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{{Short description|Details of routes for coastal navigation}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Multiple issues|
{| class="infobox bordered" style="width: 17em; text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"
|+ style="font-size: larger;" | '''Sailing Directions'''
{{Cleanup|reason=specific vs. general Sailing Directions is not clear|date=April 2018}}
{{External links|date=March 2023}}
|-
{{More citations needed|date=March 2023}}
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Image:Sailing-directions-thumb.jpg|175px|]]<br />A sample Sailing Directions page.
}}
|-
! Purpose:
| Describe features of ocean basins, coastlines, ports, and harbors
|-
! Publication Frequency:
| Irregular
|-
! Published by:
| [[National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency]]
|-
! Available Online:
| All volumes [http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/maritime/]
|-
| colspan="2" style="font-size: smaller;" |
|}
'''''Sailing Directions''''' is a 42-volume American [[navigation]] publication published by the [[National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency]] (NGA). ''Sailing Directions'' consists of 37 Enroute volumes, 4 Planning Guide volumes, and 1 volume combining both types. Planning Guides describe general features of ocean basins and country-specific information such as firing areas, pilotage requirements, regulations, search and rescue information, ship reporting systems, and time zones, to name a few; Enroutes describe features of coastlines, ports, and harbors.


== General information ==
''Sailing Directions'' are updated when new data requires extensive revision of an existing text. These data are obtained from several sources, including, but not limited to, pilots and ''Sailing Directions'' from other countries.
'''Sailing Directions''' are volumes published by various National Hydrographic Offices or Coast Guard Agencies which provide essential information to support port entry and coastal navigation for all classes of ships at sea. Sailing directions are part of the carriage requirements defined by the [[SOLAS Convention|SOLAS]] Convention.


== Content ==
One book comprises the ''Planning Guide and Enroute for [[Antarctica]]''. This consolidation allows for a more effective presentation of material on this unique area.
Sailing Directions contain information on countries, navigational hazards, buoyage, pilotage, regulations, anchorages and port facilities, seasonal currents, ice and climatic conditions. Diagrams and photos are included to help identifying places through textual description during coastal navigation and to support the passage planning stage. This information, when used alongside official navigational charts, will provide context and can help to increase the situational awareness of the bridge team'''.'''


Sailing directions, also known as Pilots, provide the local knowledge and awareness which would typically be provided by a local marine pilot.
''Sailing Directions (Planning Guide)'' and ''Sailing Directions (Enroute)'' are frequently updated. In early 2005, NGA discontinued production of these publications in printed form; subsequent editions were distributed in digital form only. Between editions, Sailing Directions are corrected via a binary patch process referred to as Publication Data Update (PDU).


== History ==
==Sailing Directions (Planning Guide)==
The oldest sailing directions, dating back to the middle ages, descended directly from the Greek and Roman [[Periplus|periplii]]: in classical times, in the absence of real nautical charts, navigation was carried out using books that described the coast, not necessarily intended for navigation, but more often consisting of reports of previous voyages, or celebrations of the deeds of leaders or rulers.
[[Image:SDLIMITS.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Overview of Sailing Directions coverage. The numbers in the squares indicate the individual ''Planning Guide'' coverage areas.]]
''Planning Guide'' volumes assist the navigator in planning an extensive
oceanic voyage, as well as giving information on individual countries that is applicable to all ports in those countries. Each of the ''Planning Guides'' covers an area determined by an arbitrary division of the world’s seas.


They were known as Portolani (singular: [[Portolan chart|Portolano]]) which derives from the latin word ''portus'' which means port. Their introduction dates back to the 13th century, first in Italy and then in Spain.
Individual ''Planning Guides'' are divided into Countries and Ocean Basins, as follows:
#''Pub. 120''--51 Countries and 1 Ocean Basin (Pacific Ocean).
#''Pub. 140''--86 Countries and 6 Ocean Basins (Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and North Sea/English Channel).
#''Pub. 160''--61 Countries and 3 Ocean Basins (Indian Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean, and Red Sea/Persian Gulf).
#''Pub. 180''--5 Countries and 1 Ocean Basin (Arctic Ocean).


