March 2021
Paper Charts are Here to Stay
Even as NOAA has announced that it plans to transition exclusively to electronic nautical charts, we want to assure you that paper charts are here to stay!
 
Specifically, paper charts will still be available from OceanGrafix, but the data for those charts will now come from the ENC database, resulting in a slightly different look and feel. OceanGrafix believes this is a positive change and looks forward to continuing to provide its customers with the most up-to-date nautical charts from NOAA and its many other cartography sources.
A side effect of COVID-19 has been an increase in the popularity of outdoor activities such as biking, golfing, and boating. People across the globe are spending more time
outdoors—and on the water. 

And while the pandemic has resulted in many in-person boating classes being put on hold, the Coast Guard Auxiliary does offer online boat safety courses—available to new and seasoned boaters alike.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary also suggests all boaters should:


  • Carry life jackets, a fire extinguisher, and a first aid kit

  • Know that boating laws change from state to state

  • Know that kayaks, paddleboards, and jet skis have to follow boating guidelines
Safety at Sea
Need to know when the tide will be coming in? You can get daily high and low water predictions for more than 100 reference ports and 3,000 subordinate stations in the 2021 edition of Tide Tables and Tidal Current Tables.

These publications, published by OceanGrafix, cover the East and Gulf Coasts of the United States as well as the Bahamas and Caribbean Islands and the West Coast of the United States, including the Hawaiian Islands and U.S. Territories in the Pacific.