RE: [Paddlewise] Charts

Steve wrote
>Neat charts, but you'd better know where you're going. I searched for 
>Capers Island and it told me it was at St Helena, SC and stuck a marker 
>on the south end of Pritchards Island, SC, a mere 11 islands down the 
>coast from Capers.

G'Day Steve,

'Google Earth Five', which combines ocean depth measurements with land based
topological data, seems a useful option. The charts I've seen in Australia
have sparse if any land based topological data by comparison. 

With Google Earth Five the ocean depth data looks sensible from about a
kilometre offshore. Closer to land than about a kilometre the readings are
erratic, often showing values above sea level. However, within a kilometre
of the shore reefs and bommies are quite visible on the image. Occasionally
that's useful as I've once or twice seen a bommie on Google Earth that
wasn't visible when kayaking. 

Unfortunately Google Earth 5 doesn't label beacons and lighthouses - I
wonder if that's a legal constraint?

All the best, PeterO
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