Lack of Concern among Boaters about Accuracy of Navigational Tools

Survey Reveals Significant Lack of Concern among Boaters about
Accuracy of Navigational Tools

Only One-third of Respondents Regularly Update Navigational Data

St. Paul, Minn. – The Alliance for Safe Navigation, whose mission is to raise boater awareness about the importance of up-to-date navigational information, today announced the results of a recent survey of 7,570 recreational boaters. The survey revealed that an alarming 64 percent of respondents are not concerned enough about the accuracy of their navigational aids to seek out or make updates.

Intended to measure the use and awareness of available updates to navigational tools, the survey revealed a general lack of concern among recreational boaters regarding the accuracy of their navigational data. While most boaters use aids such as GPS, electronic charts and paper charts, 79 percent fail to track the updates—issued weekly by the United States Coast Guard—that are necessary to maintain the accuracy of their
navigational aids. These updates, called Local Notice to Mariners, contain critical information about changes such as shifting shoals, moving buoys and newly submerged obstructions, and they can be easily accessed by boaters.

“Unfortunately, these survey results indicate that boaters simply are not aware of how often conditions change and how those changes can affect their safety,” explains President Ron Walz of OceanGrafix, a founding member of the alliance. “The truth is that waters do change—and inaccurate chart information can turn a safe and enjoyable cruise into a dangerous situation.”

“Boaters cannot assume that their data is current: changes on and under the water happen, and they are significant and frequent,” says David Enabnit, technical director at NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey. The Alliance for Safe Navigation strongly suggests that updated navigational tools are the best approach to safe navigation.

Unlike commercial mariners, who are required by law to carry up-to-date charts, recreational boaters are not held to the same regulation. In fact, recreational boaters aren’t required to have any charts onboard.

To see the latest USCG Notice to Mariners for your location, visit Notice to Mariners. For more information or to find out how many changes have been made to your charts, go to www.allianceforsafenavigation.org.
About the Alliance for Safe Navigation

The Alliance for Safe Navigation (www.allianceforsafenavigation.org) consists of industry leaders that all share a commitment to boating safety. The goal of the alliance is to raise the boating community’s understanding of and appreciation for up-to-date navigational information. The alliance encourages mariners to recognize the high number of changes made to their charts and to keep their electronic and paper charts accurate, which is inexpensive and easy. Sponsored by NOAA, the alliance is made up of BoatU.S., Jeppesen, OceanGrafix, the Sea Tow Foundation for Boating Safety and Education, and the United States Power Squadrons.