As reported earlier on the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net, as well as many other nautical web sites and forums, the NOAA charting folks have decided to discontinue the “magenta” fairway line, which was supposed to indicate the best depths while navigating the AICW, and many other USA Waterways. There was some discussion about this decision coming about due to budgetary considerations, but all of us at the SSECN collectively feel the real reason was that, far too often, the magenta line simply did NOT properly indicate where the best depths were to be found. NOAA no longer, if they ever did, has the resources to adequately survey the Waterways to find out where the channels have wandered to lately.
Then, we received an e-mail and subsequent telephone call from ARGUS founder, John Hersey of Survice Engineering, with what sounds to us like a really GOOD idea. The ARGUS project is already gathering millions of soundings on the AICW and other coastal waters. Why not let the ARGUS data determine where the magenta line really SHOULD be placed on the appropriate NOAA charts?
Wow, talk about an improvement. Instead of having the magenta line’s position based on surveys (sometimes) from the 1930’s, now its position would be determined by the millions of soundings undertaken by ARGUS cooperating research craft. And, this sounding data is about as timely as you can get!
John informed us that his company is taking a look at proposing this idea to NOAA, the USCG and the US Army Corps of Engineers.. However, with the current budget climate in Washington, Survice Engineering is not optimistic that the effort would be funded, even though the cost would be a small fraction of a complete Federal resurvey. But wait, there may be an intriguing alternative.
Captain John made us aware of a program we had never heard of before, known as “Kickstarter” (http://www.kickstarter.com). Quite simply, Kickstarter proposes what seem to be worthy projects to the public at large, and solicits small donations from private individuals. If enough people contribute to a “kickstarter” project, then this seed money may very well bring worthwhile efforts to fruition, that would otherwise have just lain dormant forever. If there is not enough interest, and a project does not receive enough financial pledges of support, no-one has lost anything, and the project is simply cancelled, and any pledges that were received are cancelled and never collected. An interesting concept, and a very interesting idea, all rolled together in one!
Would you be willing to make a small contribution to Kickstarter to have an ACCURATE magenta line appear on NOAA charts? What do you think of this entire concept? Good idea, bad idea, or just don’t know.
THE SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM AS MANY MEMBERS OF THE CRUISING COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS CONCEPT AS POSSIBLE. We will then pass along your “words to wisdom” to both ARGUS and Kickstarter. Please send your thoughts to CruisersNet@triad.twcbc.com.
We look forward to hearing from you!

Magenta line, misplaced or just plain missing has one thing ARGUS doesn’t ‘” `sovereign immunity.’ NOAA cannot be sued. Without this protection, ARGUS could be playing `you bet your company.’
What about chart plotting software companies? They simply convey government charting and geodesy products in a `pass through’ and are very careful to keep their value added layers away from the C&G data. In ARGUS’ case they would be the C&G data provider.
Explorer charts and a few others may have a liability protection model worth looking at, but until that aspect of this idea is nailed down, I’d say it’s a bit early to fund it.
Chris and Janet

Using ARGUS in lieu of the magenta line is a great idea. It enables a skipper to just follow the route that others took.
No one should mis-interpret the meaning of ARGUS data. It is a rendition of `I took this route, and this is what I found.’ It does not absolve a mariner of the responsibility to navigate in a safe manner.
Already ARGUS data includes soundings for many places where there never was a magenta line, and other places where prudent skippers deviated from the recommended route. Using ARGUS data points is just a natural extension of this existing program.
Richard Ross MV Chez Nous

Generally a bad idea. The magenta line was never intended to indicate the `best depths’. Instead it was intended to indicate to direction of the ICW at crossings, forks, and so on. The folks who insist otherwise and then complain are the reason that NOAA is dropping the line.
Gene Fuller

I agree about the liability issue but think this is worthwhile. In the meantime we are building a shallow draft boat.
Dawn Moore