The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is making its electronic navigation charts available through its NOAA ENC® website. http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/index.htm This site explains the charting product. To actually acquire the electronic charts, which are free, you must install the ENC Download program (also free) http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/download_agreement.htm on your computer. All the bells and whistles, though, are only available to those using a specialized display system, such as ECDIS. (11/7/13).

Lee, I don't see how this is any different than it has always been, and no special "downloader" is required. You click through the various choices, agree to the terms of downloading (your second link), and select the package or charts that you want. Once they're downloaded you can use them in any nav program (I happen to use Fugawi) that can "read" ENC or BSB charts. Basically, as far as I can tell, nothing has changed in the past few years - get free _US_ charts via a simple selection and download process. Would that the ACOE system for obtaining what they call "charts" were as easy and up-to-date. The ACOE has no single point site for downloads or for "chart" attributes; each district manages it's own charts and download site. Seems to me that an organization that has overspent a dam construction project by billions of dollars could at least figure out how to standardize their system for obtaining charts! Here's a link to a scary story about the mismanagement of the ACOE's Olmstead Dam project on the Ohio River. http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/illinois-dam-costing-billions-more-than-expected-as-delays-mount/article_3eb26385-6083-5004-8d74-75a174b7ba0b.html#.UkDS0lobSp8.email or http://tinyurl.com/pu8dgk8 <><><><><><><><><><><><>Mozilla Thunderbird<><><><><><><><><><> Bob McLeran and Judy Young Manatee Cove Marina MV Sanderling Patrick Air Force Base DeFever 41 Trawler Melbourne, Florida Blog: http://mvsanderling.net/Blog Web: http://cruising.mvsanderling.net/ On 11/8/2013 8:59 AM, lalicata@alum.rpi.edu wrote: > The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is making > its electronic navigation charts available through its NOAA ENC® > website. > > http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/index.htm > > This site explains the charting product. To actually acquire the > electronic charts, which are free, you must install the ENC Download > program (also free) > > http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/download_agreement.htm > > on your computer. All the bells and whistles, though, are only > available to those using a specialized display system, such as ECDIS. > (11/7/13). >