NOAA provides free, Raster Navigational Charts (RNCs) and free weekly RNC updates via this website and through certified redistributors. For a limited period beginning June 15, 2008, RNCs will not be updated for either Notices to Mariners or for new editions of the nautical charts. This temporary interruption of service is due to a change in RNC production systems. Full RNC service will resume when reliable production is restored. In the interim, continuously updated NOAA Print on Demand charts (www.OceanGrafix.com), traditional printed charts, and free Electronic Navigational Charts and updates (http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/index.htm) will continue to be available.
USER AGREEMENT |
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By using this website and the NOAA Raster Navigational Charts
(NOAA RNCs?) distributed here, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and
accepted the terms and conditions stated in this User Agreement. NOAA reserves the
right to change this Agreement at any time and without notice. Your use of this
website and/or the Raster Navigational Charts available here shall constitute your
agreement to be bound by this Agreement and any changes.
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1. |
Description of NOAA Raster Navigational Charts (NOAA RNCs?)
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The NOAA RNCs? distributed here are geo-referenced, full-color
images of NOAA?s paper nautical charts, published by NOAA in the .BSB format. NOAA
updates the RNCs for Notices to Mariners on a weekly basis. They are an official
product of NOAA, and meet the S-61 Standard, ?Raster Navigational Charts?, of the
International Hydrographic Organization.
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Permitted Use |
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NOAA RNCs? are intended to be
used in their electronic form only. You may download, use, and redistribute them
without restriction, and without payment to NOAA, except as noted herein.
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The NOAA RNCs? are intended for navigational use. They may be used
to meet federal chart carriage regulations published in the Code of Federal Regulations.
On November 15, 2005, the regulations were as stated below. These regulations may change,
and mariners are advised to check the Code of Federal Regulations for their current
status.
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1) |
In December 1998, the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee approved
amendments to Resolution A.817(19) stating that some ECDIS equipment may operate in
Raster Chart Display System (RCDS) mode when the relevant chart information is not
available in vector mode (e.g., NOAA ENC). The amendments state that when used in
RCDS mode, ECDIS equipment should be used together with an appropriate folio of
up-to-date paper charts to meet chart carriage requirements.
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2) |
On May 2, 2001, the United States Coast Guard amended the United
States chart carriage regulations to permit government vessels to use electronic charting
and navigation systems in lieu of paper charts.
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3) |
On August 15, 2002, the United States Coast Guard issued a statement
of policy to bring its regulations into agreement with SOLAS Chapter V (as amended by
the changes taking effect July 1, 2002). The policy statement said that, if a ship has
an approved ECDIS installed according to SOLAS, Chapter V, the ECDIS will be considered
as meeting the ship's nautical chart carriage regulations. The ships that are affected
are:
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U.S.-flagged ships of 150 or more gross tons that engage on
international voyages.
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U.S.-flagged ships certificated solely for service on the Great
Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.
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Foreign-flag ships to which SOLAS, Chapter V, applies that are
operating on the navigable waters of the United States.
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This policy is not applicable to U.S.-flag ships engaged only on
domestic voyages. These ships must continue to comply with existing navigation equipment
requirements until the chart carriage regulations are formally amended.
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Limitations on Use
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NOAA RNCs? may be redistributed, but redistributed NOAA RNCs? are
NOT considered official NOAA RNCs?, and do not meet federal chart carriage regulations
for regulated vessels. This official status attends only to the original downloaded
files. At a future date, NOAA intends to establish a program under which distributors
may be certified to redistribute NOAA RNCs? such that they will retain their official
status and meet chart carriage regulations.
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NOAA RNCs? and their geoTIF versions (future) may not be used to print
commercial products. Individuals may print the NOAA RNCs? or their geoTIF versions for
personal use, but the result is not a NOAA chart, and may not be used to meet federal
chart carriage regulations.
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Copying of the NOAA RNCs? to any other server or location for further
distribution is discouraged unless the following guidelines are followed: 1) this User
Agreement is displayed and accepted by anyone accessing the NOAA RNCs?, and 2) a reference
to this Web site is included so that anyone accessing the NOAA RNCs? is advised of their
origin.
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If these NOAA RNCs? are incorporated into any other product in a form
other than as provided by NOAA, the producer of that product assumes full liability and
must adhere to conditions described in the paragraph above concerning copying.
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4. |
Warnings
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Weekly updates to the RNCs are done on a ?best efforts? basis. The
timing of their availability is not guaranteed. You are responsible for ensuring that
your RNCs are the most current edition and that the most recent updates have been
applied.
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NOAA RNCs? were made by scanning the NOAA paper chart printing
materials. Any inaccuracies due to old methods of collecting, processing and
displaying data on the paper chart were transferred to the RNCs. As a result, the
accuracy of modern positioning systems such as GPS may exceed the positional accuracy
of the RNC. The impact of positioning accuracies can be minimized by not zooming an
RNC beyond the scale of the original NOAA chart.
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While NOAA has accuracy standards for each step in the data collection and chart production process, much of the depth information found on NOAA charts is based on surveys conducted before 1940, the shoreline is more than 20 years old, and paper charts used to be compiled manually. For more information regarding the accuracy of electronic charts, click here.
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5. |
Trademarks and Copyright
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The BSB file format is the sole property of Maptech, Inc. and as such is protected by U.S.
and International foreign copyright and patent laws.
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?NOAA ®? and the NOAA ® emblem are registered trademarks of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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NOAA RNC? is a trademark of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
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?Maptech? and the Maptech emblem are registered trademarks of
Maptech, Inc.
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?BSB File Format? is a trademark of Maptech, Inc.
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