All Nautical Guides, Pilot Books and Almanacs

Nautical guides, pilot books and almanacs are essential documentation for planning coastal navigation, a cruise, an offshore passage or a port call. Complementary to nautical charts, they provide detailed information that charts alone cannot always show: descriptions of coastlines, harbour approaches, anchorages, channels, currents, tides, navigation marks, lights, port services, radio communications and local characteristics.

The “All Nautical Guides, Pilot Books and Almanacs” category at Nautic Way Maritime Bookshop brings together different types of publications for recreational sailors, offshore sailors, fishermen, maritime professionals, sailing schools and instructors. It includes coastal navigation guides, pilot books, nautical almanacs, tide publications, lists of lights, radio signal guides and specialist publications.

Nautical Guide, Pilot Book and Almanac: What Are the Differences?

These terms are sometimes used interchangeably even though they serve different purposes.

A pilot book, also called a nautical pilot, generally describes a region, coastline or sailing area. It provides practical information about approaches, hazards, anchorages, ports, channels and local characteristics.

A nautical almanac generally contains more practical and regularly updated information: tides, currents, port information, communications, regulations or useful navigation data. Certain information, particularly annual tide data, requires a recent edition.

Sailing directions provide more institutional and technical documentation. Publications from Shom and Admiralty Sailing Directions from the UK Hydrographic Office describe coastlines, approaches, hazards and navigation conditions in a structured manner.

These three types of documentation are therefore complementary:

• the pilot describes the sailing area and explains how to approach it;

• the almanac provides practical and regularly updated data;

• sailing directions provide a technical and structured description of navigation areas.

Why Use a Nautical Guide on Board?

A nautical chart shows the position of hazards, depths, navigation marks, lights, channels and infrastructure. A guide provides the context required to interpret this information.

Before making a port call, it can be used to check the harbour entrance, identify channels, understand available anchorages and anticipate local characteristics. It can also provide information about services available ashore.

When navigating towards an unfamiliar coastline, a pilot book allows sailors to plan the landfall several hours before arrival and understand the main visual references used to identify the coast.

This complementarity is particularly useful when sailors enter an unfamiliar sailing area.

Guides and Pilot Books for the English Channel and North Sea

The English Channel and North Sea present specific conditions related to tidal ranges, currents, sandbanks, channels and heavy maritime traffic.

A nautical guide can support navigation between Dunkirk, Calais, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Dieppe, Le Havre, Cherbourg, Saint-Malo and Brest. On the British side, the same principles apply to approaches to Dover, Portsmouth, Southampton and Plymouth.

In these areas, a pilot book complements Shom or Admiralty charts particularly well. Information about tides, currents, harbour entrances and channels helps sailors plan routes according to the prevailing conditions.

Nautical Guides for the Atlantic and Bay of Biscay

The Atlantic Ocean and Bay of Biscay require planning adapted to distances, weather conditions and swell.

For navigation between La Rochelle, Royan, Bordeaux, Arcachon, Bayonne and Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a coastal guide helps prepare approaches, stopovers and potential anchorages.

Guides are also particularly useful when planning passages towards Lisbon, Porto, La Coruña, Vigo, Madeira, the Azores or the Canary Islands.

For an Atlantic crossing towards the Caribbean, navigation guides help sailors prepare the different stages of an ocean route and the intermediate stopovers.

Guides and Pilot Books for the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean has characteristics that differ from those of the English Channel. Tidal ranges are generally smaller, while local winds, terrain, swell, anchorages and approach conditions can become decisive factors.

Nautical guides help sailors plan navigation around Marseille, Toulon, Nice, Ajaccio, Bonifacio, Bastia, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Genoa, Naples or Dubrovnik.

Imray publications are widely used for many Mediterranean sailing areas. Shom, Admiralty, Imray and NV Charts can be combined with the relevant guides to provide both cartographic data and the descriptive information required to prepare stopovers.

