Charts Charts are very symbolic representations of the surface of the earth. It helps to think of them as drawings of an infinitely magnified view of the globe, as seen from an infinite distance away, with a few corrections thrown in to deal with the fact that the earth is not flat. Charts are covered with symbols, whose meanings can be obscure. Get a copy of chart 1, which is not a chart at all, but a list of the symbols and what they mean. You will especially need to be able to identify aids to navigation from their chart symbols, to identify shallow spots and shoals, and to recognize other hazards to navigation.
Charts come at various scales.
That is, one inch on the chart will correspond to different distances on the water. These special charts come in a series of subchart strips, which together cover a portion of the Sound. The strips do not have north at the top, so you have to be able to find it from the compass rose. The compass rose is a diagram on the chart showing not only which way is north, but which way is any other course. By using a plotting device with a chart, you an determine the direction from any point on the chart to any other, and consequently the direction of the corresponding course on the water.