b'FOGHORN FOCUSThe Meaning and Implications of NOAAs Decision to DISCONTINUE PAPER CHARTSWITH STEVE SOHERR // NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA)I n 2019, NOAA announced that it wouldPeople often ask why traditional paper chartsdecision to end production of paper charts was systematicallydiscontinuethesuiteofarebeingcancelled?Thisisafairquestionnot one that NOAA took lightly or without approximately 1000 traditional paper chartsa great deal of planning. Discussions with the and the digital versions of them known as rasterU.S. Coast Guard took place prior to the 2019 navigational charts (RNC). This process beganThe decision wasannouncement,andcoordinationbetween withthecancellationofchart18665(Lakemade to concentrateNOAA, the Coast Guard, and other federal Tahoe) on August 26, 2021, and cancellationagencies is ongoing. The bottom line is that ofalltraditionalpapernauticalchartsiseff orts on creatingas the demand for more accurate and timely scheduled for completion by January of 2025.a more robust,electronicnavigationalchart(ENC)data Discontinuation of additional groups of chartsgrows, the resources available to produce ENCabout 20 to 30 per monthwill be announcedaccurate, and timelyand RNC chart suites remain the same. Rather viatheU.S.CoastGuardsLocalNoticetothan struggling to maintain two product lines, Mariners publication a full six months prior toset of ENCs as ourthe decision was made to concentrate eff orts each charts cancellation. The public can see aprimary product. on creating a more robust, accurate, and timely listing of charts which are pending cancellationsetofENCsasourprimaryproduct.This by visiting this site. A number of charts areapproach ensures that mariners are using the currently listed for cancellation in the Alaskagiven that NOAA has been producing thesemost up-to-date information available.and Great Lakes regions. traditional paper charts for over 170 years. The As part of that eff ort, NOAA is changing or re-scheming the layout of ENCs into a more orderly gridded format. Many new, larger scale ENCs are being created to provide mariners Is Your Fleet with more detail. A number of these ENCs are Running You Ragged? complete and currently available. The entire re-schemingprojectisanticipatedtotake TripLogger Can Help.many years to complete, but users can track the Enable your operators to track essential dataprogress of this eff ort and see which areas are in for your passenger vessel or entire fleet withwork and completed by visiting this site. More ease. With TripLogger, your team can trackinformation about the re-scheming eff ort can important passenger data along with captainbe also be found here.and voyage details with a few simple taps. Easily compile accurate daily trip reports forONCE A CHART IS CANCELLED, your fleet that are automatically uploaded andHOW WILL I BE ABLE TO GET A managed in a secure company dashboard.PAPER COPY?WhenNOAAissuedtheoriginal2019 Is your fleet running you, or are youannouncementregardingtheplanned running your fleet?discontinuation of raster charts, we received Take control with gplinks TripLogger app for iPad. feedbackfromanumberofmarinerswho expressed their reluctance to part with paper TripL gger powered by particularlyasabackupoptionshould Custom Apps for Passenger Vessel Fleets electronicsfail.Theyfeltthattheplanto endproductionoftraditionalchartsmeant gplink.com/tl+1 252.504.5113FOGHORN FOCUS: MARINE PROPULSION 8 FOGHORN'