K-Chart: the free nautical chart
K‑Chart: The free nautical chart
K-Chart is a free electronic chart system specifically developed to make navigation free, faster and clearer. Especially when combined with an AIS setup, it is ideal because you get a direct and clear view of AIS targets on the chart (see above).
What is K-Chart?
K-Chart is a worldwide electronic chart system that provides suitable navigation charts anywhere in the world via an SD card or built-in chart version. The system is designed to assist with navigation, not to replace official nautical charts.
The charts are available for various regions, such as Europe, the American coasts, Asia, Africa, and Australia, allowing you to get started with a free basic nautical chart almost anywhere in the world.
Of course, you can also install your own nautical charts, such as Navionics or C-Map, on ONWA plotters.
What can you use K-Chart for?
K-Chart is especially suitable as a tool for navigation, for example:
Route planning: quickly get an overview of waterways, coastlines, and ports.
Depth awareness: a rough impression of depth areas and possible shoals (not a replacement for official ENC's!).
Pre-planning: quick route check before a journey, including orientation on land and coastal structures.
K-Chart in practice: connecting to your plotter
For those working with an ONWA or other compatible GPS chart plotter, installing K-Chart is super easy:
Download K-Chart from the official map site and copy this file to an empty SD card via --> K-Chart 3.0 Built-in | K-Chart Map
Insert the SD card into the card slot or select the correct K-Chart version in the plotter's chart settings. Now start the plotter and choose the installation option.
Important warning
The K-Chart system itself emphasizes that it should not be used as a primary navigation source.
For safe and correct navigation on sea and coastal routes, official ENC charts and national nautical charts remain the basis. K-Chart is then a useful extra layer, especially in regions where you have no coverage, or as a backup chart on a second plotter screen.
