The folks at the United Kingdom’s Hydrographic Office have been dubbed ‘gangsters’ by top marine industry sources for racking up their charges for copyright material.

All yachtsmen will have to pay more for their pilot books and charts as the Government office is tasked with raising even more hard cash for the Treasury.

In some cases charges have increased by 2.5 per cent as Britain seeks ever more ways of putting the economy back in the black.

If ever x marked the spot of buried treasure, the UKHO will soon be digging it up.

For the full story see Yachting Monthly January issue out soon.