diff --git a/GTSAM-Concepts.md b/GTSAM-Concepts.md
index 77c1621bf..1e7960b56 100644
--- a/GTSAM-Concepts.md
+++ b/GTSAM-Concepts.md
@@ -146,30 +146,6 @@ TESTABLE, MANIFOLD, GROUP, LIE_GROUP, and VECTOR_SPACE concepts.
 and we also define a limited number of `gtsam::tags` to select the correct implementation
 of certain functions at compile time (tag dispatching). Charts are done more conventionally, so we start there...
 
-Interfaces
-----------
-
-Because Charts are always written by the user (or automatically generated, see below for vector spaces), 
-we enforce the Chart concept using an abstract base class, acting as an interface:
-
-```
-#!c++
-template <class T, class Derived>
-struct Chart {
-   typedef T ManifoldType;
-   typedef typename traits::TangentVector<T>::type TangentVector;
-   static TangentVector Local(const ManifoldType& p, const ManifoldType& q) {return Derived::local(p,q);}
-   static ManifoldType Retract(const ManifoldType& p, const TangentVector& v) {return Derived::retract(p,v);}
- protected:
-   Chart(){ (void)&Local; (void)&Retract; }  // enforce early instantiation. 
-}
-```
-
-The [CRTP](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiously_recurring_template_pattern) and the protected constructor 
-automatically check for the existence of the methods in the Derived class, whenever a new Chart is created by
-
-    struct MyChart : Chart<MyType,MyChart> { ... }
-
 Traits
 ------
 
diff --git a/gtsam/base/concepts.h b/gtsam/base/concepts.h
index 0af22171e..3f1222cec 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/concepts.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/concepts.h
@@ -67,32 +67,30 @@ check_invariants(const T& a, const T& b) {
   return true;
 }
 
-/**
- * Base class for Charts
- * Derived has to implement local and retract as static methods
- */
-template <class T, class Derived>
-struct Chart {
-  typedef T ManifoldType;
-  typedef typename traits::TangentVector<T>::type TangentVector;
-
-  // TODO, maybe we need Retract and Local to be unary, or both
-  // TOOD, also, this indirection mechanism does not seem to help
-  static TangentVector Local(const ManifoldType& p, const ManifoldType& q) {
-    return Derived::local(p, q);
-  }
-  static ManifoldType Retract(const ManifoldType& p, const TangentVector& v) {
-    return Derived::retract(p, v);
-  }
-protected:
-  Chart() {
-    (void) &Local;
-    (void) &Retract;
-  } // enforce early instantiation. TODO does not seem to work
-};
-
 } // \ namespace manifold
 
+/**
+ * Chart concept
+ */
+template<typename T>
+class IsChart {
+public:
+  typedef typename T::ManifoldType ManifoldType;
+  typedef typename manifold::traits::TangentVector<ManifoldType>::type V;
+
+  BOOST_CONCEPT_USAGE(IsChart) {
+    // make sure Derived methods in Chart are defined
+    v = T::Local(p,q);
+    q = T::Retract(p,v);
+  }
+private:
+  ManifoldType p,q;
+  V v;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Manifold concept
+ */
 template<typename T>
 class IsManifold {
 public:
@@ -106,12 +104,7 @@ public:
         (boost::is_base_of<traits::manifold_tag, structure_category_tag>::value),
         "This type's structure_category trait does not assert it as a manifold (or derived)");
     BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(TangentVector::SizeAtCompileTime == dim);
-    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT_MSG(
-        (boost::is_base_of<manifold::Chart<T,DefaultChart>, DefaultChart>::value),
-        "This type's DefaultChart does not derive from manifold::Chart, as required");
-    // make sure Derived methods in Chart are defined
-    v = DefaultChart::local(p,q);
-    q = DefaultChart::retract(p,v);
+    BOOST_CONCEPT_ASSERT((IsChart<DefaultChart >));
   }
 private:
   T p,q;
diff --git a/gtsam/geometry/tests/testQuaternion.cpp b/gtsam/geometry/tests/testQuaternion.cpp
index ef4305948..89dcd3024 100644
--- a/gtsam/geometry/tests/testQuaternion.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/geometry/tests/testQuaternion.cpp
@@ -33,13 +33,17 @@ namespace manifold {
 
 /// Chart for Eigen Quaternions
 template<typename S, int O>
-struct QuaternionChart: public manifold::Chart<Eigen::Quaternion<S, O>,
-    QuaternionChart<S, O> > {
-  typedef Eigen::Quaternion<S, O> Q;
-  typedef typename traits::TangentVector<Q>::type V;
+struct QuaternionChart {
+
+  // required
+  typedef Eigen::Quaternion<S, O> ManifoldType;
+
+  // internal
+  typedef ManifoldType Q;
+  typedef typename traits::TangentVector<Q>::type Omega;
 
   /// Exponential map, simply be converting omega to AngleAxis
-  static Q Expmap(const V& omega) {
+  static Q Expmap(const Omega& omega) {
     double theta = omega.norm();
     if (std::abs(theta) < 1e-10)
       return Q::Identity();
@@ -47,12 +51,12 @@ struct QuaternionChart: public manifold::Chart<Eigen::Quaternion<S, O>,
   }
 
   /// retract, simply be converting omega to AngleAxis
-  static Q retract(const Q& p, const V& omega) {
+  static Q Retract(const Q& p, const Omega& omega) {
     return p * Expmap(omega);
   }
 
   /// We use our own Logmap, as there is a slight bug in Eigen
-  static V Logmap(const Q& q) {
+  static Omega Logmap(const Q& q) {
     using std::acos;
     using std::sqrt;
     static const double twoPi = 2.0 * M_PI,
@@ -79,7 +83,7 @@ struct QuaternionChart: public manifold::Chart<Eigen::Quaternion<S, O>,
   }
 
   /// local is our own, as there is a slight bug in Eigen
-  static V local(const Q& q1, const Q& q2) {
+  static Omega Local(const Q& q1, const Q& q2) {
     return Logmap(q1.inverse() * q2);
   }
 };
@@ -176,9 +180,7 @@ typedef Quaternion Q; // Typedef
 //******************************************************************************
 TEST(Quaternion , Concept) {
   BOOST_CONCEPT_ASSERT((IsGroup<Quaternion >));
-  // not strictly needed
   BOOST_CONCEPT_ASSERT((IsManifold<Quaternion >));
-  // not strictly needed
   BOOST_CONCEPT_ASSERT((IsLieGroup<Quaternion >));
 }
 
@@ -202,8 +204,6 @@ TEST(Quaternion , Local) {
   typedef manifold::traits::DefaultChart<Q>::type Chart;
   Vector3 expected(0, 0, 0.1);
   Vector3 actual = Chart::Local(q1, q2);
-  cout << expected << endl;
-  cout << actual << endl;
   EXPECT(assert_equal((Vector)expected,actual));
 }