Guides for the Caribbean and West Indies

The Caribbean is an area where detailed navigation guides are particularly valuable. Passages between Martinique, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy require good knowledge of approaches, anchorages and local characteristics.

Specialist guides can be used to plan stopovers in Fort-de-France, Le Marin, Pointe-à-Pitre, Gustavia, Marigot or Roseau.

Publications dedicated to the Caribbean can complement Shom, Admiralty, Imray or NV Charts depending on the area concerned.

Guides for Ocean Passages and World Cruising

For offshore navigation or a round-the-world voyage, documentation must cover very different geographical areas.

Jimmy Cornell's publications are particularly well known among sailors preparing ocean crossings and round-the-world voyages. They provide information useful for considering routes, seasons, stopovers and the constraints associated with long ocean passages.

A circumnavigation may require successive publications covering the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, Panama Canal, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Red Sea.

Ports such as Las Palmas, Mindelo, Fort-de-France, Panama, Papeete, Auckland, Port Louis or Cape Town may constitute major stages of an ocean itinerary.

In this context, Admiralty, Shom, Imray and NV Charts can be combined according to the areas covered and the navigator's requirements.

Nautical Almanacs and Practical Information

A nautical almanac serves a different purpose: providing practical information required for everyday navigation and port-call planning.

Depending on the publication, it may include:

• tide times and tidal coefficients;

• tidal heights;

• tidal currents;

• ports and marinas;

• port services;

• radio frequencies;

• weather information;

• rules and regulations;

• useful contact details;

• information required to prepare stopovers.

Almanacs such as Reeds, Bloc Marine and Almanach du Marin Breton are particularly useful for planning navigation in France and Europe.

Lists of Lights and Fog Signals

Lists of lights are specialist nautical publications used to identify lighthouses, lights and other visual aids to navigation.

They provide information such as light characteristics, colour, rhythm, range and sector. This information is particularly important when navigating at night or in reduced visibility.

They complement Shom, Admiralty, Imray or NV Charts and can be used to check the consistency between observations made on board and information shown on nautical charts.

Radio Signal Guides and Maritime Communications

Radio signal guides provide information required for the use of maritime radio services.

They can be used to identify coast radio stations, frequencies, available services, weather broadcasts and safety information.

This data is particularly useful during coastal navigation, harbour approaches and passages where monitoring weather information and safety warnings is essential.

Paper or Digital Format?

Guides, pilot books and almanacs are now available in different formats.

Digital documentation makes searching, storage and consultation easier on a computer or compatible system. It can be particularly practical when planning a complex itinerary or when a sailor needs to find information quickly.

Paper documentation nevertheless remains important on board. It does not depend on a battery, connection or screen and provides a valuable backup in the event of electrical or electronic failure.

For demanding navigation, paper and digital documentation can therefore be considered complementary rather than competing formats.

How to Build a Consistent Set of Nautical Documentation

Planning begins by clearly defining the sailing area and itinerary.

It is then useful to:

• identify departure, arrival and alternative ports;

• determine the coastal areas to be crossed;

• select charts appropriate to the different scales;

• choose a guide or pilot book for each important area;

• use a recent almanac for variable information;

• add specialist guides where required;

• check editions and updates before departure.

This approach avoids accumulating unnecessary documentation while retaining the information required for safety and effective stopover planning.

Documentation for Every Type of Sailor

Guides and pilot books are not only intended for experienced sailors.

A beginner can use a coastal guide to understand an unfamiliar area and prepare their first stopovers. An experienced sailor may look for detailed information about anchorages, approaches or local conditions.

An offshore sailor may favour publications dedicated to ocean passages, while professional navigators may rely more heavily on sailing directions, Admiralty publications or official documents corresponding to their sailing area.

Sailing schools and training centres can also use these publications to teach students how to plan a route and interpret different sources of nautical information.

The Importance of Keeping Nautical Documentation Updated

Nautical documentation must be kept up to date. Ports change, channels may be modified, lights can change and new hazards may appear. Administrative and port information can also evolve.

