Find a Paper Nautical Chart by Geographic Area: How to Choose the Right Chart for Your Voyage

Choosing a paper nautical chart by geographic area is an essential step when planning coastal navigation, an offshore cruise or an ocean crossing. Every maritime region has its own characteristics, including water depths, currents, tides, navigational hazards, shipping traffic and coastal features. A chart suited to your sailing area allows you to plan your route, identify ports and anchorages, and monitor your progress at sea.

Nautic Way Maritime Bookstore offers a selection of paper nautical charts covering the world's major seas and oceans. From the French coastline to the Pacific archipelagos, and from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, charts published by hydrographic offices and specialist publishers such as SHOM, Admiralty, Imray and NV Charts meet a wide range of navigation requirements.

Why Search for a Nautical Chart by Geographic Area?

Searching by geographic area helps you identify charts that correspond precisely to your itinerary, without necessarily knowing their chart number or publisher.

Chart coverage varies according to the region and scale. A general chart of the Atlantic Ocean can help you plan a crossing between the Canary Islands and the Caribbean, but it cannot replace a detailed chart of the approaches to Fort-de-France or Pointe-à-Pitre.

Nautical charts generally fall into three main categories:

• Ocean and general charts, designed for planning long-distance passages and visualising major shipping routes.

• Coastal charts, suitable for coastal cruising, navigation between ports and following an itinerary along the coastline.

• Detailed charts, used for harbour approaches, channels, passages and certain anchorage areas.

Chart selection should take every stage of the voyage into account. For example, a cruise between Brest and Lisbon requires coverage of the French Atlantic coast, the Bay of Biscay and the Portuguese coastline.

Atlantic Ocean Nautical Charts

The Atlantic Ocean is an extensive sailing area connecting Europe, Africa and the Americas. It encompasses regions as diverse as the English Channel, North Sea, Bay of Biscay, Caribbean Sea and South Atlantic.

For navigation along European coastlines, SHOM, Admiralty, Imray and NV Charts offer coverage suited to different regions.

Recreational sailors can search for charts covering:

• The English Channel and the approaches to Cherbourg, Le Havre, Calais, Portsmouth and Southampton.

• The Bay of Biscay, between Brest, La Rochelle, Bilbao and Santander.

• The Portuguese coastline, including Lisbon, Porto and Lagos.

• The Madeira, Azores, Canary Islands and Cape Verde archipelagos.

• The Caribbean islands, Bahamas and Central American coastlines.

For a transatlantic crossing, general charts allow sailors to study routes between Mindelo, Las Palmas, Fort-de-France, Bridgetown and Saint Martin. More detailed charts are then required for coastal approaches and landfall.

Mediterranean Sea Nautical Charts

The Mediterranean Sea is a major recreational sailing destination, offering a remarkable variety of coastlines, islands, straits and sailing areas.

In the Western Mediterranean, charts cover Marseille, Toulon, Nice, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Ajaccio, Bonifacio, Genoa and Naples. They help sailors plan passages towards Corsica, Sardinia, the Balearic Islands and Sicily.

In the Eastern Mediterranean, searches mainly concern the Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean Seas, including destinations such as Venice, Split, Dubrovnik, Corfu, Athens, Rhodes, Bodrum and Istanbul.

SHOM, Admiralty, Imray and NV Charts provide different types of Mediterranean coverage. National hydrographic offices also publish official charts of their respective waters.

When sailing between the Greek islands or along the Croatian coast, sufficiently detailed charts are essential for identifying narrow passages, shoals and harbour approaches.

North Sea and Baltic Sea Nautical Charts

The North Sea and Baltic Sea are characterised by substantial maritime activity, numerous commercial ports and highly variable navigation conditions.

In the North Sea, charts cover Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Aberdeen, Bergen and the Danish coastline. Sandbanks, traffic separation schemes, tidal currents and offshore wind farms are important factors to consider.

Baltic Sea coverage includes the approaches to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Gdańsk and Rostock. The Swedish and Finnish archipelagos require particularly detailed nautical charts.

Admiralty and NV Charts are among the publishers offering charts for these regions, alongside national hydrographic offices.

Indian Ocean Nautical Charts

The Indian Ocean connects the eastern coast of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, India, Southeast Asia and Australia.

Its principal sailing areas include the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean archipelagos.

Nautical charts help sailors prepare routes towards Djibouti, Aden, Muscat, Mumbai, Colombo, Malé, Victoria, Port Louis, Durban and Fremantle.

Admiralty charts provide extensive international coverage, while Imray publishes charts for selected recreational sailing destinations. SHOM also publishes charts covering several parts of the Indian Ocean.

