Admiralty Charts for peanuts

[Bruce Peckett]

I've recently discovered a source of raster scans of almost all UK standard Admiralty charts for a very modest annual subscription of £25 per annum

www.visitmyharbour.com (http://www.visitmyharbour.com)

The site also has pilotage info on numerous UK harbours and other useful stuff

The scans are good quality and all of the UK coastline is covered - the only missing charts are some of the smaller scale South and East coast charts and some others in the same area have had to be partially blanked out due to problems getting permission from the relevant authorities (the UKHO doesn't have assignment rights on data supplied by other bodies so the site operators have had to negotiate with every single supplier of source material on a chart by chart basis - a mammoth task which makes the modest charge all the more surprising)

The charts can be zoomed and panned and even printed off although there is the inevitable "Not for navigation" disclaimer (then again, I've seen a £600 chart plotter at the London Boat Show that came up with a "Not for navigation" warning every time it was fired up - made you wonder what the **** it WAS for!!!!)

I'm finding it useful as a source of charts for navigation practice as well as a pleasant way to idle a few hours away pretending to cruise around the Western Isles of Scotland or wherever.

Whether this is of any interest to anybody else I don't know but though it worth a mention

TTFN
Bru

[Mike]

I've recently discovered a source of raster scans of almost all UK standard Admiralty charts for a very modest annual subscription of £25 per annum ... . Whether this is of any interest to anybody else I don't know but though it worth a mention.
Ha ha. :rofl: Thanks, Bru, I'm interested in seeing this but you haven't said where anyone can find it? And I wonder whether the Admiralty have agreed to copying of their charts by someone who is charging for access?

I have my doubts about this one, mate, from the legal point of view. Be careful you don't get involved in something less than proper.

[Bruce Peckett]

Drat! Silly me, I forgot to mention the important bit - the bl**dy web site in question's URL!

www.visitmyharbour.com (http://www.visitmyharbour.com)

I'm not involved with the site, other than as a customer but I've exchanged emails with the owner of the site and everything seems to be above board (apart from anything else, if it was dodgy there wouldn't be the missing bits due to rights issues)

ATB
Bru

[Mike]

Thanks for the link, mate. Enjoyed a quick preview of the charts. They seem to be good value for money. The only thing that leaves me in some confusion is that warning about not being used for navigation.

If the source material is indeed licensed by the UKHO, why can't the charts be used for navigation, I ask myself?

Still £25.00 a year is not much to pay when a single chart in hard copy is almost that.

Good one, Bru, and thanks again for bringing it to our attention. :approval:

[George Waite]

Mike
Have they lost accuracy of scale when scanned? this may account for the disclaimer.

[Mike]

George

Not too sure about that one. How would we know when looking at the chart on a PC?

It occurred to me after I posted my last message above that there may be a similarity with aviation approach charts and airfield maps in that the original sources, mainly Aerad and Jeppeson, provide a constant updating service which ensures you are right up to date when, for example, there is 'work in progress' that involves a 100 foot crane working at the approach end of a runway.

My best guess is that the disclaimer is based upon the fact that an annual payment of £25.00 does not ensure you are right up to date. Nonetheless, these charts seem ample by which to navigate in most circumstances. Big saving on having to keep a store of full size charts aboard.

[George Waite]

Mike
I am having trouble with this one, as far as I know unless you have a dedicated programme you cannot use an image on a PC screen to navigate from as you are unable to use the Deg Min Sec scale at the edge of the chart or the chart scale base at the bottom for an accurate reference. I am open to correction on this one as my own navigation is a little rusty having relied on modern aids for a few years now.

[Mike]

George

The sample chart I saw had three, well placed, compass roses on it. I agree that it would not be as precise as one might wish, that is to hold a plotter up to a PC screen, but then show me a navigation system other than INS or GPS that is, or even approaches, 100% accurate.

I frankly think I'd rather have a few charts in a waterproof sleeve and do it the old fashioned way. It may cost more but at least you can seriously play at being Captain Cook or perhaps Captain Hook, depending on your proclivity. ;)

[George Waite]

Mike
I agree with you on the subject of using traditional methods, that is why I am surprised that the latitude scale on the charts mentioned are not to verified scale. Accurate distance measure could prove difficult without this traditional facility. Commercial shipping has long been using artificial aids to navigation in the form of the old DECCA and LORAN systems and more recently the ARPER radar assisted system. I had occasion to use this system on a ship delivery a few years ago and travelling throught the straits of Dover at 02.00hrs was made a hell of a lot less fraught.