Making Your Own Boston Harbor Chart

Chart making is part of Navigation. Navigation is the art and science of finding your way on the water.

Step 1: Write your name and class on the upper left, then shade the land yellow. The water will stay white. Then you will know what’s land and what’s water.Write your name and class on the upper left, then shade the land yellow. The water will stay white. Then you will know what’s land and what’s water. You don’t need to shade in the whole city on the left side of the chart. All you need to do is outline where the land ends and the water begins.You don’t need to shade in the whole city on the left side of the chart. All you need to do is outline where the land ends and the water begins. You do need to shade in all the islands,You do need to shade in all the islands, Some students like to start with the city, others start with the islands - your choice!Some students like to start with the city, others start with the islands - your choice!

Step 2: Mark the channels by coloring the buoy symbols red or green.Mark the channels by coloring the buoy symbols red or green. Channels are paths or passages through the harbor where we know the water is deep enough for a boat to go safely.Channels are paths or passages through the harbor where we know the water is deep enough for a boat to go safely. Bouys mark channels!Bouys mark channels!

Buoy symbols or icons

Buoys in the Boston Harbor

Step 2 continued: There are 2 clues to tell you whether a buoy is red or green, a letter clue and a number clue. If you see an R or an R N near a buoy symbol, it will be red! If you see a G or a G C near a buoy symbol, it will be green!

More Step 2: You also have a number clue. Most of the little numbers all over the chart are telling you how deep the water is at low tide, but… The numbers in QUOTATION MARKS “ “ near the buoy symbols tell you the color. Red buoys always have EVEN numbers. Green buoys always have ODD numbers. Channels usually have red buoys on one side, green on the other.

The boat goes between The red and the green!!