A comparison of American and British Raster Nautical Chart Systems

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the British Admiralty (BA) have both recently embarked upon the production of computerized Raster Nautical Charts. NOAA has commenced production of Raster Nautical Chart Images (RNCI), and has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with a partnership named BSB Electronic Charts (BSB), which offers the charts for sale on both diskette and CD-ROM media. The British Admiralty has developed the Admiralty Raster Chart Service (ARCS) and published a Hydrographic Chart Raster Format (HCRF) specification document, and sample chart CD-ROM, which have been given wide international distribution. These two systems are similar in being classified as electronic chart systems (ECS), but exhibit significant differences. The author has developed prototype software which implements both systems, and applies that experience in comparing and contrasting them, showing that each system has unique advantages and benefits.