Another consultation after more than 600 responses
The UK Hydrographic Office is asking recreational boaters to contribute to a new pricing survey for ADMIRALTY paper charts, with responses requested by 31 October 2026. The RYA highlighted the consultation on 7 October after the hydrographic authority reviewed more than 600 submissions about potential changes to chart supply, coverage and updating. The exercise is not a confirmed new price list; it is intended to help establish how a sustainable paper service might be funded.
For the owner of a small sailing boat, RIB or motor cruiser, reliable charts remain relevant even if electronic navigation is used for most of a passage. A modern plotter provides convenient position and route information, while a paper chart can assist with passage planning and give a separate reference when electronic equipment is unavailable.
Merging chart schemes and changing updates
The UKHO has been examining a proposal to combine Admiralty Standard Nautical Charts and Small Craft Charts into a single scheme offered in two physical sizes. It has also explored using pictorial chart corrections rather than the existing system of text-based updates. Automating production and maintenance is part of the effort to retain a viable paper service as demand changes.
Neither proposal should be confused with permission to navigate with obsolete information. Owners must continue to check that any chart they use has appropriate coverage and current corrections. Electronic and paper sources have differing limitations, so a passage plan should account for official notices, navigational warnings and the requirements of the intended waters.
Price and access are central questions
The first consultation found that more than 80 per cent of respondents use paper charts alongside electronic charts, while roughly one third use them as part of their primary navigation. Cost emerged as an important concern, especially among leisure boaters. The UKHO says earlier price changes helped support chart production despite a decline in sales, but the responses suggest affordability is affecting access.
The present survey is therefore about the price at which different users would still buy an adequately maintained chart. For a day sailor who visits several nearby harbours, the cost of covering an area can influence purchasing decisions. The same consideration applies to owners of small motorboats who use paper as an emergency backup.
How boaters can take part
The RYA is encouraging its members and the wider boating community to respond before the deadline. The official consultation is the appropriate place to express opinions about chart size, coverage, usability and cost. There is no announced decision on final retail prices or implementation dates in the RYA account.
Practical feedback will be most valuable when it explains how a boat is actually navigated: whether charts are used before departure, in the cockpit, at a chart table or as backup equipment. The October exercise gives small-boat owners an opportunity to influence decisions that could shape paper chart availability in future seasons.