From Seattle down to Mexico, we used "real" NOAA and other governmentally produced charts. For $650 we also purchased several hundred photocopied charts, covering virtually every anchorage from Los Angeles to India. We also wanted charts to plot our progress on passages. I decided to write a simple program that would print out 8 1/2" X 11" paper with grid lines.
Before each passage I would label the latitude and longitude on the grid, and tape together as many pages as it took. All land and other navigational features were then penciled in. Each day, at 0430 zulu we would check in to the the Pacific Maritime Net and report our position, and other information. We also marked that 0430Z position on the grid. I would often track the position of other nearby boats to follow their progress.