Specifications
44 45
TheseAidsareusedtomarkfairways,mid-channels,andoffshore
approachpointsTheyhaveunobstructedwateronallsidesAbuoy,
lightedorunlighted,mayshowaredtopmarkAnappropriatenautical
chartmustbeconsultedtodetermineexactposition
Oneofthemostimportanttoolsforsafelynavigatingwaterwaysisa
NauticalChartToday,manyrecreationalboatersuseGPSreceivers
andperformelectronicwaypointnavigationAlthoughaGPScantellyou
whereyouareintermsoflatitudeandlongitude,itcannotshowwhatis
aroundorbeneaththeboat,orwhatobstaclesmaybeintheway
Nauticalchartsshowthenatureandshapeofthecoast,includingwater
depths,marinehazards,generalconfigurationandcharacterofthe
bottom,andAidstoNavigation,aswellasprominentlandmarks,port
facilities,andotherrelevantinformationChangesbroughtaboutby
peopleandnaturerequirethatnauticalchartsbeconstantlymaintained
andupdatedtoaidsafenavigation
Tomeettheneedsoftheboatingpublic,theNationalOceanicand
AtmosphericAdministration’sNationalOceanService(NOS)producesa
varietyofnauticalchartsandrelatedproductsNauticalchartscanvaryin
scaleandformatChartscalereferstoameasurementofanarea,notthe
distanceAchartcoveringarelativelylargeareaiscalleda“smallscale”
chart;a“largescale”chartwillcoverarelativelysmallareaandshow
muchgreaterdetailHavingthemostcurrentchartisimportantThatis
whythepublicationdateiscriticalStormsandwaveactioncanalterthe
coastline,soonlyup-to-datechartsshouldbeusedfornavigationFor
allnavigation,boatoperatorsshouldalsousethechartthatprovidesthe
levelofdetailneeded
NOSnauticalchartsmaybepurchaseddirectlybymailfromtheNOS
DistributionBranchorthroughanauthorizedagentTherearemore
than1,700nauticalchartagentsthatsellNOSchartsUsetheaddress
andcontactnumbersbelowtoobtainalistofagentsnearyouorto
requestafreecatalog:
DistributionDivision,AJW-3550
10201GoodLuckRoad
Glendale,MD20769-9700
Tel:(301)436-8301or(800)638-8972
Fax:(301)436-6829
E-mail:9-AMC-chartsales@faagov
Website:wwwnacofaagov/ecomp
Updatedchartinformationcanbeobtainedfrom“LocalNoticeto
Mariners,”updatedweeklybytheUSCoastGuardandavailable
onlineatwwwnavcenuscggov/lnm/defaulthtm
N
G
A
N
N
RW“N”
Unlighted
withorw/o
sound
N
G
A
N
N
MR
RW“A”
N
G
A
N
N
Spherical
SP“G”
N
G
A
N
N
Can
RW“N”
N
G
A
N
N
RW“N”
Mo(A)
Lighted
withorw/o
sound
Characteristics
• Whiteandredverticalstripes
• Avarietyofshapes
• Maybelettered
• Buoymayhaveredtopmark
• Iflit:
(MorseCode“A”)