For those who like nautical charts...

[Alan Sweet]

Come April 1, 2014 the NOAA will stop printing and selling up to date nautical charts.
For many of us that like to sail, these charts will be sadly missed,
but evidently cost priorities in Washington are set and these charts will be going away.

However, if anyone wants to get any of the charts before they are no longer available,
go to NOAA site (http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/paperchart.html) and you can order them.
They are 2 x 4 feet and I like them for artistic value. They are no more than $20 a piece. Some historical maps are also available.

I personally own about 40 such charts and have framed 3 for myself. I have also framed and given as presents 3 other charts.


Alan

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

I heard about this. I wonder if the printing presses are being redeployed to make "Attraction closed" signs. :)

Seriously....the information is so widely available, maybe it makes sense to just bow out gracefully.

[Shawn Pixley]

The nostalgist in me is sorry to see them go. They are beautiful. GPS makes things so much easier. Still learning old school navigation has made life much easier when the satellites have been fogged out in Alaska and Washington rendering the GPS a paper weight.

[Brian Elfert]

Can these charts also be downloaded electronically to your tablet, laptop, or other electronic device? If so, that would seem to be a good backup to GPS.

If it costs government more money to print the charts than they can sell them for AND there is an alternate source for the data then they should quit selling the charts as they are doing.