Unlike nautical charts, of which there are no traces in the Greek and Roman era and of which the first examples date back to the 13th century, the [[periplus]] and, subsequently, the portolani make use of an uninterrupted and substantially unchanged tradition that derives from centuries of use and experience. The oldest example of a portolano for the Mediterranean Sea is the Periplus of [[Scylax of Caryanda|Scylax of Carianda]].
Country entries may contain information on the following subjects—Buoyage Systems, Currency, Firing Areas, Fishing Areas, Government, Holidays, Ice, Industries, Languages, Mined Areas, Navigational Information (to include maritime claims, [[maritime boundary]] disputes, and enroute volumes), Offshore Drilling, Pilotage, Pollution, Prohibited Areas, Regulations, Restricted Areas, Search and Resuce, Signals, Submarine Operating Areas, Time Zone, Traffic Separation Schemes, U.S. Embassy, and Vessel Traffic Services. Information that cannot be accurately depicted within the alphabeticized Country text may be listed as an Appendix at the end of the Country text.


The [[Compasso da navegare]], created by an anonymous Italian and written in the [[Mediterranean Lingua Franca|Sabir language]], the Mediterranean lingua franca, dates back to the Middle Ages. The medievalistso date it back to the mid-13th century based on philological comparisons with other versions of the same text. The term compasso probably dates back to the Latin verb ''compassare'', or ''to measure in steps'', while the connection to the [[Compass (drawing tool)|compass]] (divider) itself, as an instrument for measuring distances, is not excluded.
Ocean Basin entries may contain information on the following subjects—Climatology, Currents, Fishing Areas, Geophysical Features, Ice, Ionospheric Disturbance, Magnetic Field, Meteoroloy, Mined Areas, Navigational Information, Optical Phenomenon, Pilotage, Pollution, Regulations, Routes, Seas, Ship Reporting Systems, Tides, and Surface Temperatures.


Among the other important portolan charts created between the 13th and 15th centuries, we can mention the oldest example for offshore navigation in the Atlantic Ocean, created for routes from Scandinavia to the large islands in the north of the Ocean, dating back to the mid-13th century and belonging to the [[:it:Codice_Valedemar|Valedemar Code]]; and the first French portolan chart regarding the Mediterranean Sea, called ''Le grant routier,'' and written in 1485 but then reproduced, on several occasions, until 1643.
==Sailing Directions (Enroute)==
<div style="float:right; width: 210px;">
[[Image:Bowditch-fig-404-a.png|right|thumb|200px|Figure 404a. Sector Limits graphic.]]
[[Image:Bowditch-fig-404-b.png|right|thumb|200px|Figure 404b. Chart Information graphic. Additional chart coverage may be found in NGA/DLIS Catalog of Maps, Charts, and Related Products (Unlimited Distribution).]]<br />
[[Image:SDLIMITS.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Overview of Sailing Directions coverage. Solid lines indicate boundaries of individual ''Enroute'' volumes.]]
</div>
Each '''Sailing Directions (Enroute)''' volume contains numbered sections along a coast or through a strait. '''Figure 404a''' illustrates this division. Each sector is discussed in turn. A preface with detailed information about
authorities, references, and conventions used in each book precedes the sector discussions. Finally, each book provides conversions between feet, fathoms, and meters.


The texts dating back to the aforementioned periods were not accompanied by nautical charts, except for some drawings of the coastal profiles, printed or inserted later between the pages. With the advent of geographical explorations in the fifteenth century in Spain and Portugal, portolan charts were covered by [[:fr:Secret_d'État|state secrecy]]<!-- possible wikilink: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_d%27%C3%89tat -->.
The Chart Information Graphic, the first item in each chapter, is a graphic key for charts pertaining to a sector. See '''Figure 404b'''. The graduation of the border scale of the chartlet enables navigators to identify the largest scale chart for a location and to find a feature listed in the Index-Gazetteer.
These graphics are not maintained by Notice to Mariners; one should refer to the chart catalog for updated chart listings.


