A short PowerPoint Introduction to Marine Charts showing different scales and explains some basic information that is found on a chart and a few hints on what to look for on a chart and points out some often overlooked tidbits that will help make your boating safer.
Related Articles:
- U.S. Aids to Navigation – An introduction to U.S. Aids to Navigation System with pictures showing the Aids to Navigation (ATON’s) and how the ATON is shown on the chart. The ATON’s and charts are from the Seattle and Puget Sound area.
- Quick Overview of Marine Charts
Thanks for your interest in Boating Safety.
– c / m –
Boating Safety Tips, Tricks & Thoughts from Captnmike 
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Hey captain: I followed you from the aid you gave me. I’m going to keep visiting your site. It’s like a dynamic Chapman’s. I have an OUPV license. From 99 to 06 I ran fishing charters, boat rides, and ecological tours on Long Island Sound out of Milford, CT.
I run a 22’3″ Boston Whaler center council. It was built for the navy, with the intended purpose of being dropped from a helicopter carrying two fifty millimeter machine guns. Whaler forgot to add the helicopter lifting eyes…Many days on the Sound I wished she had weapons aboard! I hope to get my chartering up and running again. I live in Oklahoma. I sure miss that salt air and lively water.
Thanks again for your help. Joe
Thanks for the good words on my site
Glad I could help you with your site in the help forum.
Those military build Boston Whalers are awesome – a friend took his 25 ft center console around Vancouver Island a couple of times – sort of a can we get around in less than 24 hours – the first time they went around the island in just under 24 hours, the second time was I think 16 hours the second time, records both times – yes WFO the full way. Great logistics, one refuel stop at the north end of the island.
Vancouver Island? That’s serious water. You’re not talking about a simple boat ride. I heard people up there don’t wear lifejackets. They say the water is so cold you die of hypothermia before you can drown. The currents will tie you in knots, and don’t forget the boulders. And don’t get caught in the passage with an incoming tide. I’d definitely be following a local if I ever made it up there, and that would be at slack tide.
I just stumbled onto this pipeline, glad I did. Hope I can find my way back. I’ll be back for sure to study some of your posts. Great stuff!
The water in Puget Sound is about 50 degrees F year around. Without flotation you have about 10 minutes survival time, so the return to pick you up needs to be quite precise, with flotation the 50% survival time (50% of the people in the water will be dead and 50% will wish they were dead) is around an hour. See the videos at the link below, they put people in cold water, including trained Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers, the results might suprise you.
See the information at the link below for more information on cold water:
https://captnmike.com/2009/05/05/hypothermia-cold-water-bootcamp/