Revision of NOAA's Nautical Chart Manual

TitleRevision of NOAA's Nautical Chart Manual
Publication TypeConference Abstract
Year2017
AuthorsEnce, C, Pe'eri, S, Macek, J, Bartlett, M, Harmon, C, Nyberg, J
Conference NameU.S. Hydrographic Conference 2017
Conference LocationGalveston, TX
Conference DatesMarch 17-20

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Nautical Chart Manual (NCM) contains policies and procedures used to guide cartographers for making charts. Over the years, the NCM has been split into three volumes that contain instructions for compiling Raster Navigational Charts (RNCs), Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs), and chart symbol specifications. It has been a challenge to adapt the NCM to accommodate new products and deliverables with a uniform specification across all three volumes. We hope to create a new manual that can be easily understood by compilers with different levels of expertise and who are working in different geographic settings. In this paper, we present NOAA’s effort to meet international standards and provide a “one-stop- shop” for compilers working on ENC and RNC products. The revised NCM will follow the structure of the International Hydrographic Office (IHO) S-4 chart specification publication and include references to the IHO S-57 and IHO S-101 documents. The new design will feature a web interface that will guide compilers and enable efficient searches.