Charles Hays
Written by

Charles Hays

Author / Contributor

Charles Hays is the Sales & Marketing Manager at American Nautical Services, where he has spent nearly 17 years helping captains and chief officers of 500 GT+ yachts keep their ECDIS systems and digital chart libraries current, secure, and Flag State inspection-ready. Certified in ECDIS and holding an MBA from Florida State University, he also oversees the companys ISO 9001 Quality Management System, giving him a front-row view of what inspectors look for and where vessels fall short. Through his work at American Nautical Services and his weekly newsletter Bridge Watch, Charles covers chart compliance, Flag State requirements, and the regulatory updates that matter most to working maritime professionals.

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Types of Marine Fire Suppression Systems and How They Work on Ships

Types of Marine Fire Suppression Systems and How They Work on Ships

Marine fire suppression systems are the fixed installations that detect and extinguish fires aboard ships without relying on crew interve...

UKHO Launches ADMIRALTY Digital Sailing Directions (ADSD): What Mariners Need to Know

UKHO Launches ADMIRALTY Digital Sailing Directions (ADSD): What Mariners Need to Know

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has launched ADMIRALTY Digital Sailing Directions (ADSD), converting its Sailing Directions publication...

S-57 vs S-101: How the Next Generation of ENCs Will Change Navigation

S-57 vs S-101: How the Next Generation of ENCs Will Change Navigation

Every electronic navigational chart displayed on an ECDIS today is built to a standard called S-57. That standard was adopted in 1992 and...

What Is S-100? The New Maritime Data Standard Every Navigator Needs to Know

What Is S-100? The New Maritime Data Standard Every Navigator Needs to Know

For decades, the electronic charts displayed on ECDIS have been built on a single data standard called S-57. That standard did its job, b...

Difference Between GNSS and GPS Explained

Difference Between GNSS and GPS Explained

Most mariners use the word "GPS" for any satellite position fix on the bridge. In practice, a modern receiver is often pulling signals fr...