
Did You Know?
Charts help us:
- Know where we are
- Know where we want to go
- Know how to get there
Safety Seagull Says...
In a car you can see what is in front of you, but a ship captain cannot see what is under the water.
He/she needs a nautical chart or the ship might crash!
What Is a Nautical Chart?
How do we find places on land?

We use maps!
- A map shows places on land.
- A map helps people travel from place to place.
How do we find places and objects on water?

We use a nautical chart!
- A nautical chart is a special map that shows what is under, in, on, and around water.
- A nautical chart helps a ship travel safely on the water.
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- We can paint lines on a road to show where the cars are supposed to go.
- We cannot draw lines on the water.
- We can tell a ship to stay within channel’s.
but ship captains have to look at their nautical charts to see where those lines would be.
