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District 1 NR Division 9 Flotilla 5
 Northampton, Massachusetts

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Useful Navigation Publications

 

Description and Links

Navigation Rules:  Contains complete sets of the Inland and International Rules which govern the behavior of all vessels.  Click on this link to go to the USCG NAVCEN NavRules Download Page.

Chart Catalogs list all the official government charts published in a particular area, such as a state or region of the US covered by that particular catalog. The catalogs can be quite useful when planning a trip to make sure you have the most appropriate charts for your needs. Click on this link to go to NOAA's State Chart Catalog Page.

Dates of Latest Editions:  To make sure the charts you have are the most recent, check NOAA's Dates of Latest Editions Page.  This page is updated daily.

Light Lists are documents that contain a list of lights, sound signals, buoys, daybeacons, and other aids to navigation.  The front matter contains useful explanations about the Aids to Navigation System.  These documents are updated via the Local Notice to Mariner.  To view or download the Light List for your area of interest click on the Coast Guard's NAVCEN Light List Page and follow the directions there.

The United States Coast Pilottm consists of a series of nautical books that cover a variety of information important to navigators of coastal and intracoastal waters and the Great Lakes. Issued in nine volumes, they contain supplemental information that is difficult to portray on a nautical chart. Topics in the Coast Pilot include channel descriptions, anchorages, bridge and cable clearances, currents, tide and water levels, prominent features, pilotage, towage, weather, ice conditions, wharf descriptions, dangers, routes, traffic separation schemes, small-craft facilities, and Federal regulations applicable to navigation.  Coast Pilot 1 covers the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, and part of Massachusetts, from West Quoddy Head in Maine to Provincetown in Massachusetts. Major ports are at Portsmouth, NH and Boston MA. Click on this link to go to NOAA's Coast Pilot Download Page.

Chart No. 1 Nautical Chart Symbols, Abbreviations and Terms is a reference publication depicting basic chart elements and explains nautical chart symbols and abbreviations associated with National Ocean Service and Defense Mapping Agency charts. It is a valuable aid for new chart users and a useful tool for all mariners. Click on this link to go to the  Chart 1 Download Page at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency's website.

The American Practical Navigator, first published in 1802, was billed as the "epitome of navigation" by its original author, Nathaniel Bowditch. The text has evolved with the advances in navigation practices since that first issue and continues to serve as a valuable reference for marine navigation in the modern day. This document is quite large and not intended for the casual reader.  Click on this link to go to the American Practical Navigator Download Page at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency's website.
 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Cover of NavRules Document

Cover of Chart Catalog, Vol 1

USCG Aux Graphic of New London Light

 

Cover of Coast Pilot 1, Lighthouse with bay

 

 

 

Cover of Chart 1

Cover of American Practical Navigator

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                                 Last Updated 25 Dec 2007