CHARTING THE OCEANS FOR SAFE NAVIGATION 



59 



'"•* OCiANOGRAPHIC OfFICE INDEX SYSTEM 



fCMI NAUnCM CHAiTS AMD PUeUCATIONS 



The catalog of Nautical Charts and Publications provides 

 the essential selection for the seafarer. 



details are shown to convey to the navigator a general idea of the 

 configuration of land areas within visual or radar distances of 

 the coast. 



The amount of detail applied to a nautical chart and the method 

 of presentation employed are dependent upon the scale of the 

 chart and the purpose for which it is constructed. Nautical charts 

 are published to established specifications, and are classified into 

 four general categories: (1) port and harbor charts; (2) harbor 

 or coastal approach charts; (3) general or coastal charts; and 

 (4) ocean sailing charts. 



The Navy is charged by law with providing nautical 

 charts at various scales for all the sea lanes and for all 

 foreign coasts and ports of the world which are essential to marine 

 navigation and other national interests. The implementation of 

 this requirement involves not only the production of charts 

 initially but the continuing maintenance of all nautical charts to 



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