Navigating officers are required to know what are the nautical charts and the nautical publications are required when making a passage plan onboard a ship. This slide show explains how to select chart & publications with the aid of NP 131.

1. How to select nautical charts &
Publications from NP 131
(Admiralty chart catalogue) for a
passage
Shane Sankaranarayana 1

2. 1st let’s learn how to select
charts
Shane Sankaranarayana 2

3. Example
• How to select charts are explained with an example.
• It is always better to refer this slide show with a NP 131.
• Then, practice with few more ports until you are confident enough.
Shane Sankaranarayana 3

4. Example
Question
Find the charts required from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Durban, South Africa.
• Take the latitude and longitude of Durban and Colombo from the Norie's
Nautical tables.
• Round it to the nearest degree:
❑Colombo : 07⁰ N, 080⁰ E
❑Durban : 30⁰ S, 031⁰ E
• Turn to the Part 1 of the catalogue.
Shane Sankaranarayana 4

5. Shane Sankaranarayana 5

6. Part 1 of the catalogue
• The world is divided in to number of ‘Chart Indexes’ on the Part 1 of
the catalogue.
• These ‘Chart Indexes’ are named with the English alphabetical letters.
• As an example, the ‘Chart Index’ for the West coast of India is “H1”.
You need to refer ‘Chart Index H1’ to identify the charts in the West
coast of India.
• Now, turn to the initial example again.
• With a pencil plot latitudes and longitudes of the departure and
arrival ports (rough plots will be sufficient).
Shane Sankaranarayana 6

7. Part 1 of the catalogue (required area is zoomed)
▪ Red crosses indicates rough
positions of the ports of
Colombo & Durban
▪ After referring to the relevant
publications, currents,
distances of various routes
and after consulting the
master decide whether to go
South of Madagascar or
North of Madagascar.
▪ Now make the rough passage
with a pencil on the Part 1 of
the catalogue (Green line)
▪ In this example the passage is
made South of Madagascar
Shane Sankaranarayana 7

8. Part 1 of the catalogue
• The pencil mark goes through the following Chart Indexes:
❑Index I,
❑Index H1,
❑Index H,
❑Index A,
❑Index A1 and
❑Index G1
• Which means, need to refer the above Chart Indexes to find the
charts required from Colombo to Durban.
• Now refer the Chart Index I of the catalogue.
Shane Sankaranarayana 8

9. Index I
Look at the top
right hand side
of the page. The
Chart Index “I”
is written there.
Refer the next
slide for a
zoomed picture
of the required
area.
Shane Sankaranarayana 9

10. Index I
The charts required from Chart Index I
includes (the coverage areas of the
below three charts are highlighted in
different colours for you to understand
better):
• 1655 (highlighted in red)
• 813 (highlighted in blue)
• 709 (highlighted in green)
Go back to the former slide and look at
the coverage area of chart 709.
Look at the overage areas of other
charts in this Index as well.
Now, Turn to Chart Index H1
Shane Sankaranarayana 10

11. Index H1
Refer the next
slide for a
zoomed
picture of the
required area
Shane Sankaranarayana 11

12. Index H1
Shane Sankaranarayana 12
• Refer the relevant
publications and consult the
master in deciding whether to
use “One & Half Degree
Channel” or “Equatorial
Channel”
• In this case, passage is made
through “Equatorial Channel”.
Therefore, need the following
chart from Index H1:
❑ 1011
• Now turn to Index H

13. Index H
Refer the next
slide for a
zoomed
picture of the
required area
Shane Sankaranarayana 13

14. Index H
Following charts
are required
from Index H:
• 717
• 759
• 760
Now turn to
Index A1
Shane Sankaranarayana 14

15. Refer the next
slide for a
zoomed
picture of the
required area
Index A1
Shane Sankaranarayana 15

16. Index A1
Following charts are
required from this
Index:
• 4703
• 4702
• 4700
Now, refer the Index A
Shane Sankaranarayana 16

17. Index A
Refer the next
slide for a
zoomed
picture of the
required area
Shane Sankaranarayana 17

18. Index A
Shane Sankaranarayana 18
• These are general
charts of the oceans.
• These charts are good
for planning purposes
and ocean crossings.
• This scale charts are
not required for this
passage.
• Now, turn to Index G1.

