Whether you are a regular user of paper charts published by NOAA, or like to use commercially available chart books, or depend on your electronic chart plotter, you should be aware of important changes underway in how NOAA produces and distributes the navigation information that we know as nautical charts.  Traditional paper charts, which have been published by NOAA and the Coast Survey for over 170 years, began sunsetting* in 2019 with the process expected to be complete by January 2025.

Ryan Wartick, a veteran of Navy and NOAA Corps Sea Service, will talk to us about the transition from paper to electronic navigation charts (ENCs) and how the underlying hydrographic data is supplied to current chart plotters. He will also describe how that data will continue to be the basis for alternate sources of paper charts. 

* Sunsetting is a term that refers to purposely and systematically phasing out a product or service.

Speaker Bio:

Ryan Wartick first became a Navigation Manager in 2015 and more recently resumed the role in 2020 after 21+ years of combined active-duty service in the Navy and NOAA Corps. He has held a variety of assignments over the years helping NOAA to make and update nautical charts from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico and sailed on each NOAA Hydrographic ship in the process. Ryan is excited to continue supporting mariners and the industry.

The Zoom link will be posted on the home page one week before the program.