The Hydrographic Office of the Polish Navy (HOPN) plays the statutory role of the National Hydrographic and Cartographic Service. It is an obligation of every state to establish and maintain such a service. This obligation has been expressed in many international documents and resolutions. In November 1998, the UN General Assembly adopted the Resolution A53/32,Oceans and the Law of the Sea, including an article that reads:
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21. Invites States to cooperate In carrying out hydrographic surveys and nautical services for the purpose of ensuring safe navigation as well as to ensure the greatest uniformity in charts and nautical publications and to coordinate their activities so that hydrographic and nautical information is made avaible on a worldwide scale;
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In one of its basic documents – International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, SOLAS, which is also one of the oldest of international conventions, adopted for the first time in London in 1914 - the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has included several rules directly affecting member states and their hydrographic authorities. |  |
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The Chapter V, which is the most important in terms of cartography and nautical publications, comprises:
- Rule 2, subparagraph 2, defining the terms of ‘Official navigational chart’ and ‘Official nautical publication’,
- Rule 4 stipulating the necessity of maintaining the Navigational Warnings System,
- Rule 9 defining obligations of the National Hydrographic Services,
- Rule 19, subparagraph 2.1.4 stipulating the obligation to carry an appropriate set of charts and nautical publications by vessels. It has also been adopted that the Electronic Chart Display and Information System, ECDIS, downloaded with the official Electronic Navigational Charts, ENCs, can be recognized as complying with this Rule.
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Fulfilling obligations stipulated in the above UN Resolutions, SOLAS Convention, and detailed guidelines drawn up by IMO, HOPN publishes, promulgates, and maintains its official charts and nautical publications the purpose of which is to enhance the safety of navigation.
In the Publications section, mariners may familiarize with paper charts, nautical publications, ENCs, Notices to Marines bulletin, and METOC products.
HOPN publishes two series of the Polish nautical charts: international (INT) and national. The INT series comprises 15 charts. The charts are an integral apart of the BALTICHART Catalogue of International Charts. The National Chart Series comprises 37 charts (2008). Charts of the tow series are divided into four scale, or chart categories:
All the charts are maintained with the use of bathymetric and geodetic data, notices promulgated in the Notices to Mariners, and details included in other nautical publications. Each new edition has the Correction Note, indicating the chart’s maintenance status.
Polish charts meet specifications set forth in the S-4, INT-1, INT-2, and INT-3. Publications by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). The charts comply with the specifications in respect of not only reference datum (horizontal and vertical), but also symbols, abbreviations, colours, borders patterns, graduations, explanation notes, etc. In 1999, HOPN completed the process of transition to the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS-84), recommended by IHO for the INT Chart Series. Since then, WGS-84 is the only horizontal datum, which has been used for the Polish INT charts. Similar process had been undertaken with regard to national chart series and completed in 2004.
HOPN compiles charts with the dedicated CARIS GIS software package.
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 An ‘INTERNATIONAL (INT) CHART’ is a chart which:
- is produced with limits and scale in conformity with an internationally agreed scheme of such charts
- carries the INT number of that sheet,
- conforms to the Chart Specifications of the IHO (S-4 Parts B and C),
- conforms to the Regulations of the IHO for International Charts (S-4 Part A).
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- General Passage Planning Charts/Overview Charts: | 500 (INT 1021); | |
- Coastal Navigation Charts: | 151 (INT 1291), 152 (INT 1292), 153 (INT 1293), 154 (INT 1294), 251 (INT 1218), 252 (INT 1219); | |
- Approach Charts: | 47 (INT 1297), 48 (INT 1298), 44 (INT 1289), 73 (INT 1288), 74 (INT 1295), 75 (INT 1296); | |
- Pilot Charts: | 12 (INT 1290), 15 (INT 1299) |
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Publication 551 is another HOPN publication. Based on the IHO INT-1 (International Chart Series INT1 Symbols, Abbreviations, Terms used on Charts), Publication 551 contains symbols, abbreviations, and terms used on the Polish nautical charts.
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Publication IHO INT2 Chart Specifications of the IHO Borders, Graduations, Grids and Linear Scales illustrates patters of the above features along with particulars and scales related to them. Guidelines drawn up for cartographers by IHO are in English, French, and Spanish.
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Miniaturę wykonano w oparciu o publikację INT-2
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Publication IHO INT3 has been released by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) on behalf of IHO. It illustrates specimen charts compiled in compliance of the M4 and INT1.
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| Miniatury wykonane w oparciu o mapę UKHO nr 19000 i 19001 (01.09.2008) |
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Small craft charts have been published since 1998 as a joint project of the Polish HOPN and German BSH. Published in three atlases, the charts have the following titles, indicating areas covered:
| 3020 | Zatoka Pomorska i Zalew Szczeciński | – 13 Sheets, | |
3021 | Od Zatoki Pomorskiej do Mierzei Helskiej |
– 9 Sheets, |
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3022 | Zatoka Gdańska i Zalew Wiślany |
– 17 Sheets. |
Each of the A2-size Sheets (420*594mm) is based on a HOPN chart. New editions are published every 2 or 3 years, depending on the number and significance of amending notices. For overall list of the notices, visit the BSH website: http://www.bsh.de/en/Products/Charts/Small_craft_charts/index.jsp.
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The IHO M4 (originally MP-004) REGULATIONS OF THE IHO FOR INTERNATIONAL (INT) CHARTS and CHART SPECIFICATIONS OF THE IHO is a standardizing publication. This more than 400-page publication contains detailed regulations and descriptions of symbols used on nautical charts, e.g. lines, colours, sizes, where the symbols should be used, etc., its purpose being to communicate all necessary information to mariners.
“Live” in character, the M4 is maintained by the Chart Standardization and Paper Chart Working Group (CSPCWG) working on current amendments, which are then voted for or against by IHO member states.
The M4 is divided into three basis parts:
Part A – Regulations of the IHO for International (INT) Charts
Part B – Chart Specifications of the IHO. Medium and Large-Scale National and International (INT) Charts (Scales larger than 1:2,000,000)
Part C - Chart Specifications of the IHO. Small-Scale International (INT) Charts (Scales 1:2,000,000 and smaller)
INT 1, INT 2 i INT 3As supplements to the INT 1, INT 2 and INT 3 publications stipulate regulations related to the M4’s Parts B and C. Symbols contained in the INT1 are used to demonstrate text information of the Part B.
This publication is available on the IHO website at: http://www.iho-ohi.net/english/standards-publications/catalogue.html
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 National Series Charts, published by HOPN, also comply with the IHO Specifications for INT Charts. Since they have no INT numbers, the charts cannot be included in the International Series of Charts, but Hydrographic Offices are free to use their own symbols and abbreviations on them, not included in IHO’s S-4 and INT-1 Specifications.
Because of CSPCWG works, as of 2009, national charts should be bilingual, i.e. legends, explanatory notes, and abbreviations, used on the charts, should be translated into English and shown, e.g. as a Glossary.
The following charts are in the INT Series:
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- General Passage Planning Charts/Overview Charts: | 495, 496, 497, 498, 499 i 1501; | |
- Coastal Navigation Charts: | 113, 127, 128, 155, 156, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 269, 270 i 311; | |
- Approach Charts: | 39, 41, 45, 46, 63, 64, 65, 67, 68, 69, 71 i 81; | | - Pilot Charts: | 10 i 23. |
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495
496
497
498
500
1501
113
127
128
151
152
153
154
155
156
251
252
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
269
311
44
45
46
47
48
39
41
63
64
65
67
68
69
71
73
74
75
81
1E
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