The other nautical charts of the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, mostly handwritten on parchments called ''portolaniche'', sometimes not bound, sometimes collected in [[Atlas|atlases]], were accompanied by extensive descriptive legends of particular features of the coast, and instructions for the seafarer. These maps were drawn without taking into account the curvature of the Earth and had rhumb lines on them: this made them unsuitable for use as a guide when crossing an ocean. They were instead useful when navigating in small seas, such as the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
Other graphics may contain special information on local winds and weather, anchorages, significant coastal features, and navigation dangers.


The first portolan with nautical charts is ''De Spieghel der Zeevaerdt'', published between 1583 and 1584 by the Dutchman [[Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer]] who, in order to expand the market for his product to all the navies of Europe, translated it into French, English and German. Waghenaer's work was so well done that the English Admiralty commissioned a remake of it from [[Sir Anthony Ashley, 1st Baronet|Sir Anthony Ashley]], who produced ''The Mariners' Mirrour'', published around 1588 and later released in a French edition with the name ''Du Miroir de la navigation'' in 1590.
A foreign terms glossary and a comprehensive Index-Gazetteer follow the sector discussions.


Throughout the 17th century, large portolan-atlases were used in Europe, usually of Dutch production even if derived from foreign maps, in several volumes covering the entire globe, which included a detailed description of the coasts from port to port, accompanied by rudimentary views of the coast inserted in the text, as well as nautical charts at variable scales.
The Index-Gazetteer is an alphabetical listing of described and charted features. The Index lists each feature by geographic coordinates and sector number.


Only in the 18th century was the portolano definitively distinguished from the nautical chart: the charts were mainly grouped together in atlases of regional size, and the portolano took on the value it has today, that is, a nautical document produced by official cartographic bodies.
==Source==

The text of this article originated from sections 402 to 404 of The [[American Practical Navigator]], a document produced by the government of the [[United States|United States of America]] and amended by Marine Analysts at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
== Sailing Directions Today ==
Many nations publish Sailing Directions for their home waters and in foreign waters, where they are the designated by the [[International Hydrographic Organization|International Hydrographic Organization's]] (IHO) as the Primary Charting Authority. Neighbouring countries or other countries where there is a national interest are also often covered with a few Hydrographic Offices offering a worldwide coverage. Volumes are usually published in the national language but many countries publish also an equivalent English version.
Some nations make their own volumes available for free download, while others sell them directly or through agents.

Depending on the producing authority, Sailing directions are available as subscriptions, hard copies or digital versions; in order to maintain compliance, the content is maintained up to date by regular updates and new editions.

The recommendations for Sailing Directions are contained under the [https://iho.int/en/miscellaneous-publications M-3 Resolutions of the IHO] publication.

== Sources ==
The text of this article originated from sections 402 to 404 of the ''[[American Practical Navigator]]'', a document produced by the government of the [[United States|United States of America]] and amended by marine analysts at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Following comments about being too specific, the article is currently (2024) being made more general by senior editors at [[:it:Istituto_idrografico_della_Marina|Istituto Idrografico della Marina]] and the [[United Kingdom Hydrographic Office|UK Hydrographic Office]], avoiding references to specific products and adding the history of the product from other Wikipedia entries as well as more references.