Annual information is particularly time-sensitive. Tide times, coefficients, currents, contacts and regulatory information should be checked against a recent edition.

Descriptive guides generally remain useful for longer, but their publication date and available corrections should also be checked.

Keeping nautical documentation up to date directly contributes to the quality of navigation planning.

Conclusion

Nautical guides, pilot books and almanacs form an essential set of documentation for effectively planning coastal navigation, cruises, ocean passages and port calls.

Their roles are complementary: the nautical chart provides the geographical representation and cartographic data, the pilot describes coastlines and approaches, while the almanac brings together practical and regularly updated information.

From the French coastline of the English Channel and Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean coasts, from the Caribbean islands to the major routes of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, publications from Shom, Admiralty, Imray, NV Charts, Reeds, Almanach du Marin Breton, Bloc Marine and Jimmy Cornell make it possible to build documentation suited to each sailing programme.

Well-chosen nautical documentation helps sailors plan routes more effectively, anticipate local conditions, improve the safety of harbour approaches and organize stopovers, while maintaining a clear view of the information required for navigation.

FAQ – Nautical Guides, Pilot Books and Almanacs

What is the difference between a nautical guide and a pilot book?

The two terms are often closely related. A pilot book generally describes a coastal area with detailed information about approaches, anchorages, ports, hazards and local characteristics. A nautical guide may have a broader approach or focus on a particular region or type of navigation.

What is the difference between a pilot book and a nautical almanac?

A pilot book primarily describes a sailing area and its characteristics. An almanac contains more practical data such as tides, currents, port information, radio frequencies and other information required for navigation. The two documents are complementary.

Can a nautical guide replace a nautical chart?

No. A guide or pilot book complements a nautical chart. The chart provides the cartographic information required for navigation, while the guide provides descriptions and practical information about coastlines, ports, anchorages and approaches.

Which guide should I choose for sailing in Brittany?

For Brittany, a guide or almanac covering the Atlantic coast and English Channel can be selected according to the planned itinerary. Almanach du Marin Breton is, in particular, a well-known reference for many passages along the French coast.

Which guide should I use for the Mediterranean?

The choice depends on the sailing area: Corsica, Sardinia, the Balearic Islands, Italy, the Adriatic or the western Mediterranean. Specialist publications, particularly from Imray, can complement Shom, Admiralty or NV Charts.

Do I need an almanac for an Atlantic crossing?

An almanac can be useful for information about stopovers, ports, tides and services. For an ocean passage, it is also important to have documentation specifically dedicated to route planning, weather and seasonal conditions.

Should I renew a nautical almanac every year?

For publications containing annual data, particularly tides, currents, regulations or port information, a recent edition is strongly recommended. Descriptive guides can often be retained longer, depending on their publication date and available corrections.

Are nautical guides available in digital format?

Yes. Many nautical guides and publications are available in digital format. They allow quick consultation on compatible devices and can complement paper documentation carried on board.

Why keep a paper guide on board?

A paper guide can be consulted without electrical power, an internet connection or a battery. It therefore provides useful redundancy in the event of electronic system failure and also facilitates detailed planning of a port call at the chart table.

Which publishers produce nautical guides?

Depending on the area and type of navigation, publications are available from Shom, Admiralty, Imray, NV Charts, Reeds, Almanach du Marin Breton, Bloc Marine, Jimmy Cornell and various specialist publishers.

Which guide should I choose for a round-the-world sailing voyage?

For a round-the-world voyage, documentation should be selected according to the different sailing areas and stages. Publications dedicated to ocean passages, including those by Jimmy Cornell, can be complemented by regional pilot books and hydrographic publications covering each area.

Are pilot books only intended for recreational sailors?

No. Although they are widely used by recreational sailors, certain technical publications are also intended for professional navigators, maritime schools, instructors and crews preparing for specialist passages.