Charts out of stock

RayMetz100 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-27-2006

Being a new sailor, I'm suprised to find that most boating stores don't have a full stock of charts. I've been looking for 18449, Seattle to Bremerton for a while. It's not at Boaters World or West Marine in Everett, not at West Marine in Seattle, and not at the Chandelry in Eagle Harbor. 3 of these places had large cabinets for NOAA charts, numbered on the front. But when you open a drawer it either has 1 or two copies of the same chart or a dozen copies of 2-3 different ones, but not the one I need. Is this typical? I expected that they would inventory their cabinet once a month and keep a copy or two of each chart in stock.

I'm sure I can go to other places in Seattle or call around to find it, but also wanted to hear from you guys.

SteveCox · #2 (**permalink**) 11-27-2006

I don't know if you have it yet or not but Maptech's chart kit for the Pacific Northwest contains almost all the info you'll need for navigating in the Sound and it's all in a handy spiral bound package. I just looked at mine and it has at least two pages that contain the info on 18449. One takes you from West Seattle to Rich Passage and the other on into Bremerton and Port Orchard. Any particular reason you want to use the individual charts? The book is also more cost effective than buying the individual charts for all that it covers.

RayMetz100 · #3 (**permalink**) 11-27-2006

I noticed they do have more Maptech books and fold-outs in stock. I looked at several of them and they didn't have much detail. I was specifically looking at Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island.

The free Maptech Chart Navigator software is able to display the free NOAA RNC charts. When I pull up 18449 on my PC using that, Eagle Harbor is in full detail at 1:25,000 scale like on the NOAA chart. The Maptech charts are 1:40,000 or 80,000 I think.

SteveCox · #4 (**permalink**) 11-27-2006

Pg 19 has Elliot Bay, Eagle Harbor and Blakely Harbor at 1:29000. Pg 17 has them at 1:42000. The chart book doesn't have everything at the samller scale but it does have most things.

camaraderie · #5 (**permalink**) 11-27-2006

Try www.bluewaterweb.com for individual charts of just about anywhere.

1970Columbia34 · #6 (**permalink**) 11-27-2006

Ray why not use the MapTech Chart navigator to print the charts into PDF form, burn them to a CD and take them down to the local Kinkos and have them print them for you.

Scott

RayMetz100 · #7 (**permalink**) 11-27-2006

1:29000 would be fine, but that's just the harbors. The NOAA chart has the whole thing from West Point to Bremerton at 25000. I think I still want the NOAA chart.

Printing from Kinkos is a good idea. If I remember right, it was $5 a print or something for large size. I forget if that was color or not.

SteveCox · #8 (**permalink**) 11-27-2006

I didn't mean to say that the 1:29000 was just the harbors. That page had a chart that included those harbors and all the area in between at 1:29000. The next page in the book has Rich Passage and Bremerton at 1:29000. I really think if you look at it closely the Maptech book has all you need. Almost everyone I know here in Puget Sound uses it for general navigation. I think that is why you aren't finding the regular charts in the stores.

RayMetz100 · #9 (**permalink**) 11-27-2006

OK. I'll take another look at it. Is that the little fold-out for $20, or the $50 one with several pages, or something else?

SteveCox · #10 (**permalink**) 11-27-2006

Current cost I have seen is around $125. That covers everything from Olympia to Boundary Passage. Mine has a picture of a Hinckley picnic boat on the front cover.

http://www.maptech.com/search/prodse...APREGION15.pdf

That address will take you to a PDF of the contents page and a graphic showing what's covered. If you've been looking at the little fold out jobs I can understand your reluctance. This is more like the whole NOAA set of charts just in an easier to use and store format.