Seamanship and Navigation, January 2024

Windvane self-steering maintenance, Electronic Navigational Charts explained

Seamanship and Navigation, January 2024 Windvane self-steering maintenance By Bill Morris No matter how hard the wind blows, a windvane self-steering system is your vessel's round-the-clock helmsman. So it makes good sense to maintain the vane gear in top condition at all times. Performing the following procedures will keep your windvane steering system functioning properly with fewer hassles and will aid you in making major repairs in the unlikely event that something goes awry while under sail. > READ MORE Ocean Navigator January/February 2024 Click the cover to view the articles in the January/February issue of Ocean Navigator.  Related articles from Ocean Navigator archives Electronic Navigational Charts explained As has been long reported by this magazine and others, NOAA's on-going policy is to eliminate traditional paper charts. At the end of 2024, NOAA will no longer update traditional paper chart products. A type of electronic chart called the Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) will be the only official chart product available to recreational mariners. To buffer the transition to all-electronic charts, NOAA has created a new online app called NOAA Custom Charts (NCC) that mariners can use to make a backup paper chart of their own design based on the ENC. The app creates a PDF, which users print on their own. But this remains a significant change in charting and the more voyagers understand the ENC format, the better for their voyaging navigation. Based on this, David Burch of Starpath School of Navigation in Seattle has produced a new 49-page booklet explaining the ins and outs of this electronic chart standard, ENC Essentials, Getting Started with Electronic Navigational Charts. The booklet is loaded with in-depth detail on ENCs and how to use them. > READ MORE An old reliable wind vane Voyager Nat Warren-White, currently crossing the South Atlantic, from South Africa and en route to St. Helena, aboard his Montevideo 43 center cockpit cutter Bahati, sent this tidbit about the joys of a good wind vane autopilot and the troubles of another boat who didn't have one. > READ MORE Copyright © 2024 Maritime Publishing, All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Maritime Publishing Our mailing address is: Maritime Publishing 3980 Sherman Street San Diego, CA 92110 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.