ENGLEWOOD, COLO. | 14 Dec 2012 | By Jeppesen

Jeppesen and its Alliance For Safe Navigation (ASN) partners have released an updated version of the educational white paper Boat Smart, Update Your Charts, and are making this informative document available to the public, boating journalists, boating organizations and the marine industry through a variety of channels. It is available for immediate download through Jeppesens website at www.jeppesen.com/BoatSmartPaper.

First produced in 2010, this new version of Boat Smart, Update Your Charts incorporates the latest published boating accident statistics and contributing factors from the U.S. Coast Guard. It underscores the fact that many boaters continue to sail with outdated navigation charts (both electronic and paper) or worse yet, none at all. It also indicates that out-of-date charts are likely contributors to a significant percentage of grounding accidents and other incidents that take place in U.S. waters.

Our continued research into the subject proves that boaters continue to navigate with outdated charts, said Ken Cirillo, Jeppesen Senior Business Development Executive. Up-to-date charts are readily available and affordable, and they empower navigators with accurate data that includes the latest Coast Guard Notice to Mariner (NTM) changes and corrections. Still, for a variety of reasons, too many boaters elect to roll the dice by navigating with old charts. One of the primary missions of the ASN is to educate boaters on the benefits of keeping their charts updated, which can include significant savings on boat insurance.

Some eye-opening facts from Boat Smart, Update Your Charts:

Twenty five percent of boaters surveyed by ASN reported running aground in the past five years.

Collisions with fixed objects were the third-highest cause of boating accidents in 2011.

Twenty nine percent of ASN survey respondents reported they never update their electronic charts.

In addition to Jeppesen, ASN partners include OceanGrafix, United States Power Squadrons, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and Sea Tow Foundation for Boating Safety and Education. Each organization brings its own perspective and expertise to the collective educational effort: Jeppesen specializes in electronic cartography, OceanGrafix is a leader in Print On Demand paper charts, both the United States Power Squadron and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary are non-profit, volunteer-driven organizations providing safe boating education, and the Sea Tow Foundation for Boating Safety and Education is a non-profit wing of Sea Tow, a leading provider of marine assistance and towing nationwide. In addition, the Office of Coast Survey, on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is a founding sponsor of the ASN.

About Jeppesen

Jeppesen is a market-leading provider of vessel operations services and digital navigation solutions, based on worldwide vector chart data type approved to ISO19879, meteorological information and transmission technologies. Jeppesen offers a wide range of navigation and operations products and services to both recreational and commercial marine markets. Safety-conscious boaters and operators of vessels ranging from coastal to SOLAS class, rely on Jeppesen for innovative navigation solutions that improve safety and efficiency.

Jeppesen is a subsidiary of The Boeing Company. Jeppesen corporate information is available online at jeppesen.com.

Media Contact:

Christine Pomorski

Marine Communications Specialist

(303) 328-6166

christine.pomorski@jeppesen.com