What nautical charts, coastal pilots, and books should you take with you to travel around the world?

Setting off to sail around the world is a dream shared by countless sailors. But before hoisting the sails, you must prepare the boat’s brain: charts, pilots, nautical instructions, and all the logbooks.

A well-thought-out onboard library—whether paper or digital—is a true asset for safety and autonomy. It enables you to plan, anticipate, and react in remote conditions, far from any internet connection.

This article provides a practical, detailed overview of marine charts, coastal and ocean pilots, technical navigation, maintenance, and safety manuals, as well as essential digital resources for a world voyage.

1. Nautical Charts: The Foundation of Every Navigation System

1.1. Why Paper Charts Remain Indispensable

Even in the GPS era of multifunction plotters and electronic charts (Navionics, C-Map, etc.), paper charts remain the legal reference and the best backup in case of equipment failure.

They allow you to:

• Verify your position independently of electronics

• Anticipate areas with poor coverage or georeferencing errors

• Understand overall geography (reliefs, currents, approaches)

For a circumnavigation, you don’t carry every chart—just a coherent set covering major ocean basins and planned stopovers.

1.2. French SHOM Charts

The Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine (SHOM) produces high-quality charts recognized worldwide. However, in recent years SHOM has limited publication to waters under French jurisdiction.

For a world voyage, two types are useful:

• General and route charts (scale 1:3,000,000 to 1:10,000,000) for transoceanic planning (e.g. SHOM series 7000)

• Coastal navigation charts (1:100,000 to 1:300,000) for anchorages and approaches

Recommended SHOM charts:

• 7001 – General World Maritime Chart (Atlantic, Indian & Pacific Oceans)

• 7202 – North Atlantic Ocean – Main Routes

• 7203 – Indian Ocean – Main Routes

• 7210 – South Pacific Ocean – Main Routes

These can be ordered directly from Nautic Way’s online store.

1.3. British Admiralty Charts

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) publishes Admiralty Charts—the world standard among English-speaking sailors—covering virtually every area of the globe.

Advantages:

• Exceptional precision and frequent updates

• Organized regional sets (e.g. Caribbean, South Pacific)

Examples:

• Admiralty 4011 – World Chart Atlas

• Admiralty 5500 – North Atlantic Ocean – General Routes

• Admiralty 5501–5520 – Coastal and piloting charts for the Caribbean and Atlantic Islands

Many bluewater sailors combine SHOM and Admiralty charts, depending on their navigation zones and onboard working language.

1.4. American NOAA and NGA Charts

NOAA Charts (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) mainly cover U.S. waters (East and West Coasts, Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. Caribbean).
NGA Charts (National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency) cover international waters but are no longer updated in paper form. When purchasing, you must update them using the official Notices to Mariners.

1.5. Imray and NV Charts

Private publishers such as Imray (UK), Navicarte (France), and NV Charts (Germany) offer consistent paper and digital sets for coastal and offshore navigation.

• Imray Series (A–G): Mediterranean, Atlantic, Caribbean, South Pacific

• NV Charts: integrate with the NV Plotter app and come in regional packs (Caribbean, Bahamas, etc.)

These private charts are based on official hydrographic data from SHOM or UKHO.

1.6. Practical Tip: Managing Weight and Updates

Carrying enough charts for a circumnavigation can add up to several kilos of paper.

Keep charts on board organized by ocean basin. Local chart printing can be tricky: chandlers usually stock only local, sometimes outdated charts, and maritime bookstores like Nautic Way mostly sell online. Once cruising, finding updated paper charts can become difficult.

2. Coastal and Ocean Pilots: The Art of Knowing the Waters

Pilots (or Sailing Directions) describe ports, anchorages, currents, hazards, and formalities. They are the ocean sailor’s indispensable companions.

2.1. Major International Publishers

a) RCC Pilotage Foundation (UK)
Publishes a renowned collection including:

• Atlantic Crossing Guide (Anne Hammick) – the ultimate Atlantic reference

• South Pacific Anchorages (Warwick Clay) – the Pacific sailor’s bible

• Indian Ocean Cruising Guide (Rod Heikell) – essential for routes to Africa or Asia

• Pacific Crossing Notes (RCCF) – routes, weather, and stopovers

b) Imray & Rod Heikell
Rod and Lucinda Heikell have written many highly regarded Imray guides:

• Mediterranean Cruising Handbook

• Ocean Passages & Landfalls (with Andy O’Grady)

• Greek Waters Pilot, Turkish Waters & Cyprus Pilot, etc.

c) Admiralty Sailing Directions (UKHO)
Admiralty Pilots, numbered NP1 to NP136, cover every ocean and sea:

• NP100 – The Mariners Handbook

• NP286 – North Atlantic Ocean – Pilot

• NP32 – Pacific Islands Pilot
  Highly technical but professional-grade references.

d) U.S. NGA Sailing Directions
Free PDFs from the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, covering the entire world.

