BrainCoral_ChartPlotters_Cancelmo_Jesse_HoustonTX_8March2024_Reel4196.mp3

Jesse Cancelmo [00:00:00] I knew, of course, that it was no-anchor...

Jesse Cancelmo [00:00:03] And I, just last year, I sold a boat that I had for ten, eleven years. And when I had it here in Galveston, it was a 42-foot Grand Banks trawler, set up for cruising and for SCUBA diving. I had a compressor on it. I made numerous trips on my boat to the Flower Garden Banks.

Jesse Cancelmo [00:00:24] And, and I know in my knowledge of boating, my knowledge of navigation, when I had my chart plotter on and you know, anybody worth their salt with a boat now that's going out in the ocean, they have a chart plotter. It's electronic. You don't use paper charts anymore. Everything's electronic.

Jesse Cancelmo [00:00:41] So, you turn your chart plotter on and you go, where am I going, and where do I need to go?

Jesse Cancelmo [00:00:46] And then you point out to the Flower Garden Banks, you will clearly see on the chart plotter, "This is a National Marine Sanctuary". And did you read the note below? It says "no anchor".

Jesse Cancelmo [00:00:58] So this took place, ... this was done, to ensure the designation as a no-anchor on chart plotters on all vessels, large and small. And it's the world's first no-anchor zone.

Jesse Cancelmo [00:01:13] And if you designate a place as a no-anchor zone, and you don't have it on the chart plotters, it's not going to do you very much good. Because that's what the operators of the boat go by.

Jesse Cancelmo [00:01:22] And, and that was done. So, all the charts, the electronic charts, have been updated to clearly show a warning that this area is no-anchor.