Question About Charts

[Chromaflage]

What kind of nautical charts do most of you use? Where's the best place to get them? If I remember correctly, the store in the Portland State Office Building carries lots of maps, but I'm wondering if they also have charts and chart software.

Another question - anyone use the NOAA chart downloads from MapTech? If so, what to you use for a chart reader?

Thanks,

CrF

[Boatdog]

Here's a link to the Online Nav Charts thread from a while back. Good info here!

Online Nav Charts

[Flush Release]

http://www.noaa.gov/charts.html

[O Tshawytcha]

Maptech's website has them. They also have a free program called chart navigator. This lets you print out the NOAA Charts in indexed packets. If you want I also have the NOAA charts on a couple of CDs. Let me know if you want copies.


Also depending on where you are fishing NOAA has some charts with really good bottom detail. The ones I have seen are mainly for Washington waters (Ilwaco, Neah, etc...)Google "NOAA fishing charts". Unfortunately these seem to be in a strange formnat and very large. IU have yet to figure out how to use them.

I'm sure others will chime in.

GRIFF

P.S. If I don't write back in a while its cause I'm in the mountains in Idaho!!

[flapbreaker]

Locally you can get some from boatersworld.

[D-tangle]

Kerry, I get mine from OceanGrafix, but it seems they all use the same source:NOAA.Gov.charts. I get the waterproof bathymetric charts (shows the bottom contours), break out the plotter and cup o'coffee and have a blast guessing at where to fish next. Take down all the long and lat numbers. Fun.

[JerryG]

To view these download the viewer from the NOAA site. It is from Lizard Tech and called the MrSid viewer.

JerryG

[Chesapeake]

Boaters World in Delta Park is where I got mine. Just across the parking lot is Staples. They can laminate them if you cut them in half.