A Guide Map for Small Crafts Newly Published in Japan

Abstract

Today, Japan has about 16, 000 small crafts (wooden or steel) of less than 500 tons except fishing boats. The crews of these crafts depend upon mainly their intuition through long experience of sea life using a few small scale charts merely for reference due to some reasons. That is, they can not understand well what the charts show having no space to lay many charts away, and moreover while they are under way, they have very little chance to consult charts since no one is in the bridge except a quater master. While in Japan about 400 small crafts cause sea disasters every year, which might have been avoided if they have used charts duly. To reduce these disasters a series of charts suitable for small crafts has come to be needed, and the Kaijo-hoan Kyokai (The Maritime Safety Association) has published one of those charts, the price of which is about 40 cents, under the supervision of the Hydrographic Office of Japan. This handy map is characterized in simplifying the ordinary charts so as to enable the crews understand well what the map shows and taking account of colours, size of letters which can be seen 30-40cm apart by a user in the dimlight.