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Carta Pisana.png|''Carta Pisana'', 1296.
File:Portolan chart by Albino de Canepa 1489.jpg|Portolan Chart by Albino de Canepa, 1489.
File:Europe Mediterranean Catalan Atlas.jpeg|Part of the Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques, 1375, National French Library.
File:Jorge Aguiar 1492 MR.jpg|Portuguese Portolan by Jorge de Aguiar (1492), Yale University.
</gallery>


==See also==
==See also==
{{Portal|Nautical}}
*[[American Practical Navigator]]
*[[American Practical Navigator]]
*[[Australian Pilot]]
*[[Buoy]]
*[[Buoy]]
*[[Coast Pilots]]
*[[Coast Pilots|United States Coast Pilots]]
*[[Light List]]
*[[Light List]]
*[[List of Lights]]
*[[List of Lights]]
Line 73: Line 64:
*[[Notice to Mariners]]
*[[Notice to Mariners]]


==External links==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
* [http://www.irbs.com/bowditch/pdf/chapt04.pdf Chapter 4: Nautical Publications] - from the online edition of [[Nathaniel Bowditch]]'s ''American Practical Navigator''
* [http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/maritime/?epi_menuItemID=35ad5b8aabcefa1a0fc133443927a759&epi_menuID=e106a3b5e50edce1fec24fd73927a759&epi_baseMenuID=e106a3b5e50edce1fec24fd73927a759 All Enroute and Planning Guide volumes for PDF download]
* [http://msi.nga.mil/MSISiteContent/StaticFiles/NAV_PUBS/SD/PubXYZ/PubXYZbk.pdf Fast direct download of individual volumes - replace XYZ with Pub. Number] <!-- this would be much better handled by a table of individual links -->


==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061016164246/http://www.irbs.com/bowditch/pdf/chapt04.pdf Chapter 4: Nautical Publications] - from the online edition of [[Nathaniel Bowditch]]'s ''[[American Practical Navigator]]''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150926192508/http://msi.nga.mil/MSISiteContent/StaticFiles/SD_PDU_Summary.htm All Enroute and Planning Guide volumes for PDF download]
* [https://msi.nga.mil/Publications/SDEnroute National Geospatial–Intelligence Agency ''Sailing Directions Enroute'']
* [https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publications/coast-pilot/index.html United States Coast Pilots] These volumes correspond to the Sailing Directions in the United States and Territories
* [https://nauticalfree.eu5.org/type.html#TYPE:SD List of Sailing Directions available online (Nautical Free)]


{{Navigation publications}}
{{Navigation publications}}
{{Works about sailing}}
{{Works about sailing}}


[[Category:Navigation]]
[[Category:Marine navigation]]
[[Category:Hydrography]]
[[Category:Hydrography]]
[[Category:Sailing books]]
[[Category:Sailing books]]


[[de:Seehandbuch]]
[[es:Derrotero]]
[[es:Derrotero]]
[[fr:instructions nautiques]]
[[it:portolano]]
[[nl:Zeemansgids]]
[[pl:Locja]]
[[pl:Locja]]
[[pt:Roteiro de navegação]]

Latest revision as of 01:45, 9 November 2024

General information

[edit]

Sailing Directions are volumes published by various National Hydrographic Offices or Coast Guard Agencies which provide essential information to support port entry and coastal navigation for all classes of ships at sea. Sailing directions are part of the carriage requirements defined by the SOLAS Convention.

Content

[edit]

Sailing Directions contain information on countries, navigational hazards, buoyage, pilotage, regulations, anchorages and port facilities, seasonal currents, ice and climatic conditions. Diagrams and photos are included to help identifying places through textual description during coastal navigation and to support the passage planning stage. This information, when used alongside official navigational charts, will provide context and can help to increase the situational awareness of the bridge team.

Sailing directions, also known as Pilots, provide the local knowledge and awareness which would typically be provided by a local marine pilot.

History

[edit]

The oldest sailing directions, dating back to the middle ages, descended directly from the Greek and Roman periplii: in classical times, in the absence of real nautical charts, navigation was carried out using books that described the coast, not necessarily intended for navigation, but more often consisting of reports of previous voyages, or celebrations of the deeds of leaders or rulers.

