{"id":3282,"date":"2024-12-06T16:27:53","date_gmt":"2024-12-06T16:27:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aquilayachting.com\/news\/?p=3282"},"modified":"2024-12-06T18:05:30","modified_gmt":"2024-12-06T18:05:30","slug":"decrypt-marine-maps-complete-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aquilayachting.com\/news\/decrypt-marine-maps-complete-guide\/?lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Deciphering nautical charts: a complete guide for sailors"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Deciphering nautical charts: \na complete guide for navigators<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Nautical charts are indispensable tools for all types of navigation, whether professional or leisure. <\/strong><\/p>\n

They contain a wealth of information essential to safety at sea.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But how do you read and interpret them? <\/strong><\/h6>\n

This article offers you a complete guide to deciphering the codes and symbols on nautical charts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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shom<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Nautical charts: an overview<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Nautical charts are graphic representations of bodies of water, providing precise information on depths, underwater hazards, waterways and coastlines.<\/p>\n

In France, the SHOM<\/strong> (Service Hydrographique et Oc\u00e9anographique de la Marine)<\/a><\/span> is the reference organization for the production of these charts.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Chart references<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Whether for locating a boat, planning a route, assessing depths, identifying hazards, knowing tides and currents or finding your way around the coast, chart references are a universal language for sailors.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Altitude <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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France’s general levelling datum, defined by IGN.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Depth<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Chart datum, corresponding to the water level at the lowest possible tide.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Contact<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The WGS 84 system, used by GPS.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The symbols<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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They represent various elements such as hazards, restricted areas, ports, etc.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Highlights<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Lighthouses, buoys, beacons, landmarks, etc., that serve as visual landmarks<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Isobathic lines<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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These lines connect points of the same depth, making it possible to visualize underwater relief.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Ladders<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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They indicate the relationship between the distance on the map and the actual distance in the field.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Colors and their meanings<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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White<\/strong>:<\/span> Deep depths.<\/p>\n

Blue :<\/strong> <\/span>Shallow depths (0 to 10 m). The darker the blue, the less water. <\/p>\n

Green :<\/strong><\/span> Foreshore (strip of coast covered at high tide and uncovered at low tide)<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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B<\/strong>istre :<\/strong><\/span>Emerging land.<\/p>\n

Rose :<\/strong><\/span> Lighthouses, underwater cables, restricted areas.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Levels, probes and isobaths\n<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Numbers on a nautical chart indicate depths and altitudes.<\/p>\n

It’s essential to distinguish between water-covered probes and rocks uncovered at low tide.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Isobaths are lines connecting points of the same depth.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Figures on nautical charts<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A tilted figure<\/strong> indicates the depth of the water, even when the sea is at its lowest.<\/p>\n

For example, a \u00ab\u00a09\u00a0\u00bb means 9 meters deep.<\/p>\n

If the figure is underlined,<\/strong> it means a rock protruding from the water when the sea is low.<\/p>\n

And if the number is in brackets,<\/strong> it’s just to make the map easier to see, as the exact point isn’t quite where the number is written.<\/p>\n

The brown numbers indicate the height of a mountain or hill on the earth.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Abbreviations and letters<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Abbreviations:<\/strong> ed<\/strong> (doubtful existence), sd<\/strong> (doubtful probe), Rep<\/strong> (report).<\/p>\n

Capital letters:<\/strong> Type of bottom(S:<\/strong> sand, R:<\/strong> rock, M:<\/strong> mud, etc.).<\/p>\n

Lower-case letters:<\/strong> Background quality(so:<\/strong> soft, f:<\/strong> thin, h:<\/strong> hard, etc.).<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Electronic nautical charts<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Hydrographic services now offer more practical, interactive electronic charts.<\/p>\n

Electronic nautical charts are revolutionizing navigation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

More practical and interactive than paper maps, they offer many advantages:<\/p>\n

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  • Customization:<\/strong> Customized display of information (buoys, hazards, etc.)<\/li>\n
  • Real-time<\/strong> updates: weather information, marine traffic, etc.<\/li>\n
  • Complex calculations:<\/strong> route planning, tidal simulations.<\/li>\n
  • Integration:<\/strong> Compatible with other navigation systems (radar, sonar).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Deciphering nautical charts: a complete guide for navigators Nautical charts are indispensable tools for all types of navigation, whether professional or leisure. They contain a wealth of information essential to safety at sea. But how do you read and interpret them? This article offers you a complete guide to deciphering the codes and symbols on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2860,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-yachting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aquilayachting.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aquilayachting.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aquilayachting.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aquilayachting.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aquilayachting.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3282"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.aquilayachting.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3282\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3307,"href":"https:\/\/www.aquilayachting.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3282\/revisions\/3307"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aquilayachting.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aquilayachting.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aquilayachting.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aquilayachting.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}