For cruises towards Madagascar, the Seychelles, Mauritius or the Maldives, coastal and detailed charts complement general ocean charts.

Pacific Ocean Nautical Charts

The Pacific Ocean is a major sailing area for long-distance voyages and round-the-world cruises.

South Pacific charts help sailors plan passages between Panama, the Galápagos Islands, the Marquesas, Tahiti, the Tuamotu Archipelago, Fiji, New Caledonia, Australia and New Zealand.

In the North Pacific, the main sailing areas include the American coastlines, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines and the Micronesian archipelagos.

Admiralty and SHOM charts, together with publications from national hydrographic offices, cover different parts of the Pacific. Imray also offers charts designed for recreational sailors visiting several archipelagos.

Navigation between islands and atolls requires particular attention to chart accuracy and scale. Some remote regions have older or incomplete hydrographic surveys.

Nautical Charts of the Polar Regions

The Arctic and Southern Oceans require specific preparation because of weather conditions, the possible presence of ice and the remoteness of port infrastructure.

In the Arctic, nautical charts cover Greenland, Svalbard, the Barents Sea, the Labrador Sea and certain sections of the Northwest and Northeast Passages.

In the Southern Ocean, charts cover the approaches to Antarctica, the Weddell Sea and the Ross Sea.

Admiralty, Norwegian, Canadian and Danish hydrographic authorities, along with other official organisations, publish charts of these regions.

Paper nautical charts must be supplemented with up-to-date ice information, weather forecasts and Notices to Mariners.

How to Choose the Right Scale for Your Paper Nautical Chart

Chart scale determines the geographic area represented and the level of detail available.

|
Chart type

|

Main use

|
| --- | --- |
|

General chart or world chart

|

Visualising oceans and planning major routes

|
|

Passage chart

|

Navigation between countries, islands or archipelagos

|
|

Coastal chart

|

Coastal cruising and following routes along the shoreline

|
|

Approach chart

|

Entering a bay, estuary or harbour area

|
|

Harbour plan

|

Navigation in channels and harbour basins

|

A chart at a scale of 1:500,000 covers a larger geographic area than a chart at 1:25,000 but provides less detail. A cruise therefore generally requires charts at several complementary scales.

Which Nautical Chart Publishers Should You Choose?

The choice of publisher depends on the geographic area, intended use and available chart coverage.

• SHOM: The French Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service publishes official nautical charts covering the French coastline and numerous international maritime areas.

• Admiralty: Published by the UK Hydrographic Office, Admiralty charts offer particularly extensive worldwide coverage.

• Imray: A specialist publisher of nautical charts, particularly for recreational sailing and offshore navigation.

• NV Charts: A publisher offering recreational nautical charts for numerous European and international sailing destinations.

Official charts from other national hydrographic offices, including those of Canada, Norway and Japan, can provide additional coverage.

Conclusion

Searching for a paper nautical chart by geographic area makes it easier to organise your voyage preparation according to the seas, oceans, coastlines and ports along your planned route.

Whether you are sailing in the English Channel, cruising in the Mediterranean, crossing the Atlantic or embarking on a round-the-world voyage, it is essential to combine appropriate geographic coverage, complementary chart scales and up-to-date cartographic information.

Paper nautical charts remain valuable tools for voyage planning, navigation and backup, complementing electronic navigation equipment.

FAQ: Choosing a Paper Nautical Chart by Geographic Area

How can I find a paper nautical chart for a specific region?

Start by identifying the sea, ocean, country or archipelago concerned, followed by your departure and arrival ports. Then check the geographic coverage and scale of each chart to ensure your entire itinerary is covered.

Which nautical chart should I choose for an Atlantic crossing?

A general Atlantic Ocean chart allows you to plan your offshore route. It should be supplemented with detailed charts of your departure and arrival areas, such as the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and the Caribbean.

What is the difference between a general nautical chart and a coastal chart?

A general chart represents a large maritime area with a limited level of detail. A coastal chart covers a smaller area and provides more detailed information for navigation near land.

Can I use a single nautical chart to sail around the world?

A world chart is useful for visualising a global itinerary, but it does not provide sufficient detail for safe navigation in every region along the route. Ocean, coastal and detailed charts are required for the different stages of the voyage.

How can I tell whether a paper nautical chart is up to date?

Check its edition, publication date and applicable corrections. Notices to Mariners published by hydrographic offices identify changes that have occurred since the chart was published.

Is a paper nautical chart still useful if I have a GPS and chartplotter?

Yes. It allows you to plan your voyage, maintain an overview of your sailing area and retain an independent navigation reference if your electronic equipment fails.