What is the purpose of this site?
The Office of Coast Survey’s Chart Update database contains information on all critical updates that have been applied to the navigational charts. The update includes the position of each update (latitude and longitude), the action that needs to occur, along with a brief description of the item and any additional labeling that should be added to the chart. Information for the database is sourced from chart corrections published by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Canadian Coast Guard, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The Office of Coast Survey is also publishing non-critical updates to the chart and posting the updates to the charts weekly. As new information is made available the data is being applied to the chart without waiting for a new edition to be published. The Office of Coast Survey is responsible for charting the Nation’s waterways to ensure safe marine transportation and navigation. Applying chart corrections is a critical component of this process. The database and associated mapping services are provided to the public as a related service for general usage.
Are there any disclaimers?
While information provided by this website is intended to assist in the updating of nautical charts, it must not be used as a substitute for the United States Coast Guard, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, or Canadian Coast Guard Notice to Mariner publications. The information available on this site is derived from the National Ocean Service’s Critical Chart Corrections database (CRIT). CRIT is an in-house chart production tool, and may contain some naming conventions, textual abbreviations, or acronyms that are unfamiliar to the general public. Channel tabulations, depth legends, depth notes, and chartlets may not be included in chart update listings prior to January 2000, due to ongoing development of CRIT throughout the 1990s.
What are the Terms and Conditions?
1. The user agrees not to copy or distribute the chart updates from this web site, nor to send the chart updates from this web site to any other server or location for further reproduction or distribution, unless the following conditions are followed: a) the NOAA Chart Update Disclaimer in its entirety is displayed to anyone who accesses the chart updates, and b) a reference to the NOAA Chart Update web site is included so that anyone accessing the chart updates is advised of where they originated.
2. The user acknowledges that should these chart updates be incorporated into any other product in a form other than as provided by the NOAA Chart Update web site, the producer of that product assumes full liability.
3. The user acknowledges that information provided by the NOAA Chart Update web site is intended as a tool for the convenient updating of nautical charts, but it must not be used as a substitute for the United States Coast Guard, National Imagery & Mapping Agency or Canadian Coast Guard Notice to Mariner publications.
4. The user acknowledges that certain information, such as temporary changes to aids to navigation, special published announcements and other important information affecting navigational safety are not available on the NOAA Chart Update web site.
Which browsers are supported?
This site should work on Chrome, Firefox and IE >= 10
Are there any related links I should be aware of?
What do all the Chart Correction abbreviations mean?
ADRIFT - Buoy Adrift AICW - Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Al - Alternating B - Buoy BKW - Breakwater bl - Blast BNM - Broadcast Notice to Mariner bu - Blue C - Canadian CHAN - Channel CGD - Coast Guard District C/O - Cut Off CONT - Contour CRK - Creek CONST - Construction DAYMK/Daymk - Daymark DBN/Dbn - Daybeacon DBD/DAYBD - Dayboard DEFAC - Defaced DEST - Destroyed DISCON - Discontinued DMGD/DAMGD - Damaged ec - eclipse EST - Established Aid ev - every EVAL - Evaluation EXT - Extinguished F - Fixed fl - flash Fl - Flashing G - Green GIWW - Gulf Intracoastal Waterway HAZ - Hazard to Navigation HBR - Harbor HOR - Horizontal Clearance HT – Height I - Interrupted ICW - Intracoastal Waterway IMCH - Improper Characteristic INL - Inlet INOP - Not Operating INT - Intensity ISL - Islet Iso - Isophase kHz - Kilohertz LAT - Latitude LB - Lighted Buoy LBB - Lighted Bell Buoy LHB - Lighted Horn Buoy LGB - Lighted Gong Buoy LONG - Longitude LNM - Local Notice to Mariners LT - Light LT CONT - Light Continuous LTR - Letter LWB - Lighted Whistle Buoy LWP - Left Watching Properly MHz - Megahertz MISS/MSNG - Missing Mo - Morse Code MRASS - Marine Radio Activated Sound Signal MSLD - Misleading N/C - Not Charted NGA - National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency NO/NUM - Number NOS - National Ocean Service NW - Notice Writer OBSCU - Obscured OBST - Obstruction OBSTR - Obstruction Oc - Occulting ODAS - Anchored Oceanographic Data Buoy
What do the symbols mean on the map?
The map contains two symbols: The Red circles represent the location of Critical Source Changes. The Orange polygons represent the Non-Critical Source Changes.
How do I look at just one Chart/Kapp/ENC?
In order to view only source updates that occured to a specific Chart/Kapp/ENC you need to first pick which type you are interested in seeing ie Chart/Kapp/ENC. If you are on a small display and the controls panel is on the left hand side then you will need to click the magnifiying glass to expand the search interface. Now that the search interface is open the directions are the same for both small and large displays. You will need to select from the dropdown, which type of chart product you are interested in (Chart, Kapp, or ENC). After you have done that you will need to enter the product name in the text input. Once you have typed it in you will need to hit the Enter button to submit your search.
How do I change the date?
If you are using a small display and the controls panel is on the left hand side then you will need to click the calendar button to expand the calendar interface. Now that the calendar interface is open the directions are the same for both small and large displays. You can move one week at a time backwards or forwards. To do this you need only click the up or down arrows next to the box that contains the date.
How do I reset the search?
Press the button that has an arrow that is bent into a circlular shape. It will set the search, filter and calendar settings back to their original states.
How do I download what is on the map and/or in the list?
Press the button on the control panel that is a wide arrow pointing downward into what looks like a square bracket on its side. This will start a download of all that records that are currently in view on the map and in the list views. The file is of type csv and can be opened in Microsft Excel.
How do I get more information about the map items?
On the map, you just need to click on either a red circle or orange polygon and it will give you more information about that source change. If there are multiple changes that have occured at that location then you will need to hit the next button on the bottom of the popup window, this will take you through all the updates at this location. In the list view you will need to click on the green plus sign button at the begining of each row in the list. This will open up a sub-table that contains a list of all the products affected by this change.
What is an Affected Chart/Kapp/ENC?
An Affected Chart/Kapp/ENC is a product that required modifications due to a Critical or Non-Critical source update. You may find that overlapping products are not all affected by an indvidual update, due to the difference in the scale of the product and the scale at which the updated item needs to be displayed. Take for instance, an individual dock on a Chart that covers the entire Pacific Coast.
What is the difference between Critical and Non-Critical Source?
Critical updates are ones that have been deemed necessary by NOAA or the Coast Guard for the safety of boaters. These are required to be put on the all affected chart products within a week of the notice. Non-Critical are updates that are pushed out on a less regular basis and do not pose a danger to the mariner.
What happens when I click on the map?
When you click the map the program tries to locate any Critical and Non-Critical source items that occured at that location. A popup is then displayed showing all the items found. It will still come up if nothing is found, to let you know it is working.
What is this: 
This is the search button it opens the search interface when you are using a smaller display and the control panel is on the left hand size. Otherwise, it is just a visual queue.
What is this: 
This is the calendar button it opens the calendar interface when you are using a smaller display and the control panel is on the left hand size. Otherwise, it is just a visual queue.
What is this: 
This is the reset button, it resets the search, filter and calendar input fields to their original states.
What is this: 
This is the download button and it commences the download process, which provides a .csv file with data on all the currently visible source items.
What is this: 
This is the help button, it opens a quick reference guide, which also has a link to this page.