Chart Room

Chart and Pilot book stock (MUST NOT BE TAKEN AWAY!)

Copies of the area/numerical index to the 600 or so charts are (1) in a blue folder on the map chest, (2) in each drawer of the chest, (3) accessed by clicking the appropriate area shown in red on the right hand side of this page. Copies of the area/title index of Pilot books are (1) laminated and hanging from the shelf by those books and (2) can be seen by clicking on the red words" Pilot Book List" on the right hand side of this page. It should therefore be easy for members to find AND REPLACE charts and books in the correct position, please. PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE ANY CHARTS OR BOOKS, THEY ARE FOR REFERENCE ONLY.

CHARTS ARE ONLY UPDATED TO THE DATE SHOWN ON THE INDEX, SIMILARLY PILOT BOOKS ONLY TO DATE OF PUBLICATION.

Chart and Pilot book age

The chart and Pilot book philosophy is to provide large area charts for initial cruise area selection, smaller scale charts for closer examination of the proposed cruising area and detailed electronic charts, Pilot books and the Reed's Almanac for final planning.

Thus, we stock recent (either latest edition or one no more than 5 years old) Admiralty Passage Planning Charts covering all UK and Irish coasts, the current year's Reed's Atlantic European Almanac, current or recent editions (generally no more than 5 years old) of UK and Irish Pilot books and 2009 electronic charts (which zoom down to marina level). For "home" waters, ie Scillies to North Foreland (drawer 1) and France North and West coasts inc Channel Islands (drawer 2), the stock of charts other than large scale port plans (which are being withdrawn as they reach 20 years) will be maintained at less than 5 years old or the latest edition. If using these you should refer to Reed's or the online UKHO "Searchable Notices to Small craft" for the latest information on hazards, harbours, marks and lights, chart corrections, etc.

We also have a large number of smaller scale charts covering other parts of the UK and Atlantic Europe, parts of the Western Med, Caribbean, North American coast, Pacific and Indian Oceans, which are being withdrawn as they reach 20 years old. If any member thinks that a particular publication or chart would be of use to the Club, please contact me or the Captain of Cruising (click Contacts blue button on left hand of this page). If it is agreed to be of benefit to members and the budget allows, we will purchase it.

Nautical books and journals

A list of the 300 or so books and journals on the shelves can be seen by clicking on the red words, "Other books", on the right hand side of this page. At the head of the list is a description of the 11 categories by which they have been grouped. As well as books on Cruising and Maintenance, there are many on yacht racing, dinghy racing and history of classic boats, Races and Clubs.

Members' Cruising logs

A list of the logs on the shelves by year, area covered and authors can be seen by clicking on the blue button "Cruising Logs Library", on the left hand side further up this page.

Electronic charts and the computer

The 2009 world-wide catalogue set of Navionics charts, kindly provided by Berthon Boat Company (contact David Dunlop 01590 671252 if you wish to buy), is available on the Chartroom PC. To use these charts, please visit the office (via Reception, or out of hours when the Bar is quiet, via the Steward) to obtain the DVD box, brief instructions are on the box (NOTE different password) and additional information is on a laminated sheet near the computer. The PC does not have the specialised software of a chartplotter, so functions such as changing scale are not as slick, but the navigational information you need to plan a cruise is all there.

Please note that now we have these more easily updated electronic charts, we have ceased correcting all paper charts.

Instructions on how to start up and utilise the computer are included on the laminated sheet nearby.

 

NEW ADDITIONS

Pilot books and charts

Latest editions ( December 2011) of RCC Atlantic Islands, Atlantic Spain, Adlard's Atlantic Pilot Atlas, ICC West Coast of Ireland, plus Imray Adriatic Pilot, Greek Waters Pilot, Ionian, Italian Waters Pilot and the Turkish Waters and Cyprus Pilot .

The 2012 edition of Imray's Adriatic Pilot arrived in March 2012.

 

Other nautical books

In March various illustrated histories, such as Lavery's The Ship of the Line (2 volumes) and Bob Fisher's The Great Yacht Races, were donated. In April we have been given 20 or so narratives of notable cruising and ocean racing achievements and histories of marine sailing craft.

PETER LOWE