navigation charts have traditionally used the Imperial system of measurement. The Metric system has been used in hydrographic survey work for some time, although U.S. The ability to toggle between feet and meters is currently not available in this application. So, what was a 53-foot least depth wreck in now a 16.1-meter wreck when using the BDV. Also, note that depth shifted from feet to meters. We’ll look more closely at the 53-foot wreck highlighted by the red circle to illustrate the change in display and what you need to look for when using the BDV. Wreck icons now show up as depth circles, one of the big changes with the BDV experience. That changed in September 2021 when the see-through chart layer was converted to vector charts. Until recently, the BDV had a see-through raster nautical chart with wreck and obstruction symbols which visually flagged the features facilitating their further investigation. As a hedge against future changes in availability, I downloaded a copy of the entire AWOIS dataset into my electronic packrat file. There are thousands of files - the sheer number of shipwrecks is mind boggling. This map viewer also provides access to ENC wreck files. Fortunately, it’s being maintained as an online resource, and is accessible using the Coast’s Survey’s Wreck and Obstructions Map Preview. AWOIS is, however, a casualty of progress and its database is no longer being updated. The AWOIS database is a valuable online resource for wreck research and for locating, identifying, and characterizing bottom structure as fishing destinations. Using NOAA's Bathymetric Data Viewer has changed, as NOAA shifted to ENC charts. With the continuing transition from raster (scanned and digitized) to vector (digitally built from the ground up) ENC charts, we need to review the status of the Coast Survey’s Automated Wreck and Obstruction Information System (AWOIS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Bathymetric Data Viewer (BDV). Yet as technology moves forward, older technologies and data sets sometimes have valuable features that are lost to “progress” or made obsolete by new electronic formats. The wealth of information available for our immediate use is as overwhelming as it is helpful.
Modern technology and the transition from paper charts to electronic navigation charts ( ENC) has fundamentally changed how we prepare for fishing trips and navigate our boats.