I have used regular charts, folded once and laminated, on my buddy's sailboat. Not too bad, a bit bulky for the kayak, but foldable once laminated. I have also tried to use the "strip charts" which are the only current, large scale charts for the Sunshine Coast area of BC. These are "presliced" into 11x17 chunks, with a bit of overlap. There are no compass roses on them, and lines of latitude only every 5 miles or so, no smaller graduations. The north orientation is such as to provide the best use of the paper, so they vary in angle all over the place. Maybe OK for someone in a fast powerboat in good weather, but very frustrating for someone used to a "real" chart, and navigating the old fashioned way. It is almost impossible to estimate distances with these charts, without dividers to step off the distance from the scale provided. In a small boat or kayak, very hard to use. I am used to being able to "eyeball" a distance over to the edge of the chart, and get within 10%. For better accuracy, I use my hand to measure the distance. As for topo sheets, forget using them in Canada. They are so out of date as to be hilarious. For example, the topo sheet of Prince Rupert shows Ridley Island as still being an island. In fact, a coal port and grain terminal was built, and a massive rail yard put where the channel was filled in, over 20 years ago! The chart, on the other hand, even shows the biggish rocks that you have to walk your kayak around if you use the put-in next to the grain terminal. Rob. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Jim said; > I was lucky enough to get Dave's cut up charts for Gwaii Haanas and they > were a delight to work with. I wouldn't hesitate to do the same to > charts in the future, it makes them really easy to use during the voyage. Jim and Dave, just curious.... When you are cutting up charts, are you being sure to cut large enough to keep at least one Rose on the page, or are you putting a new one on (some marine stores sell compass roses with a sticky back for placing on charts). Also, what about all the Long and Lat markings?" In other words, are you cutting and pasting to make a mini chart, or are you just cutting the sections you need and not worrying about the actual navigational stuff on the chart? I've got some charts that are 3/4 open water for power boaters that I'll never use unless I want to paddle 25 miles out into open ocean, turn around and paddle back (not likely), and I'm thinking that it would in fact be nice to cut all that extraneous (for my uses) stuff out. I generally find myself spending $20 per chart and using 1/10 or less of it. I'm going to have to try some of this cutting, scanning, laminating stuff next year. Rick *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 10:10:31 -0500, Rick.Sylvia_at_ferguson.com said: When you are cutting up charts, are you being sure to cut large enough to keep at least one Rose on the page, or are you putting a new one on or are you just cutting the sections you need and not worrying about the actual navigational stuff on the chart? Dave had drawn lat. and long.lines on the charts before cutting them up [I think]. What I did was put them back together on the floor at home and put marks to make it easy to re-assemble the whole chart. Things like an arrow with an "A" on one piece lining up with an arrow and another "A" on the adjoining piece and so on. Then, each morning, any navigational info was written into a log or put into a GPS, things like target campsites or lunch stops, reading from the whole chart. When underway, only the segments were needed. It was no problem at all. I never missed the roses, even when I stopped to smell the flowers. [attempt at compass rose humor] Jim Tibensky *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> Jim and Dave, just curious.... When you are cutting up charts, are you > being sure to cut large enough to keep at least one Rose on the page, or > are you putting a new one on (some marine stores sell compass roses with > a sticky back for placing on charts). Also, what about all the Long and > Lat markings?" > > In other words, are you cutting and pasting to make a mini chart, or are > you just cutting the sections you need and not worrying about the actual > navigational stuff on the chart? > I have not been to Gwai Haanas, but this park is a chain of islands along the east coast of "mainland", which actually is a much larger island. So mostly you need contours of islands and "mainland" shoreline. Topo-map should work just nice in this area. Same goes for most of Baja east coast - no need to use a marine chart (unless you are a power boater or a big yacht and want to cross the Sea of Cortez to mainland Mexico). And of course (I think I've mentioned that) - latitude-longitude scales can (and should) be pasted over when you cut topos. If you don't have a scanner, just make an extra copy and use scissors, glue and right-angle ruler from school suppiles store :-) - and then copy this copy. B/W copies can be better (more contrast) then colour ones. Alex. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Rick.Sylvia_at_ferguson.com> wrote: >> Jim and Dave, just curious.... When you are cutting up charts, are you being sure to cut large enough to keep at least one Rose on the page, or are you putting a new one on (some marine stores sell compass roses with a sticky back for placing on charts). Also, what about all the Long and Lat markings?" >> I ruled them with lines parallel to magnetic north, separated by about 3 cm, and labeled the edges with major lat/lon marks ... and put a nautical mile somewhere on them along with the distance in mm for the nautical mile. When I made those charts back in 1996/1998, GPS was not in my future (is now), so I was not expecting to use precise waypoints. The parallel lines of mag. north were used with a large Weems/Plath protractor/triangle to pull bearings and ranges off the charts (or put 'em on in camp). The protractor had a millimeter scale for estimating distance from the nauty mile on the chart. Works slick on a rockin' and rollin' deck and with a deck compass about all I ever needed for the kind of navigation I did then. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Alex and at least one other person have touted the advantages of topographical maps (as opposed to charts) in locating landmarks, etc. as an aid in defining ranges and making on-the-water decisions. I agree topos are massively superior for land features. However, pretty sure they all are aware of this, but charts for me provide a wealth of nautically-oriented info topos do not have: navaids; areas of sudden shoaling; and, springs current speeds and directions come to mind right away. I really need those, especially the navaids. On the Columbia River, not knowing where the shipping channel is could be a terminal experience. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 11/20/2003 4:49:24 PM Central Standard Time, kdruger_at_pacifier.com writes: > However, pretty sure they all are aware of this, but charts for me provide > a > wealth of nautically-oriented info topos do not have: navaids; areas of > sudden shoaling; and, springs current speeds and directions come to mind > right away. I really need those, especially the navaids. On the Columbia > River, not knowing where the shipping channel is could be a terminal > experience. > Try navigating at night in a familiar harbor with a topo. They are useful and I use them, but the charts are the first resource I go for when paddling an area. Rob G *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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