Page 31: of Marine News Magazine (July 2021)

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Feature

Navigation

A quartermaster takes a sun sighting from the navigation bridge of the USS Alaska (CB-1) in 1945. navigational information via the internet on an as-needed basis, versus keeping a publication or extract on board.”

The USCG writes of “encouraging the use of electronic voyage planning products.”

Since 2019, the sunsetting process has made signi? cant strides across a number of fronts. In April and May the

Agency held two webinars to explain and update the e- chart process. Earlier, in February, it announced the end of work on its ? rst paper chart, for Lake Tahoe, paper chart 18665. That means that starting in August, an electronic navigational chart will be the only NOAA nautical chart of the area. The noti? cation about Lake Tahoe was included in the USCG’s Local Notice to Mariners (LNM). Going forward, that’s the venue that will be used for future end- of-paper announcements.

NOAA does not have a speci? c schedule or set of criteria for how it will progress with the sunset. Rather, changes will proceed when certain conditions develop. These include: • Availability of new, larger-scale, reschemed ENC coverage; • New depth or shoreline data; • Low chart sales; and, (USCG) makes the rules. Is the Coast Guard on board • Some regional cancellations, especially if all or with NOAA’s e-chart initiative? most of a particular chart’s adjoining,

To a large extent, yes. In May 2020, the USCG issued a similar-scale chart coverage is canceled.

Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC, No. 01- Again, to stay current on sunsetting, watch Local No- 16 (CH-2)) updating its “use of electronic charts and pub- tices. Plus, NOAA’s website has a List of Latest Editions lications in lieu of paper charts, maps and publications.” webpage tracking map and chart sunsets.

The NVIC states that, because of technology advance- NOAA’s transition plan was to incorporate stakehold- ments, “the Coast Guard now considers most electronic er comments and concerns which would help guide the devices to be capable of meeting the ‘ready reference’ sunsetting process. What did people say to NOAA? That’s timeframe by which a ready-reference paper version on hard to tell directly because NOAA did not make this a board a vessel would be available.” The NVIC states fur- public docket.

ther that “the Coast Guard sees no signi? cant safety bar- “We wanted responders to be candid and forthright with riers preventing vessels from accessing voyage planning their feedback and posting them publicly would discour- www.marinelink.com MN 31|