Magenta line?
Why just a magenta line? How about additional lines in orange or blue.
I've done the ICW in three different boats. One with a 6 ft. draft, one
with a 4 ft. draft, and one with a 2.25 ft. draft. The ideal course was
different for all three boats. On the shallow draft boat we could cut
corners and take routes closed to us in the other boats. The deeper
draft boat required us to follow the traditional magenta line. Colored
lines indicating appropriate routes for boats of different drafts would
be welcome. Our fallback position, when we were unsure of the path to
follow was to tuck in behind a barge and a tow, trusting that they
would hit the bottom before we did.
If NOAA doesn't have the money to resurvey the ICW, I suggest that it
initiate a program using volunteer ICW surveys, collating the
information to provide new depth information. A number of years ago I
proposed a device combining a GPS, a depthfinder, and a clock which
would periodically record a boat's location, water depth, and time. At
weekly intervals it would upload the data to a central collection
agency. Old timers will remember that this was the way weather
information was collected prior to the use of satellites. When I
proposed the idea I was told that costs would have been prohibitive but
in this era of cell phone GPS chips and cheap depthfinders, a workable
device could be cobbled up for less than $100. Remember that the
depthfinder doesn't have to detect bottoms greater than 20 ft. Boaters
could be subsdized to install such a device or NOAA could simply lend
them to voyagers making the trip. The ICW and most coastal routs could
be resurveyed at very little cost.
Cheap, cheap. Think outside the box.
Larry Z
-----Original Message-----
From: lrzeitlin@aol.com
If NOAA doesn't have the money to resurvey the ICW, I suggest that it
initiate a program using volunteer ICW surveys, collating the information to
provide new depth information. A number of years ago I proposed a device
combining a GPS, a depthfinder, and a clock which would periodically record
a boat's location, water depth, and time . . . .
---=============
Actually, there is already a mechanism for doing this. CO-OP Charting (and
it has been in place for many many years now).
http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/uspscoop/index.htm
It cannot handle weekly updates, but there are methods for surveying and
submitting revised depths (along with ATONs, Coastal Pilot updates, and
almost any other feature on a chart) in a controlled / reviewed way.
Depths are not often done, due to the equipment, but there is a process
already in place. Contact your local United States Power Squadron and ask
for the 'CO-OP' charting guy...
http://www.usps.org/national/coch/
-al-
Viking Star
45' Monk Sr. / McQueen
mvVikingStar.blogspot.com
I recall in the California Delta, people that produced touring guides using
jet skis combined with GPS and depth sounders going back and forth to
produce a accurate bottom map. Then they would put it in their touring
guide. Maybe not up to NOAA standards but certainly good enough.
Should be bog simple with today's electronics.
Harry
Ocean Alexander 40
----- Original Message -----
From: "Al Thomason" thomason.al@gmail.com
To: lrzeitlin@aol.com; trawlers@lists.trawlering.com
Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2013 2:07 PM
Subject: T&T: Public support of chart revisions. was --> RE: Magenta line?
-----Original Message-----
From: lrzeitlin@aol.com
If NOAA doesn't have the money to resurvey the ICW, I suggest that it
initiate a program using volunteer ICW surveys, collating the information
to
provide new depth information. A number of years ago I proposed a device
combining a GPS, a depthfinder, and a clock which would periodically
record
a boat's location, water depth, and time . . . .
---=============
Actually, there is already a mechanism for doing this. CO-OP Charting
(and
it has been in place for many many years now).
http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/uspscoop/index.htm
It cannot handle weekly updates, but there are methods for surveying and
submitting revised depths (along with ATONs, Coastal Pilot updates, and
almost any other feature on a chart) in a controlled / reviewed way.
Depths are not often done, due to the equipment, but there is a process
already in place. Contact your local United States Power Squadron and ask
for the 'CO-OP' charting guy...
http://www.usps.org/national/coch/
-al-
Viking Star
45' Monk Sr. / McQueen
mvVikingStar.blogspot.com
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Larry,
Such as system has existed for about five years now--crowd sourced
surveying courtesy of an enterprise called ARGUS. It is exactly as you
describe. Visit argus.survice.com, you'll find it fascinating. All it
lacks, is a business model. All the technology is in place. In the absence
of government adoption, though, it needs some way of making money to work.
--Peter Swanson
Executive Editor, PassageMaker magazine
904-451-2759
On 9/29/13 11:01 AM, "lrzeitlin@aol.com" lrzeitlin@aol.com wrote:
Why just a magenta line? How about additional lines in orange or blue.
I've done the ICW in three different boats. One with a 6 ft. draft, one
with a 4 ft. draft, and one with a 2.25 ft. draft. The ideal course was
different for all three boats. On the shallow draft boat we could cut
corners and take routes closed to us in the other boats. The deeper
draft boat required us to follow the traditional magenta line. Colored
lines indicating appropriate routes for boats of different drafts would
be welcome. Our fallback position, when we were unsure of the path to
follow was to tuck in behind a barge and a tow, trusting that they
would hit the bottom before we did.
If NOAA doesn't have the money to resurvey the ICW, I suggest that it
initiate a program using volunteer ICW surveys, collating the
information to provide new depth information. A number of years ago I
proposed a device combining a GPS, a depthfinder, and a clock which
would periodically record a boat's location, water depth, and time. At
weekly intervals it would upload the data to a central collection
agency. Old timers will remember that this was the way weather
information was collected prior to the use of satellites. When I
proposed the idea I was told that costs would have been prohibitive but
in this era of cell phone GPS chips and cheap depthfinders, a workable
device could be cobbled up for less than $100. Remember that the
depthfinder doesn't have to detect bottoms greater than 20 ft. Boaters
could be subsdized to install such a device or NOAA could simply lend
them to voyagers making the trip. The ICW and most coastal routs could
be resurveyed at very little cost.
Cheap, cheap. Think outside the box.
Larry Z
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