USCG Allows Electronic Charts

Electrical and electronic topics for small boats
jimh
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USCG Allows Electronic Charts

Postby jimh » Mon Feb 08, 2016 2:13 pm

The Coast Guard of the United State of America (USCG) has published guidance on the use of electronic chart to fulfill the legal requirement for carrying charts when navigating in U.S. waters. The official document is titled "NAVIGATION AND VESSEL INSPECTION CIRCULAR NO. 01-16" and has the subject "USE OF ELECTRONICS CHARTS AND PUBLICATIONS IN LIEU OF PAPER CHARTS, MAPS, AND PUBLICATIONS." You can read the official document at:

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvic/pdf/201 ... ations.pdf

In an email from the USCG I received today, they state:

The new guidance applies to vessels subject to U.S. chart, or map, and publication carriage requirements codified in Titles 33 and 46 CFR and provides a voluntary alternative means to comply with those requirements.


The specific language of the federal regulations seems to appear at 33 CFR 164.33 - Charts and publications and says, in part:

§ 164.33 Charts and publications.
(a) Each vessel must have the following:
   (1) Marine charts of the area to be transited, published by the National Ocean Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or a river authority that:
      (i) Are of a large enough scale and have enough detail to make safe navigation of the area possible; and
      (ii) Are currently corrected.
   (2) For the area to be transited, a currently corrected copy of, or applicable currently corrected extract from, each of the following publications:
      (i) U.S. Coast Pilot.
      (ii) Coast Guard Light List.
   (3) For the area to be transited, the current edition of, or applicable current extract from:
      (i) Tide tables published by private entities using data provided by the National Ocean Service.
      (ii) Tidal current tables published by private entities using data provided by the National Ocean Service, or river current publication issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or a river authority.


I am not quite clear on the requirement for recreational small boats to carry approved charts. My first-take on this is based on the "Applicability" paragraph of 33 CFR 164.01, which says:

(a) This part (except as specifically limited by this section) applies to each self-propelled vessel of 1600 or more gross tons (except as provided in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, or for foreign vessels described in § 164.02) when it is operating in the navigable waters of the United States except the St. Lawrence Seaway.


and also says

(c) Provisions of §§ 164.11(a)(2) and (c), 164.30, 164.33, and 164.46 do not apply to warships or other vessels owned, leased, or operated by the United States Government and used only in government noncommercial service when these vessels are equipped with electronic navigation systems that have met the applicable agency regulations regarding navigation safety.


It looks like recreational boats were already exempt. Can anyone confirm or disagree?