Long before GPS and electronic chart plotters, sailors relied on carefully crafted charts to find safe passage across unfamiliar waters. For centuries these maps have guided explorers, merchants, fishermen and recreational sailors alike, evolving from hand-drawn coastal sketches into the highly accurate digital charts used today. In this article, we explore the fascinating history of nautical charts, how they have developed over the centuries, and the role they continue to play in modern navigation.
navigation
The Ship’s Compass
The Ship’s Compass
A ship’s compass is a navigational instrument that points towards magnetic north. By knowing where north is, sailors can determine every other direction and steer a consistent course, even when land, the sun or the stars are not visible.
Mercator Maps
Mercator Maps: The Projection That Changed Navigation Forever
Gerardus Mercator was born on 5 March 1512 in Rupelmonde, Belgium. A brilliant cartographer, geographer, and cosmographer, Mercator would go on to create a map projection that permanently changed the world of navigation.
Notice to Mariners
Notice to Mariners – What are they?
Today more than 60 countries of the world compile nautical charts for sailors and boating enthusiasts to navigate around the world’s oceans.