ADMIRALTY Small Chart Charts service launched by UKHO
The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has announced the launch of its ADMIRALTY Small Craft Charts service - formerly known as ADMIRALTY Leisure Chart Folios – to bring important safety, quality and flexibility benefits to all marine users who depend on these charts.
The launch of this new service follows the announcement in May 2021 that UKHO will withdraw the regional folio structure for these charts. Instead users can purchase only those charts that are relevant to their needs without being required to purchase the full regional folio.
Through this updated product, UKHO is providing all users – spanning small craft fishing fleet, infrastructure maintenance workboats, leisure yachtsmen, motorboat cruisers, ocean racing skippers, small tourist cruise boats, as well as other small craft mariners - with greater coverage and seamless access to the data required to support with their navigational decision-making.
All users will have the latest updated versions of chart images, which may be as frequent as after every Notices to Mariners (NM) update, meaning users can purchase a new chart instead of manually applying NMs to an existing chart. Users will also be able to apply the standard NMs using NMWebsearch which can be reached via a QR code on the chart.
In line with new editions of SOLAS-compliant ADMIRALTY Standard Nautical Charts (SNCs), all charts will help to ensure users have the same access to the latest navigational information for safe passage in UK waters. UKHO has made the charts available through a Print-on-Demand (POD) service, purchasable via ADMIRALTY Distributors.
Until at least October 2022, users of the pre-existing ADMIRALTY Leisure Chart Folios will continue to be supported with NMs, either through the continued publication of Leisure NMs or by using the link between the Folio charts and SNCs to apply standard NMs. However, Folio charts should be replaced by the equivalent new edition Small Craft Chart once a new edition of the source SNC has been published to ensure users have the latest navigational information.
About the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO)
The UK Hydrographic Office is a leading centre for hydrography, providing marine geospatial data to inform maritime decisions. We work with a wide range of data suppliers and partners to support maritime navigation, safety, security and marine development around the UK and worldwide. We make location-based information available through ADMIRALTY Maritime Data Solutions, our worldleading range of charts, publications and custom data sets. Our use of marine data and technology, combined with our expertise, ensures we continue to innovate and provide a wider range of solutions. We source, process and provide access to location-based information, ranging from seabed to surface. This enables our partner organisations to make critical maritime decisions – informing the sustainable use and management of the marine environment and supporting the development of the blue economy.