CNITA
The Voice of the Chart and Nautical Instrument Industry
The Chart and Nautical Instrument Trade Association (CNITA) acts a forum to discuss and collate the concerns of Admiralty chart distributors and certified compass adjusters and to feed these back to senior Government officials at organisations such as the UKHO and the MCA, along with other international stakeholders such as the IMO and IHO.
With 27 members, including some of the leading companies of the chart and nautical instrument supply industry, the collective voice of our membership adds serious weight to the views that we present. CNITA has a strong track record of using the combination of the strength of its existing relationship with those bodies and the influence of its membership to ensure that those people hear the voice of the Association loud and clear.
CNITA was originally formed as the British Nautical Instrument Trade Association in 1918 to provide a forum in which the mutual interests of companies and individuals active in the areas of nautical instrument manufacturing, distribution and servicing, the adjustment, siting and repair of magnetic compasses and associated equipment, and the supply of charts and other nautical publications, might be discussed and furthered. In 1996 the Association changed its name to the Chart and Nautical Instrument Trade Association to reflect the presence of a growing number of members from countries around the world.
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The Work of the Association
The principal activities of the Association are currently undertaken by two operational Committees, the Charts and Nautical Publications Committee and the Compass and Nautical Instruments Committee.
Typically the Committees meet face to face three times a year, both in the UK and abroad, to discuss those issues facing its members and to agree how to best approach them. In between those meetings the Association, based in London, acts as a central hub for ongoing dialogue between members on those issues and co-ordinates activity related to it.
Leading members of the Association act as the eyes and ears, with representatives regularly attending meetings on issues such as safety of navigation and the development of international hydrographic policy.
With the full support of the UK National Hydrographer and leading manufacturers of nautical instruments, members of the Association are able to place their experience and service at the disposal of the shipping industry and all navigators.
The CNITA Tracing Service
Although tracings have been in use by the Royal Navy and Admiralty Chart Agents for many years, it was the Chart Committee of the Chart and Nautical Instrument Trade Association that successfully negotiated with the Hydrographer of the Navy for them to become available to the merchant navigator and private user.
The CNITA tracing overlay correction service is available from all Admiralty Chart Agents who are members of the Association, and is now supplied to more than 5,000 vessels each week. Each tracing wallet contains the weekly "Notices to Mariners" and tracings printed with the relevant details of the area surrounding the correction, making the correction of each chart a simpler operation. All that the user has to do is match the tracing to the chart, pierce through the small circle showing the exact position of the correction and, in conjunction with the "Notices to Mariners", transfer the information onto the chart. Navigating Officers welcome the tracings system for its accuracy and speed. Onboard chart correction time can be cut by 80% and Masters can now rest assured that their charts are kept continually up to date. Reasonably priced, these tracings are economical and an invaluable contribution to safety at sea
Compass Adjusting and Nautical Instruments
CNITA members who provide Compass Adjusting services use Compass Adjusters having professional qualifications recognised in the locality in which they operate. The relevant qualification for the United Kingdom is the Certificate of Competency as Compass Adjuster, the examination for which is conducted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency with the assistance of the CNITA in assessing the evidence of practical adjusting skills submitted by the Candidate. CNITA Members can provide Compass Adjusters, who are available day and night to "swing" ships, in most major ports and elsewhere by arrangement.
Members of the CNITA, many with life long experience in this field, can advise you when buying all your nautical instruments. Most suppliers provide an instrument repair service combining traditional craftsmanship with modern methods to ensure that instruments are serviced and tested to a high standard.
Are You Complying With The Latest International Regulations?
Chart and Nautical Instrument Trade Association members established in most U.K. ports and overseas are able to advise you. Contact us for further details.