They were known as Portolani (singular: Portolano) which derives from the latin word portus which means port. Their introduction dates back to the 13th century, first in Italy and then in Spain.

Unlike nautical charts, of which there are no traces in the Greek and Roman era and of which the first examples date back to the 13th century, the periplus and, subsequently, the portolani make use of an uninterrupted and substantially unchanged tradition that derives from centuries of use and experience. The oldest example of a portolano for the Mediterranean Sea is the Periplus of Scylax of Carianda.

The Compasso da navegare, created by an anonymous Italian and written in the Sabir language, the Mediterranean lingua franca, dates back to the Middle Ages. The medievalistso date it back to the mid-13th century based on philological comparisons with other versions of the same text. The term compasso probably dates back to the Latin verb compassare, or to measure in steps, while the connection to the compass (divider) itself, as an instrument for measuring distances, is not excluded.

Among the other important portolan charts created between the 13th and 15th centuries, we can mention the oldest example for offshore navigation in the Atlantic Ocean, created for routes from Scandinavia to the large islands in the north of the Ocean, dating back to the mid-13th century and belonging to the Valedemar Code; and the first French portolan chart regarding the Mediterranean Sea, called Le grant routier, and written in 1485 but then reproduced, on several occasions, until 1643.

The texts dating back to the aforementioned periods were not accompanied by nautical charts, except for some drawings of the coastal profiles, printed or inserted later between the pages. With the advent of geographical explorations in the fifteenth century in Spain and Portugal, portolan charts were covered by state secrecy.

The other nautical charts of the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, mostly handwritten on parchments called portolaniche, sometimes not bound, sometimes collected in atlases, were accompanied by extensive descriptive legends of particular features of the coast, and instructions for the seafarer. These maps were drawn without taking into account the curvature of the Earth and had rhumb lines on them: this made them unsuitable for use as a guide when crossing an ocean. They were instead useful when navigating in small seas, such as the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

The first portolan with nautical charts is De Spieghel der Zeevaerdt, published between 1583 and 1584 by the Dutchman Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer who, in order to expand the market for his product to all the navies of Europe, translated it into French, English and German. Waghenaer's work was so well done that the English Admiralty commissioned a remake of it from Sir Anthony Ashley, who produced The Mariners' Mirrour, published around 1588 and later released in a French edition with the name Du Miroir de la navigation in 1590.

Throughout the 17th century, large portolan-atlases were used in Europe, usually of Dutch production even if derived from foreign maps, in several volumes covering the entire globe, which included a detailed description of the coasts from port to port, accompanied by rudimentary views of the coast inserted in the text, as well as nautical charts at variable scales.

Only in the 18th century was the portolano definitively distinguished from the nautical chart: the charts were mainly grouped together in atlases of regional size, and the portolano took on the value it has today, that is, a nautical document produced by official cartographic bodies.

Sailing Directions Today

[edit]

Many nations publish Sailing Directions for their home waters and in foreign waters, where they are the designated by the International Hydrographic Organization's (IHO) as the Primary Charting Authority. Neighbouring countries or other countries where there is a national interest are also often covered with a few Hydrographic Offices offering a worldwide coverage. Volumes are usually published in the national language but many countries publish also an equivalent English version. Some nations make their own volumes available for free download, while others sell them directly or through agents.

Depending on the producing authority, Sailing directions are available as subscriptions, hard copies or digital versions; in order to maintain compliance, the content is maintained up to date by regular updates and new editions.

The recommendations for Sailing Directions are contained under the M-3 Resolutions of the IHO publication.

Sources

[edit]

The text of this article originated from sections 402 to 404 of the American Practical Navigator, a document produced by the government of the United States of America and amended by marine analysts at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Following comments about being too specific, the article is currently (2024) being made more general by senior editors at Istituto Idrografico della Marina and the UK Hydrographic Office, avoiding references to specific products and adding the history of the product from other Wikipedia entries as well as more references.

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]