question about charts and sailing

[Derell Licht]

I just read the article on gCaptain, about NOAA intentions to stop printing standard nautical charts after 151 years.  That's got me wondering what seamen did before 1862 (or, more generally, before government-printed charts in general were available), to handle ports and other places with shallow seas and/or lots of ships?  Did they just get hand-drawn charts from somewhere?  Were there other standard sources for charts in those days?

I have an image of Captain Cook sitting outside Manila Bay, thinking "I wonder if it's safe to sail into that bay and ask for charts??"  8-{P

[Cap']

Captain Cook, (well, one of his men), would have used a lead line to check the depth whilst travelling very slowly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_line_(nautical)

http://www.navyandmarine.org/planspatterns/soundingline.htm

[Kelvin Davies]

Captain Cook didn't go to Manila, as far as I am aware.
But, if he did, he would probably have had charts already as Manila was a British possession a few years before his time.
And he definitely wouldn't have had to go to NOAA for his charts!
The UK Hydrographic Office was established in 1795 and brought together the existing collection of charts at that time.
Finally, Captain Cook's main work on his voyages was charting the areas he visited.

[chrisg46]

The NOAA is something of a Johnny-come-lately in the world of charts.

The Dutch dominated the hydrography market and published many fine sea atlases in the 1600s; France and Britain next became major forces in chartmaking. Both established naval hydrographic offices, France in 1720 and Britain in 1795. The British contribution to hydrography was highlighted by the voyages of discovery made by Captain James Cook between 1768 and 1780, and Britain continued to lead the charting industry during the 19th century.

It's worth remembering that the Admiralty Hydrographer in 1795 was tasked with sorting thorough the huge existing mass of charts and information held by the Royal Navy - which had then been in existence for hundreds of years - "King's ships" first became a feature in around the 9th century, and these were in action many times before the Royal Navy was formally created in 1660 - merging with the Royal Scots Navy in 1707.

In all of this time, and in the centuries before, ships captains had written and rewritten their own books and pilotage notes, and you can still find texts taken from these . . and there are examples in maritime museums around Europe.

[Derell Licht]

Wow, that's all so cool!!!  Thanks to all of you, this was the kind of insight I was hoping to get on this topic.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the European maritime nations would have been actively involved in charting, during their Imperial eras...

[chrisg46]

Well, don't forget it was us Europeans who discovered America - Norseman Leif Ericson is said to have been there in the 11th century, while Italian Christopher Columbus, working for the King of Spain, got there in 1492 . .

The indigenous peoples of the Americas are said to have strolled across the lands which bridged the Bering Strait, so you can assume that there wouldn't have been an NOAA without European navigators!

Europeans, eh?   Even cooler than you thought . .