Planning & Enroute Guides
Sailing Directions, both "Planning" and "Enroute" guides, are published by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) under the authority of the Department of Defense. These are best thought of as Coast Pilots for non-U.S. waters.
"Sailing Directions (Planning Guides)"
Planning Guides are intended to assist mariners in planning ocean passages within a particular ocean basin. Each of the (5) Planning Guides typically represent one of the world’s ocean basins or continents with the Atlantic Ocean being split between (2) volumes.
- The Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia.
- The North Atlantic Ocean and Adjacent Seas.
- The South Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean.
- The Arctic Ocean.
- Antarctica.
Additionally they provide information on individual countries whose borders are adjacent to that ocean basin. Information about electronic navigation systems, recommended routes, traffic separation schemes, pilotage requirements, vessel traffic services (VTS), buoyage systems, prohibited areas, weather, currency, government, holidays, industries, languages, territorial waters, restricted areas, time zones, US Embassies and other pertinent subjects and dangers.
Sailing Directions (Planning Guide) Pub. #120
Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia
This guide is used in conjunction with Sailing Directions (Enroute) Pub. #’s 125, 126, 127, 153, 154, 155, 157, 158, 159, 161, 162, 163, and 164.
Sailing Directions Pacific Ocean & S.E. Asia (2018) - Download.
Sailing Directions (Planning Guide) Pub. #140
The North Atlantic Ocean and Adjacent Seas
This guide is used in conjunction with Sailing Directions (Enroute) Pub. #’s 131, 132, 141, 142, 143, 145, 146, 147, 148, 191, 192, 193, 194, and 195.
Sailing Directions N. Atlantic Ocean, Baltic, North & Mediterranean Seas (2019) - Download.
(Updated!) Corrected to 12 December 2020.
Sailing Directions (Planning Guide) Pub. #160
South Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean
This guide is used in conjunction with Sailing Directions (Enroute) Pub. #’s 124, 123, 171, 172, 173, 174, and 175.
Sailing Directions S. Atlantic & Indian Oceans (2019) - Download.
Sailing Directions (Planning Guide) Pub. #180
Arctic Ocean
This guide is used in conjunction with Sailing Directions (Enroute) Pub. #’s 181, 182, and 183.
Sailing Directions Arctic Ocean (2020) - Download.
Sailing Directions (Planning Guide & Enroute) Pub. #200
Antarctica
Sailing Directions Antarctica (2020) - Download.
"Sailing Directions (Enroute Guides)"
Enroute Guides are currently published in (37) volumes and provide detailed coastal and port approach information covering non-U.S. harbors, coasts, and adjacent waters and which supplements the largest scale chart produced by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency for that area.
Each Enroute publication is divided into geographic areas called sectors. Each sector includes detailed information about the coastal winds, currents, ice, dangers, geographic features and ports, channel descriptions, anchorages, facilities, and a graphic key to the nautical charts available for the sector. Basically, Sailing Directions (Enroute) provide important information for the navigator which cannot be conveniently shown on a chart.
Enroute Downloads
Pub. #123 - SW Coast of Africa-2017
Pub. #124 - E Coast S America-2017
(Updated!) Corrected to 26 December 2020.
Pub. #125 - W Coast S America-2017
Pub. #126 - Pacific Islands-2017
Pub. #127 - E Coast of Australia - New Zealand-2017
Pub. #131 - W. Mediterranean-2017
Pub. #132 - E. Mediterranean-2020
Pub. #141 - Scotland-2018
Pub. #142 - Ireland-W Coast England-2018
Pub. #143 - W Coast Europe-NW Africa-2017
(Updated!) Corrected to 05 December 2020.
Pub. #145 - Nova Scotia-St Lawerence-2018
Pub. #146 - Newfoundland-Labrador-Hudson Bay-2017
Pub. #147 - Caribbean Sea V I-2018
Pub. #148 - Caribbean Sea V II-2017
Pub. #153 - W. Coast Mexico & Central America-2017
Pub. #154 - British Columbia-2017
Pub. #155 - East Coast of Russia-2017
Pub. #157 - Korea & China-2018
Pub. #158 - Japan V I-2017
Pub. #159 - Japan V II-2015
Pub. #161 - China Sea/Gulf of Thailand-2020
Pub. #162 - Philippine Islands-2017
Pub. #163 - Borneo, Jawa, Sulawesi, & Tenggara-2018
Pub. #164 - New Guinea-2020
(New!) 2020 Edition.
Pub. #171 - E. Africa & South Indian Ocean-2020
Pub. #172 - Red Sea & Persian Gulf-2020
Pub. #173 - India & Bay of Bengal-2017
Pub. #174 - Strait of Malacca & Sumatera-2019
Pub. #175 - N, S, & W Coasts of Australia-2017
Pub. #181 - Greenland and Iceland-2017
Pub. #182 - N and W Coasts of Norway-2018
Pub. #183 - North Coast of Russia-2017
Pub. #191 - English Channel-2017
Pub. #192 - North Sea-2017
Pub. #193 - Skaggerak-Kattegat-2020
Pub. #194 - Baltic Sea Southern Part-2019
(Updated!) Corrected to 16 January 2021.
Pub. #195 - Gulf of Finland & Gulf of Bothnia-2019
