Admiralty Paper Charts Sunset

 
The UKHO announced they will be phasing out the production and supply of paper charts to the market with complete withdrawal by the end of 2026 due to a continuing reduction in the demand for paper charts. Currently they see 85% of charting demands being for digital products and this has been increasing over the last few years.

The UKHO are committed to ensuring their plan allows mariners to transition to alternate products and services in plenty of time so they will be using a sunsetting process which is essentially a managed withdrawal over the next few years.

The products that will be affected in due course are:

  • Standard Navigational Charts (SNCs)
  • Thematic Charts
  • ADMIRALTY Raster Chart Service (ARCS)
  • GeoTIFF supply (under licence)
  • Section II NMs
  • Tracings
  • Small Craft Charts
  • Print on Demand (POD)

In the future, paper publications will be reviewed also but no decisions have been made on this currently.
For the vessels using ECDIS Service, the UKHO will actively assess the impact to the ECDIS service as ARCs are removed from coverage and AIO as paper chart comparisons are prevented.

Along with UKHO, we at Bogerd Martin aim to give as much notice and detail of the UKHO's plans to withdraw paper chart production as possible and will do our best to assist you in any way we can during this transition. If you have any questions or inquiries, you can contact the Bogerd Martin team at sales@bogerdmartin.com.

Latest developments

02 February 2023 - UKHO to extend timetable for paper chart withdrawal

In July last year, the UKHO announced the intention to withdraw from the production of paper charts. As part of this announcement, the UKHO made a firm commitment to consult closely and more widely with their partners and to listen to the feedback stating from the outset that they would ‘leave no one behind’. These more detailed conversations have highlighted several important transnational and regulatory factors that will need further consideration.

It is now clear to the UKHO that more time is required to develop a regulatory framework with the IMO and to address the needs of those specific users who do not yet have viable alternatives to paper chart products. Therefore, the timetable for the withdrawal of ADMIRALTY Standard Nautical Charts and Thematic Charts will necessarily be extended and the UKHO will continue to provide a paper chart service until at least 2030.

The intention to withdraw from paper chart production remains, and the UKHO will continue to withdraw elements of the paper chart portfolio over the coming period, on a case-by-case basis. However, the UKHO will be maintaining comprehensive Standard Nautical Chart coverage, as they increase their focus on developing the next generation of digital navigation products and services.

The UKHO will be working with their international colleagues and partners, including the IMO and the IHO, to move forward at an appropriate pace together. More details will be made available as a revised course of action takes shape.

Along with UKHO, Bogerd Martin will of course continue to give as much notice and detail of the UKHO's plans to withdraw paper chart production as possible and we will do our best to assist you in any way we can during this transition.
If you have any questions or inquiries, you can contact the Bogerd Martin team at sales@bogerdmartin.com.

 

26 January 2023 - NM updates for Port Approach Guides (PAGs) to cease

Following on from the UKHO's previous announcement that they have made the decision to retire the remaining 34 Port Approach Guides (PAGs) from service on the 20/04/2023, they have taken the decision to no longer issue NM updates for PAGs with immediate effect.

A notice will be added to Section 1 of the ADMIRALTY Notice to Mariners Weekly Edition 6 and published on the 09/02/2023. This notice will be contained in all weekly ADMIRALTY Notice to Mariners until the Port Approach Guides have been withdrawn.

Significant changes which may affect these PAGs can still be obtained from the relevant Standard Navigational Chart (SNC) or Paper Publication covering the area.

 

09 January 2023 - Phase two of the withdrawal of ADMIRALTY Port Approach Guides (PAGs) on 20 April 2023

The UKHO began to reduce their Port Approach Guide portfolio in 2020, and this resulted in 34 PAG charts remaining in service.

Following continued assessment of the performance of these charts they have now made the decision to retire these remaining charts and withdraw the ADMIRALTY Port Approach Guides from service.

On 26 January 2023, a three-month notice period will be issued via ADMIRALTY Notice to Mariners Weekly Edition 4 followed by a chart withdrawal announcement in ADMIRALTY Notice to Mariners Weekly Edition 13 on 30/03/2023.

From 20/04/2023, the charts will be removed from the ADMIRALTY catalogues, e-Navigator Fleet Manager and Print on Demand Service and no longer be available to order or print.

 

18 August 2022 - First withdrawals to commence 17 November 2022

We have been informed by UKHO of its first phase of the withdrawal which will begin with four batches of Australian charts.

The batches will be announced in the NM Weekly as follows:

Batch 1: Initial 12 week announcement - Week 35 (01/09/2022).
Withdraw date – Week 46 (17/11/2022)

Batch 2: Initial 12 week announcement - Week 36 (08/09/2022).
Withdraw date – Week 47 (24/11/2022)

Batch 3: Initial 12 week announcement - Week 37 (15/09/2022).
Withdraw date – Week 48 (01/12/2022)

Batch 4: Initial 12 week announcement - Week 38 (22/09/2022).
Withdraw date – Week 49 (08/12/2022)

You can download a breakdown of each week and the Australian charts to be withdrawn within that week, as well as an image which shows the coverage to be withdrawn in the Australian area.

The UKHO aims to share their further withdrawal plans for the rest of this year (FY22) by mid-September (but as early as possible) and their intentions for 2023/2024 at the UKHO's Distributor Conference at the end of September.

 

26 July 2022 - UKHO announces to cease producing paper charts

UKHO has announced that, following a detailed analysis of their business operations across the organisation, they intend to withdraw from paper chart production by the end of 2026.

The intent is to withdraw in a phased approach, centred around reducing and eventually removing the global paper chart portfolio. This is in line with the needs of users, market trends and product viability, as well as the strategic priorities of UKHO's organisation.

With an increasing reliance on new technology to navigate the world’s oceans as safely and efficiently as possible, UKHO recognises that the paper era is coming to an end, and as global demand for electronic charts increases, so paper chart sales continue to decline year-on-year.

Moving forward, UKHO will focus on providing high quality ADMIRALTY assured digital alternatives to meet demand and manage the sunsetting process in a way that gives users time and the required support to switch to digital alternatives. The implementation of S-100 suite, the new universal maritime data standard, will further improve digital navigation.