I am so frustrated with nautical charts!!!

2 years ago I started with Garmin a blue chart. One day I found it was useless. Did some search on here and found people liked Aqua Maps. I’ve been using it for about a year. It’s been pretty good but the ICW is really hard to see.

We are getting ready to cross the Okeechobee and there is no magenta line showing the “straight across” route.

So I just installed a Furuno 1st watch radar and it will overlay with TZ iBoating. I downloaded it and it looked promising. I bought the charts for $40 and guess what, no lake O.

What am I missing???

What am I missing???

Apparently Lake O!

If you are using an IPad maybe you didn't download all the cells of the chart area you purchased to its memory.....

no true exact 100% streigth accross route

As I recall, there is no exact straight across route, but if your maybe thinking of route # 1 - as there is first a canal to take down to Clewiston & it can have shallow parts to watch out for. Then after that, you turn to go across the lake. Watch out for sand bars, so your going across the bottom 30% of the lake.

Not sure depths with current water levels. Maybe 4.5 to 5 feet.

Better yet - Here is a link to the lake level you should look at:

USACE Jacksonville District

Some of the guys here on TF can fill you in better, as it's been years since I was out that way.

Go to this thread to follow recent crossings from fellow TF boaters.

" Has anyone gone across Okeechobee recently "

Good luck.


Alfa Mike

alfamike said:

As I recall, there is no exact straight across route, but if your maybe thinking of route # 1 - as there is first a canal to take down to Clewiston & it can have shallow parts to watch out for. Then after that, you turn to go across the lake. Watch out for sand bars, so your going across the bottom 30% of the lake.

Not sure depths with current water levels. Maybe 4.5 to 5 feet.

Better yet - Here is a link to the lake level you should look at:

USACE Jacksonville District

Some of the guys here on TF can fill you in better, as it's been years since I was out that way.

Go to this thread to follow recent crossings from fellow TF boaters.

" Has anyone gone across Okeechobee recently "

Good luck.


Alfa Mike

Click to expand...

Yeah that’s my thread. I know the routing, still want a line to follow.

I have a Garmin MFD with their basic charts for USA all in one simple package. Has more than enough detail for where I'm going. I also run Polar Navy on a PC which uses standard NOAA charts with the magenta line for the AICW, provided you're on the right scale.

Ted

Maybe there is no magenta line because the “official” AICW follows the east coast down to the Keys.

SiestaG said:

Maybe there is no magenta line because the “official” AICW follows the east coast down to the Keys.

Click to expand...

There is an ICW that crosses the Okeechobee waterway and is marked on NOAA charts with a magenta line.

Ted

"What am I missing???"

A paper chart ,or chart book.

chart 11428 shows marks in locations on the lake but no line. I have never followed the line. Use your depth sounder and look for marks but don't believe anything except the depth sounder. Depths anywhere are unreliable due to changing conditions. The process of surveying and updating charts takes a long time.

bayview said:

chart 11428 shows marks in locations on the lake but no line. I have never followed the line. Use your depth sounder and look for marks but don't believe anything except the depth sounder. Depths anywhere are unreliable due to changing conditions. The process of surveying and updating charts takes a long time.

Click to expand...

I'll second this. I find it's better to plot the course with an eye toward the obvious water flow conditions. As in, recognizing how some areas may or may not have shoaled since last surveyed and being skeptical about them. Checking NOTAMs likewise. Plot for routes offering depth first, taking into account weather & current. We've enough power and we're not navigating where it'd be an issue, but slower boats over longer reaches will often need to plot routes different than just 'straight lines' to work with current/wind factors.

A straight line that's out of date is not always (ever?) an ideal route.

That said, I agree that chart qualities are wildly inconsistent and the market makes it difficult to assess what is or isn't worthwhile.

The magenta line just shows interconnecting waterways. It is not a track to follow, and many boats have gotten into trouble by treating it as a track to follow. It’s close to being one, but that’s not it’s purpose, so shouldn’t be used that way.

And to this point, I seem to recall a move some time ago to remove the magenta line because of the associated confusion. That may be why it’s not on some charts.

If you want to create a route, there are surely plenty of guide books with waypoints for such a crossing. But as is always the case, it’s your job to verify the route for depth, instructions, etc.

Thanks guys I appreciate the help. Heading across tomorrow.

While I don't navigate on top of the magenta line, I find it useful for determining the general route and knowing which way to turn at intersecting waterways. Could I travel the ICWs without, sure. As a general guide, I still think it's a helpful tool on the chart that allows me to plot my course faster.

Ted

Greetings,
Mr. OC. That is exactly how I read the magenta line. General route. Sometimes I've found it difficult determining a direction when having to cross a broad sound, for example or hugging a particular shore/marker.

O C Diver said:

While I don't navigate on top of the magenta line, I find it useful for determining the general route and knowing which way to turn at intersecting waterways. Could I travel the ICWs without, sure. As a general guide, I still think it's a helpful tool on the chart that allows me to plot my course faster.

Ted

Click to expand...

Exactly how it’s meant to be used. It shows you how the myriad of waterways and bodies interconnect, and is extremely useful. But it’s not meant to be a detailed navigation route with a minimum depth, no obstructions, etc. That part is your job as the captain.

Current info...


https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/jan14/magenta-line.html

I crossed on the 21st and will send my track from Aquamap to anyone who’s interested. I followed the magenta.

For the most part the narrow shallow spots have red/green pairs. Just stay in the middle. Along the rim though are a few single markers near the center of the waterway and you better know correctly which side to pass or you will hit.