Awwww .... we're blushing! Thanks for watching ibrhm!

Never too old, GP. Thanks for watching! Most people use chartplotters these days, but it's essentially the same as reading a chart. If you haven't already watched them, you might find our videos on basic and intermediate chartplotter use as well as how to use your smartphone as a chartplotter. Welcome to boating, and best of luck. If you haven't done so already, check out the great courses offered by our BoatUS Foundation, including the free boating safety course, which is recognized by 36 states. www.boatus.org/courses.

Thanks for watching, fastasfox, and we're glad to hear it was well explained for a newer boater. Your comparison is a great one--if you told me to make a Bechemel with a roux, I'd say "bless you" and probably call an exterminator! 😂 Hope you hit that subscribe button and enabled notifications for future videos. We post new ones every three weeks or so.

Thanks for watching, Carl! At least the Maryland winter has been fairly mild this year. But I think we're all ready for boating season!

A trick : you can watch movies at Flixzone. Been using it for watching all kinds of movies these days.

@Kason Hendrix Definitely, I have been watching on flixzone} for years myself :D

Thanks for watching, Norm!

You're very welcome, Kelly! Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching, Mark!

You're welcome, Lesbo. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching

💯 Thanks for watching, Matthew!

Thanks for watching, Michael! Glad you found the info useful.

Best compliment we could get, Green Lion. There's certainly always the possibility of the water being shallower, so to be safe, yes -- especially if you have any possibility of running around. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching, John!

Great question, Scott! When it comes to buoys, it's the color, shape, and markings that count. The direction of the diamond on the chart doesn't translate into navigational information. Thanks for watching

@@boatus Thanks!

You're very welcome, Glenn. Thanks for watching! Have a very Merry Christmas

Great question, Jimmy. The depth numbers show the least amount of water generally found in that spot. However, always bear in mind that depths can change due to shifting sandbars, hurricanes, and other natural phenomena.

@@boatus thank u for the reply I was looking for deep marks for fishing off the beaches in Liverpool bay England at low water 👍

Definitely, Olivia! There are a couple options. Look into courses from your local Coast Guard Auxiliary or U.S. Power Squadrons. Another option is an online course through our BoatUS Foundation: www.boatus.org/courses/ There's a nominal fee, and BoatUS Members get discounts. Hope this helps!

Thanks for your honest feedback, Matthew. It wasn't meant as a snide comment -- just noting that this is a VERY general overview. It sounds like you are beyond this basic info, but as you can tell from the other comments here, many folks learned something. We all have to start somewhere, and we hope that watching this will inspire all the new boaters out there to learn more to become better, more knowledgeable, safer boaters and inspire them to get out and enjoy the wonders of boating. Maybe that starts with reading an article from our magazine, which then leads to enrolling in a course -- or buying a textbook. Baby steps.

Thanks for watching, Vaibhav!

@@boatus I am so much thankful that you replied me something.i am having great interest in sea ,charts and all this and I was in search of vedio like this and found it.Thank you so much

@@user-rf8lf9hi3s Fantastic! We also have some basic videos on how to use a chartplotter if those would interest you as well.

@@boatus ofcourse Thank you so much . I also had recently subscribed your channel for further vedious in future.Thank you once again.

Lenny's from Balmer, Hon! It's definitely "wutter" where he's from. 😂

Great question! It's identified in the bottom left corner.

@@boatus Thank you very much !

@@deannisuhana9331 You are welcome!

Thanks, Alan. The point we were trying to make is that this video is only a very basic introduction to navigation and is not meant to be all-encompassing. As you probably know there's a lot more to navigation that would be helpful for every boater to learn. That said, we hope that videos like this get people started, possibly keep them out of trouble in many situations, and maybe even whet their appetite enough to take a course to learn more.

Thanks for watching, Raymond!

You folks really do put very informative stuff on here! Thank you for taking the time to do that!

@@raymondgeiter3484 We appreciate that! Make sure to subscribe to our channel if you haven't already. There's lots more good stuff to come.

Great question, zakaria! These are soundings marks and refer to the height of the water at chart datum, which roughly translates into the minimum depth of the water that can be experienced at that particular position. So, in other words, should you see the number 6 with a subscript 2, this indicates that there is a minimum of 6.2 feet 99% of the time. Although, during storms and extraordinary events like an eclipse, you may find there is less water than the chart indicates. Hope this helps, and thanks for watching!

Thanks for your question, Train. Are you talking about paper charts or digital? NOAA is discontinuing its paper charts, but they are still available for printing via third-party companies. BoatUS Members can get a discount through Waterproof Charts. If you're looking for a navigation app for your smartphone or tablet, here is a roundup of our favorites: www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2019/december/best-marine-navigation-apps-for-2020. (Our members also can save 10% on iNavX.) If you're already a member, you can access exclusive Member savings by logging into your account at www.boatus.com/account and clicking the "resources" button. And if I've missed the boat completely on my answer, give me a little more info and I'll try again!

Close -- Balmer, Hon! Thanks for watching, Paulie.

He actually used the scale on the bottom of the chart, not the Longitude grid. One can of course also use the latitude scale to measure distance (as long as the measurement is taken at the same latitude as the DR position). I have to shake my head at the fact that such a video is even necessary, but I guess that’s today’s reality.

@@peterwaterson5898 Thanks for your helpful response, Peter. We believe that everyone needs to start somewhere. Don't forget there are new boaters coming into our sport/hobby all the time. And you'd probably be shocked at how many "experienced" boaters have no idea how to read/use a chart. Judging by the number of views we've had on this video, lots of people are actively seeking this information. I'd rather see more boaters educated and prevent avoidable accidents, wouldn't you?

Good catch Bill, you're right! Looks like Lenny's dysgraphia was on full display when he swiped the chart. Nice job Bill, you're the first to eciton ... errr, notice.

What's wrong with Maryland, Dal?!