Many recreational boaters in small boats don’t consider it important to have charts onboard. This can end up being a bad idea, even if you are just operating on your local lake. Perhaps you are not yet a navigator, but a chart onboard allows you to compare what you are seeing with what you should be seeing and can help you keep your bearings.
What happens if your GPS devices fail, never rely on technology and have maps as a backup.
Nautical charts are different from maps in that they specifically depict water areas, while maps concentrate on land area, roads, landmarks, etc. Land areas and features on charts are sketchy and are noted only for their interest to the boater. Unlike maps, the nautical chart conveys much information specifically designed to assist in safely navigating the area that the chart covers.
Following is some basic tips tip on reading nautical charts
For the Nautical Maps of Queensland click the following link and then select the region.
https://www.msq.qld.gov.au/Boating-maps