scotch manufactures a brand of ‘removable magic tape’. It’s not that sticky but it works well on a dry surface. Or heat the edge of a dull kitchen knife with a lighter. Run the knife along the length of the tape, stripping as you go. Keep knife edge hot for best results.
Beware of irregular polls!
Chart plotters fall far short of nautical charts when it comes to detailed soundings. Its small screen forces manufacturers to sacrifice details to keep the screen clear. This reason alone should be enough to convince any prudent skipper to carry charts.
Scan your chart for signs of inconsistent or scattered polling. Large gaps between soundings warn that this area has not been studied well enough for safe navigation. Stay away from areas with irregular and inconsistent soundings to avoid landing on or colliding with an unknown underwater obstruction.
Debris areas (also called fish shelters or debris banks) are where debris such as trash, old cars and trucks, and construction material is dumped. These depths change all the time, so they will never show up. Stay away to stay safe!
Now you know the quick and easy way to set up your chart for safe sailing and save you time and effort once you’re out sailing.
