What is the U.S. Coast Pilot®?

The United States Coast Pilot® 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 ten volumes, they contain supplemental information that is difficult to portray on a nautical chart.

U.S. Coast Pilot Topics

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.

Updated Publications Available Weekly

All Coast Pilot books are available to download for free from the Office of Coast Survey website.

To download the weekly updates and the latest edition, select the appropriate book cover. Please report a discrepancy or provide additional information for updating the Coast Pilot.

Hard copies of Coast Pilot can be purchased from NOAA Certified Coast Pilot Distributors, and are up to date at the time of printing.