19. Index G1
Refer the next
slide for a
zoomed
picture of the
required area
Shane Sankaranarayana 19

20. Index G1
Charts required from
this Index:
• 3300
• 2088
• 643
Now, there is a doubt
about charts 4170 and
3797
Refer the names of the
charts on the opposite
page on the NP 131
Shane Sankaranarayana 20

21. Index G1
• From the opposite page:
• Definitely 4170 is required for the passage
• Now the problem is whether the chart 3797 is required or not?
Chart Number Name of the chart Scale
3797 Green Point to Tongaat Bluff 150,000
4170 Approaches to Durban 30,000
Shane Sankaranarayana 21

22. Index G1
• Look at the charts 3793, 3794, 3795
& 3797 on this page and on the
opposite page.
• All four charts are having the same
scale.
• Now, look at the charts 4173 &
4170. The coverage area is not
marked here.
• That means the chart 3797 covers
the area marked by red colour line.
• Therefore, need to order 3797 as
well.
• When there are ambiguities, look at
the scale, name of the charts on
the opposite side of this page and
also, compare with other charts on
the same page.
• Now, turn to Index AA.
Shane Sankaranarayana 22

23. Index AA
23
• We did not come across with this
Index when making the rough
passage on the Part 1 of the
catalogue.
• Index AA is not marked on the Part 1
of the catalogue.
• These are extremely small-scale
charts and not required for this
passage.
• But, do not forget about this Index
when making ocean crossings as they
may be used for planning purposes.
Shane Sankaranarayana

24. Now, let’s learn how to select
nautical publications
Shane Sankaranarayana 24

25. How to select Sailing directions
Example
• Let’s see how to find the required sailing directions for the above
passage (Colombo to Durban).
• Turn to the relevant page (which shows the limits of the sailing
directions) on the NP 131.
• Look at the zoomed picture of the relevant page of the NP 131 on the
next slide.
• It shows the number of the sailing directions with the coverage area.
Shane Sankaranarayana 25

26. Shane Sankaranarayana 26

27. • This picture is
enlarged further.
• Plot the departure
and arrival positions
with a pencil (plotted
in Red colour).
• Make the rough
passage in a pencil
(plotted in Green
colour.
• Required Sailing
directions are:
❑ NP 38
❑ NP 39 and
❑ NP 3
Shane Sankaranarayana 27

28. When in doubt
Example
• If your arrival or departure positions are very close to the limits of NP 2 and NP 3
(the Red dot on the picture).
• Then, look at the opposite page where the names and geographical areas of the
volumes are given:
• Then you can take an idea about which publication is required.
• Still if you are in doubt, consult the master.
Shane Sankaranarayana 28
NP Title Geographical area comprises
2 Africa Pilot, Volume II West coast of Africa from Presqu Ile Bakasi (Bakasi Peninsula) to
Cape Agulhas; islands in the Bight of Biafra; Ascension Island; Saint
Helena Island, Tristan da Cunha Group and Group Island
3 Africa Pilot, Volume III South and East coasts of Africa from Cape Agulhas to Ras Binnah,
including the Islands of Zanzibar and Pemba

29. Selecting other charts & publications
• Same procedure shall be followed to identify the required following
charts and publications from the NP 131:
❑Routeing charts
❑Mariner’s routeing guides (if available for the area)
❑Admiralty list of lights & fog signals
❑Admiralty list of radio signals
❑Admiralty tide tables
• Make a list of charts and publications required for the passage by
referring to the applicable pages of the NP 131.
Shane Sankaranarayana 29

30. Double check
• Again, start from the very beginning and make sure the selected
charts and publications are correct and no mistakes.
• In fact, it is better to check two / three times to make sure all are in
order until you are experienced enough.
• If in any doubt in selecting charts or publications without taking a risk,
ask the master.
• The master will be very happy to help, so that he knows a perfect job
is done.
Shane Sankaranarayana 30

31. Requisition order
• Check against the chart correction log or inventory of charts to see
whether the required charts are available onboard.
• Check against the inventory of the bridge library to see whether the
required nautical publications are available onboard.
• If not available onboard, make the requisition order in accordance with the
company’s requisition procedures as below:
Latest editions of the following British Admiralty (BA)
charts;
643, 709, 717, 759, 760, 813, 1011, 1655, 2088, 3300,
3797, 4170, 4700, 4702, 4703
Latest editions of the following Admiralty Nautical
Publications;
3, 38, 39
Shane Sankaranarayana 31

32. Master’s approval
• Take the master’s approval before ordering.
Shane Sankaranarayana 32

33. Bon Voyage
Shane Sankaranarayana 33