Overview

​​​ADMIRALTY Sailing Directions (Pilots) provide essential information to support port entry and coastal navigation for all classes of ships at sea. Split across 76 volumes, coverage includes the world’s main commercial shipping routes and ports. ​​​

Each volume of Sailing Directions offers:​​

  • Information on navigational hazards, buoyage, pilotage, regulations, general notes on countries​, port facilities, seasonal currents, ice and climatic conditions. This information, when used alongside official ADMIRALTY charts, can help to increase situational awareness on the bridge
  • ​​​High quality diagrams and photography to help bridge-crews understand critical information during the passage planning stage
  • Worldwide official coverage to support safe and comp​liant navigation within main commercial shipping routes and ports. This coverage is split across 76 volumes for purchase flexibility

Also available as an ADMIRALTY e-Nautical Publicatio​n

In addition to paper format, each volume of ADMIRALTY Sailing Directions is available as an ADMIRALTY e-Nautical Publication (AENP). AENPs bring improved efficiency, accuracy and access to information bridge crews need through electronic NM updates and simple search functionality.

Find out more about AENPs

Updates

We provide regular ADMIRALTY Notices to Mariners (NMs) to help you ensure your ADMIRALTY publications are maintained and up-to-date with the latest safety critical information.

These weekly NMs can be downloaded for free from our website, or the paper bulletin can be bought from your ADMIRALTY Distributor.

View and download the latest NMs here

Buy Sailing Directions

To find out more information or to organise purchase, please contact your ADMIRALTY Distributor. If you don’t have a preferred distributor, you can search a list of worldwide, experienced and trusted distributors on our find an ADMIRALTY Distributor page​.

The ADMIRALTY Digital Catalogue (ADC) can also provide you with a comprehensive reference of all ADMIRALTY products and services.

Find an ADMIRALTY Distributor

Documentation

Sailing Directions status
Sailing Directions Coverage Diagram

Related publications

ADMIRALTY e-Nautical Publications
ADMIRALTY Mariner's Handbook (NP100)
ADMIRALTY Nautical Almanac (NP314)
Sign up to test an early version of ADMIRALTY Digital Sailing Directions

By joining us to test an early version of ADMIRALTY Digital Sailing Directions, you will gain exclusive early access while helping shape a tool designed to enhance situational awareness, simplify planning, and support safe, compliant and efficient navigation worldwide.

Join the testing programme