Statement of Authenticity, Currency, and Content for Print-on-Demand (POD) Nautical Charts.

Authenticity:
POD charts are produced under the authority of the National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  NOAA is the national hydrographic office for the United States of America (33 USC para 883a et seq.).  The data from which this POD chart was produced is certified by NOAA for navigational use.  POD charts meet the requirements for the mandatory carriage of nautical charts  published in Titles 33 and 46, Code of Federal Regulations, including the requirements for updating (FR 67:111, pp. 39695-39696).

POD charts are produced under contract for NOAA, National Ocean Service, Office of Coast Survey, Silver Spring, MD, by OceanGrafix, LLC, St. Paul, MN. NOAA applies to the chart all navigational content and is responsible for it. OceanGrafix does not alter the digital images. OceanGrafix prints and distributes the chart images as provided by NOAA. 

Chart Currency:
POD charts are each week corrected by NOAA for all critical safety items known to NOAA, published and unpublished (see Content below).  The "Additional Corrections Through" box in the lower left corner of each POD chart identifies the Notices to which the chart is corrected since new edition release. New editions are available as POD charts two to eight weeks in advance of the same release as the traditional NOAA chart.  A traditional chart new edition usually needs correction.  Charts of U.S. waters made by other country Hydrographic Offices can be as much as twenty-two weeks out of date with respect to changes on U.S waters.

Updated digital chart images are transferred from NOAA to OceanGrafix each hour.  OceanGrafix prints the images only when ordered by a retail agent.  Orders are processed each hour and shipment is via FedEx Standard Overnight delivery.  Retail agents may order for drop-shipment directly to mariners from OceanGrafix, or sell to mariners from their very current, high-turnover, in-store stock.

Content, Authoritative Sources, and their Currency:
Each week, NOAA corrects each chart in its suite of over 1000 charts for all critical safety items.
The following authoritative sources of critical safety items are used:
1) NOAA - NOAA survey ships report obstructions to navigation found or cleared and significant new hydrography.  These are applied to the chart in advance of their publication in the Notice to Mariners.
2) NOAA - NOAA receives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers new channel depths and widths.  These are applied to the chart in advance of their publication in the Notice to Mariners.
3) NOAA - NOAA receives from the U.S. Coast Guard notice of bridge construction begun, bridge construction completed, and new bridge clearances.  Upon official notice, these are applied to the chart in advance of their publication in the Notice to Mariners.
4) USCG - NOAA obtains advanced copy of the Local Notice to Mariners from U.S. Coast Guard Districts, reviews it, and alerts USCG of any discrepancies.  NOAA applies all items to the chart.  NOAA and USCG resolve discrepancies in the Notices, something the mariner in the field is unable to do.
5) NGA - NOAA obtains the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (formerly National Imagery and Mapping Agency) Notice to Mariners, including the current week's Notice published on http://pollux.nss.nga.mil/index/index.html , and applies all critical safety items to the chart.
NOTE: Items published in the US Coast Guard Local Notices precede publication of the same item in the NGA Notice by four to six weeks, on average.   Approximately 96% of items published by NGA appeared in a previous Local Notice, and NOAA has already corrected the chart.
6) Canada - NOAA obtains the Notice to Mariners published by Canada, including what is published on http://www.notmar.com/eng/index.asp , and applies all items to the chart.