UKHO Chief Executive Peter Sparkes said plans to withdraw the (UKHO’s) portfolio of ADMIRALTY Standard Nautical Charts (SNCs) and Thematic Charts were in response to more marine, naval and leisure users primarily using digital products and services for navigation.
The ADMIRALTY Maritime Data Solutions digital navigation portfolio can be updated in near real-time, greatly enhancing safety of life at sea (SOLAS).
“The phased withdrawal of paper charts from production will take place over a number of years and is anticipated to conclude in late 2026,” Sparkes said. “In parallel, we will develop viable, official digital alternatives for sectors still using paper chart products. This will be a carefully managed process, conducted in close liaison with all customers and stakeholders, including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) as well as other regulatory bodies, hydrographic offices, industry partners and distributors.
“The decision to commence the process of withdrawing from paper chart production will allow us to increase our focus on advanced digital services that meet the needs of today’s seafarers.
“As we look to the future, our core purpose remains the safety of shipping operations and delivering the best possible navigation solutions to achieve that. Whether for the Royal Navy, commercial vessels or other ocean users, our focus is on developing and delivering ADMIRALTY digital services that promote safe, secure and thriving oceans.
“We understand the significance of this announcement, given the distinguished history of the UKHO’s paper chart production and the trust that mariners have placed in ADMIRALTY charts over the generations. We will support users of SNCs during the withdrawal of our paper chart portfolio and work with our distributors to help users switch to digital alternatives between now and our planned date of 2026.”
Imray, a leading UK publisher of information for leisure sailors commented that following the UKHO’s announcement about the ‘sunsetting’ of Admiralty paper charts and the associated Admiralty Raster Chart Service by end of 2026, they (Imray) would continue to invest in their range of paper and digital products.
“We would like to reassure all of our customers that sales of Imray paper and raster charts remain strong and we are consulting with industry associations, trade customers and others about future developments to Imray charts as a result of these changes,” Imray said in a statement.
The UKHO is following its US counterpart, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which in 2019 announced plans to phase out paper nautical chart production by January 2025.
That decision marked a sea change for NOAA, which has produced America’s paper charts (and charts for much of the rest of the world) for decades. Like UKHO, NOAA is redirecting its resources to focus on the quality of its electronic chart products and to provide larger scale coverage.
It is not quite the end of the paper chart in the United States, however: American seafarers will still be able to order custom-printed charts based on electronic data.
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Related News:
- UKHO Announces Intention to Withdraw from Paper Chart Production (UKHO)
- UKHO Phases out Admiralty Charts (Maritime Executive)
- Sunsetting Paper Charts (Admiralty Charts)
- NOAA Phasing out Paper Charts (Noonsite 2019)
- Sunsetting of Raster Nautical Charts (Federal Register 2019)
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Noonsite has not independently verified this information.
