Cooperative Charting

Get Involved

Don't go it alone. We are now forming Adopt-a-Chart teams lead by your cooperative charting chairman. Your team will begin with a small introduction course at your home or on your boat. We will survey our area together. When completed, your cooperative charting chairman will enter the NOAA report. It's easy, it's educational, and we will have fun. Please join in and help out.

By participating, you will:

• Promote Safe Boating
• A better understanding of nautical charts
• Improved safety for local mariners
• Hours towards your merit award
• Competition with other squadrons
• Volunteer to assist your boating community and the US Government

What is Cooperative Charting?

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) and the National Ocean Services (NOS) are branches within the Federal Government that are responsible for maintaining the charts that we use in navigating. We rely on the accuracy of these charts for safe passage especially in areas we are not familiar with. Maintaining the accuarcy of all the US Charts is a task that is beyond the governments means. The United States Power Squadron has entered an agreement with the NOS and NOAA to help identify errors and changes in the charts. The Jones Beach Power Squadron is active in reporting our observations to the NOAA. The civic service we provide helps the NOS and NOAA provide the chart accuarcy promoting safe boating.

How can you particpate?

Many of our members boat on Long Island's South Shore. Our familiarity of the geography and local aids to navigation uniquelly qualifying us in identifying discrepencies in our area. Just as we depend on other individuals to report changes to the NOAA in waters we are visiting, our services provide recipicating notifications for boaters visiting our local. Through the following activities, our members provide important updates to the NOAA:

• Small Craft Facilities Update
• Report noted chart errors and changes
• Adopt-a-Chart Program

Small Craft Facilities Update

The easiest way to get involved is to validate the Small Craft Facility description for your marina. It should take no more than an hour of your time. If you keep your boat an a marina, check the back of your local chart for the Facilities listing. Ask your marina to check the accuracy of the facilities. If there are any changes, report it. If there are no changes, report that also. If the marina is not listed, get the information from the marina that should appear on the facilities table and report that.

Report noted Chart errors and changes

If you believe that you identified a serious hazard such as large floating debree or a bouy off station, you should consider hailing the US Coast Gaurd on Channel 16 right away. If you do radio in a safety hazard report, please record the call (date, time, who you spoke with, and their rank) in your log book. You should later submit a report of your observation.

Adopt-a-Chart Program

Jones Beach Power Squadron has adopted a section of our local NOAA chart. We make routine checks for buoys, depths, land marks, and various other items that are found on our charts. This effort is a little more involved then the activities listed above. The benifits, however, are significant.

How can I learn more?

Please contact your Cooperative Charting Chairman Joe Coppola for details. We also will run a Cooperative Charting Seminar this spring. Watch the Squadron's Event Schedule at this websitre or check your G&P. All squadron's are welcome to attend.