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suiramor · 14-10-2021, 17:55

I am having trouble finding out where to buy Canadian charts for the Vancouver Is. area. https://www.charts.gc.ca/ seems to be telling me to go to a dealer. Website of the one they link to in Seattle does not have any info about digital charts (and paper ones seem mostly sold out and no back order). The former website has a page with prices for digital charts but I have no idea what's included in an item like RNPAC-02 Vancouver Island East for $174.95 and whether that is what I need.

sv_pelagia · 14-10-2021, 18:13

Yes, you buy a charts key from a dealer, then you go to CHS data portal to download/update (which you can do monthly for 24 months.

The official raster charts are CAD 179.XX per set (purchased from a Canadian dealer; for example Marine Outfitters) - - don't pay US174! There are 3 packages to cover the BC Coast. To cover Vancouver Island east AND west coasts, you'll need 2 packs.

(The Vancouver Island East will have ALL charts on the east side and mainland from Esquimalt/Victoria up to the north end of Vancouver island and Cape Caution.)

Note, if you use OpenCPN, you can get O-charts vector charts for all BC coat for ~20€/year. These charts are the same as official CHS vector charts and can be updated monthly.

You can also get charts cheaply on Navionics, but NOTE, these charts are NOT updated as frequently/fully as CHS makes changes (even if you click "update".) https://sailing-pelagia.blogspot.com...s-are.html?m=0

I recommend the o-charts or (even better) the CHS raster (I have both). Keep them updated.

suiramor · 14-10-2021, 19:04

Thanks @sv_pelagia. I am still stuck though. Marine Outfitters seems to only list paper charts: https://www.marineoutfitters.ca/inde...ry=11463|11780. Where do I buy the key? Where do you buy the 0-charts?

rbk · 14-10-2021, 19:37

Any digital chart will be more up to date than any government of Canada paper chart, just saying lol.

suiramor · 14-10-2021, 20:59

...and besides, rbk, I have yet to find a way to use the paper charts, from any government, with OpenCPN. Tried feeding them though the usb port but to no avail. so I am still trying to figure out how to buy the key/code I can use to download the digital Canada Gov charts. Seems to require computer literacy that is beyond me (and I am a programmer).

sv_pelagia · 14-10-2021, 21:09

You didn't look very hard!

https://www.marineoutfitters.ca/mobi...0&eLocation=CA

Ignore the "quantity on hand", it's irrelevant. Buy, and they send you the key
by email. Marine outfitters is very responsive if you'd feel better first contacting them.

There are many dealers authorized by CHS to sell keys for CHS digital charts.

O-charts
https://o-charts.org/

(you'll need the oesenc plugin installed in OpenCPN to get ocharts to work)

suiramor · 14-10-2021, 21:13

Much obliged sv_pelagia. Thank you!

bcn · 15-10-2021, 01:36

Vancouver Island as oeSENC vector chart (two examples)...

sv_pelagia · 15-10-2021, 08:35

Hubert, funny that you chose the restricted area of Esquimalt Hbr (Canadian naval base).

Here are #1: CHS Raster vs #2: oeSENC (Ocharts) (first in feet, then in meters) for Victoria Inner Hbr: