THE CHART IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE TOOL

Charts are the sailor’s most precious possession. When you learn to read a chart, it may warn you of reefs and submerged wrecks and show the way to safe harbors. If you can locate yourself on a chart and identify surrounding landmarks, there is no need to use your compass to find north.

Charts will not speak for themselves. Plotting (with a pencil) is one safety procedure you should always practice. Stories of misadventure through neglect abound.

According to a description on the back of U. S. Navy Hydrographic Office Pilot Chart 1400 for August 1963, a large ore carrier was passing through Serpent’s Mouth, south of Trinidad. Onboard they had the most advanced equipment – radar, course recorder, fathometer with recorder – but the ship went aground. No one had plotted the course on a chart, where the shallows of Icacos Point were clearly marked.

The truth is, it could happen to you!