2.2. French-Language Pilots

a) SHOM Nautical Instructions
Detailed descriptions of coasts, ports, and hazards. Examples:

• D2 – French Coasts, Eastern Channel

• D42 – West African Coasts

• D66 – West Indies to French Guiana

b) Local and Private Guides

• Bloc Marine: essential for French, Portuguese, and Spanish coasts

• Guide Côtier (Éditions du Plaisancier): comprehensive Mediterranean coverage

• Guides Escales (Jean-Yves Bernot et al.): excellent for tropical anchorages

2.3. Choosing Pilots for a World Voyage

A balanced selection includes:

• Atlantic Crossing Guide (RCC)

• Ocean Passages for the World (Admiralty NP136)

• South Pacific Anchorages (Clay)

• Indian Ocean Cruising Guide (Heikell)

• NGA Sailing Directions for lesser-known areas
  And for regional cruising:

• Bloc Marine (Europe)

• Imray Guides (Caribbean, Pacific, Oceania)

• SHOM Instructions (Africa, West Indies, Polynesia)

3. Navigation Books: Technique, Weather, Astronomy, Electronics

3.1. Navigation and Seamanship

• Cours des Glénans – the modern sailing bible

• Jean Merrien – Manuel du navigateur

• David Burch – Modern Marine Navigation

• Bowditch: The American Practical Navigator (free PDF, NGA)

• Jimmy Cornell – World Cruising Routes

3.2. Marine Meteorology

• Jean-Yves Bernot – Météo marine et stratégie de navigation

• Admiralty NP100 – Weather section

• Alan Watts – Instant Weather Forecasting

• Frank Singleton – Weather at Sea

3.3. Celestial Navigation and Non-Electronic Backup

Essential backup tools:

• SHOM Astronomical Navigation Manual

• Nautical Almanac (UKHO or USNO)

• Tables HO-249 or Pub.229

• Quality sextant (Plath, Astra IIIB, Tamaya)

4. Maintenance, Mechanics, and Marine Electricity

4.1. General Maintenance

• Nigel Calder – Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual

• Nigel Calder – Marine Diesel Engines

• Emmanuel de la Cuesta – Le moteur diesel marin

• Dave Gerr – The Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Repair Book

• Christian Desmares – L’entretien du voilier

4.2. Rigging, Sails, and Structure

• Brion Toss – The Rigger’s Apprentice

• Éric Tabarly – Construire un voilier

• Don Casey – Sailboat Hull and Deck Repair

4.3. Electricity and Electronics

• Nigel Calder – Boatowner’s Electrical Handbook

• Adrien Bernasconi – Électricité marine pratique

• Hugo Montgomery-Swan – Marine Electronics Bible

5. Safety, Survival, Medicine, and Regulations

5.1. Onboard Safety

• Admiralty NP100 – Safety and COLREG sections

• FFVoile – Manuel de sécurité pour la plaisance hauturière

• RYA – Sea Survival Handbook (Keith Colwell)

• Jean-Yves Chauve – Médecin de la mer

• MCA – Ship Captain’s Medical Guide (free online)

5.2. Medicine and First Aid

• Dr. Chauve – Guide de la médecine à bord

• First Aid at Sea (Douglas Justins)

• Médecine tropicale de terrain (P. Brasseur)

6. Administrative and Regulatory Documents

For a world voyage, official documentation is essential:

• COLREG – International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea

• IALA Maritime Buoyage System

• Radio licenses and ship’s station documents (MMSI, certificates)

• Logbook – mandatory and valuable for recording passages and incidents

• Maintenance log and technical inventory

7. Digital Resources and Modern Tools

7.1. Electronic Charts and Apps

• Navionics Boating App – global vector charts

• C-Map Embark – with integrated weather

• OpenCPN – free, open-source navigation software

• SAS Planet, OvitalMap, TimeZero – planning and visualization tools

7.2. Weather and Routing

• PredictWind, Windy, SailGrib WR, ZYGrib – GRIB-based routing tools

• NOAA OPC, Météo-France Marine, MetOffice UK – official forecasts

7.3. Digital Onboard Library

Store on tablet or external drive:

• PDFs of charts and pilots (NOAA, NGA, SHOM)

• Technical manuals (Calder, Heikell, Cornell)

• Maintenance and safety checklists

Backup on two separate drives (SSD, USB) plus a cloud service (Starlink, Iridium Go, etc.).

8. Practical Onboard Organization

9. Books for the Spirit of the Voyage

Even the most technical sailor needs inspiration. A few timeless classics:

• Bernard Moitessier – The Long Way

• Joshua Slocum – Sailing Alone Around the World

• Olivier de Kersauson – Ocean’s Song

• Jimmy Cornell – World Cruising Routes

• Robin Knox-Johnston – A World of My Own

These remind us that the sea is not only a matter of technique, but also of freedom, humility, and beauty.

10. Conclusion: A Living, Evolving Knowledge System

Sailing around the world requires solid yet pragmatic documentation.
The goal is not to accumulate kilos of paper, but to know exactly where to find each critical piece of information—reliable charts, up-to-date pilots, navigation, maintenance, and safety references.

In summary:

Once your base collection is ready, each stop becomes a chance to refine it—buy a local pilot, update a chart, or try a new weather app.

The modern sailor balances tradition and innovation: pencil on paper charts and GPS screens coexist harmoniously.

It’s this dual mastery—reading the sea both on paper and on screen—that makes a world voyage truly rich.

Fair winds and following seas!