Links

Due to the number of sites available and the limited space, the following listing of links contains no reviews—with a few notable exceptions. This list is by no means complete and may omit some important sites. Though we try to ensure that only links to active sites are listed, some sites may no longer be accessible through the listed URLs.

AIS 

Blogs

Charts

e-books

Environment 

Government Sites

GPS

Lighthouse Links

Link Sites

Marine Electronics

Museums and History

Nautical Science

Navigation

Northwest Sites

Notices to Mariners

Radio

Safety

Tides and Currents

Weather

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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AIS 

Blogs

Charts

e-books

Environment 

Government Sites

GPS

Lighthouse Links

Link Sites

Marine Electronics

Museums and History

Nautical Science

Navigation

Northwest Sites

Notices to Mariners

Radio

Safety

Tides and Currents

Weather

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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AIS 

Blogs

Charts

e-books

Environment 

Government Sites

GPS

Lighthouse Links

Link Sites

Marine Electronics

Museums and History

Nautical Science

Navigation

Northwest Sites

Notices to Mariners

Radio

Safety

Tides and Currents

Weather

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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AIS 

Blogs

Charts

e-books

Environment 

Government Sites

GPS

Lighthouse Links

Link Sites

Marine Electronics

Museums and History

Nautical Science

Navigation

Northwest Sites

Notices to Mariners

Radio

Safety

Tides and Currents

Weather

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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AIS 

Blogs

Charts

e-books

Environment 

Government Sites

GPS

Lighthouse Links

Link Sites

Marine Electronics

Museums and History

Nautical Science

Navigation

Northwest Sites

Notices to Mariners

Radio

Safety

Tides and Currents

Weather

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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AIS 

Blogs

Charts

e-books

Environment 

Government Sites

GPS

Lighthouse Links

Link Sites

Marine Electronics

Museums and History

Nautical Science

Navigation

Northwest Sites

Notices to Mariners

Radio

Safety

Tides and Currents

Weather

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Favourites

Chyna Sea Ventures  Home of Ports and Passes tide books. Wholesale distributor of nautical books and maps and Maptech digital and paper products      

Ports and Passes  The most comprehensive tide book for the Pacific northwest. Compensated for daylight time!! In print and Kindle e-Book editions. Logbooks, and maps too.

Shipwrite Productions  Nautical publications and consulting—specializing in the Pacific Northwest and electronic navigation.

Sirius Signal  Manufacturer of SOS Distress Light  Now approved in Canada

Waggoner Cruising Guide  The "bible" for northwest boating

Waggoner Guide Bookstore e-commerce site for Waggoner Cruising Guide bookstore

Western Maritime Institute  Nautical training for mariners in Ladysmith on Vancouver Island

 

AIS (Automatic Identification System)

US Coast Guard  AIS pages   

USCG Real, Synthetic and Virtual AIS ATONs

Sailwx.info Shiptracker information

Marine Traffic

Vessel Tracker 

 

Blogs 

Adventures of Tanglewood Peter Hayden's often outspoken blog

BoatTech at Boat US

Panbo  The Marine Electronics blog   

Slowboat  The travels of Akeeva (Sam Landsman) Airship (Laura Domela & Kevin Morris) throughout the Pacific Northwest

 

Charts and Maps 

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Canadian Electronic Atlas  

Canadian Hydrographic Service

     Chart No. 1

     Catalogue of charts 

Geographical Names of Canada  

United States Office of Coast Surveys      

     Free Raster Charts

     Free S-57 Vector Charts

     Chart No. #1. 

     NOAA Booklet Charts

     How to download US Electronic Charts online

NOAA Historical Maps and Charts  

Richardson's Maptech Chartbooks and Chartkits

C-Map  electronic charts

MaxSea / Nobeltec Time Zero Navigation Software Home of Time Zero Navigation Software

Navionics   electronic charts

Open CPN  Open source navigation software

Openseamap  Open source marine vector maps 

Rose Point Coastal Explorer 

 

e-books

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All the books listed here can be viewed with a web browser or with Adobe Acrobat Reader and do not require any other specialized reader programs. 

Official Publications

Canadian Nautical Publications (online)

US National Geospatial Agency Maritime Safety Information (Publications)

     American Practical Navigator (Bowditch) in PDF Format. 

Coast Pilots / Sailing Directions

United States Coast Pilots online

Canadian Sailing Directions online

List of Lights

US List of Lights

Canadian List of Lights, Buoys and Fog Signals

Notices to Mariners

Canadian Coast Guard Notices to Mariners

           Annual Edition Notices to Mariners (Canada)

           Monthly Edition Notices to Mariners (Canada)

           Navigation Warnings (Previously Notices to Shipping)

United Kingdom Hydrographic Office Admiralty Notices to Mariners

US Coast Guard Notices to Mariners  

United States Navigational Warnings

Radio Aids to Marine Navigation

Canadian Coast Guard Radio Aids to Marine Navigation

United States Radio Navigation Aids

Other

Ice Navigation in Canadian Waters 

International Code of Signals Published by National Geospatial Intelligence Agency

The Nautical Almanac (Nautical Almanacs past and present, reduction tables etc.) 

Ocean Passages for the World  NP136  1973 Edition (PDF)

Radar Navigation Manual Published by National Geospatial Intelligence Agency

Canadian Aids to Navigation System 

Nautical Free Publications -- a massive collection of free resources. 

Boating in Oregon Coastal Waters--2007 Edition  1999 Edition

Oceanography of the BC Coast  by Richard Thompson A must read!! if you want to understand how the ocean environment interacts with the coastal land mass. 

The Essentials of Sea Survival by Frank Golden and Michael Tipton. Another must read!!  If you only read one nautical book in your life, this should be the one. This book will hlp you to prepare to survive an accident at sea. It explains, in very clear language, why hypothermia is not the cold water sailor's  greatest challenge. In fact this book explains how your biggest challenge is to survive long enough to risk dying of hypothermia. 

Survival in Cold Waters (TP13822)  Based on the work of Dr. Michael Tipton, world authority on hypothermia. (Everyone who operates a boat in cold waters should read this publication.)

 

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Georgia Strait Alliance           

Ocean Legacy Foundation Marine debris solutions

 

Government Sites  

(that don't fit another category)

 

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Canadian Border Services Agency      

            Travellers Information and Services   

Canadian Coast Guard 

Transport Canada Marine

             Vessel Registration Query System     

Transportation Safety Board of Canada  

United States Coast Guard      

             National Vessel Documentation Center   

United States National Geodetic Survey   

United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

United States Naval Observatory  

 

GPS  

 

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Discontinuance of DGPS in United States

Discontinuance of DGPS in Canada 

Canadian Coast Guard Primer on GPS and DGPS    

FAA WAAS site

GLONASS 

Horizontal Datum explained 

Jay Snively's Useful GPS Information site for "the less technically inclined."

Joe Mehaffey's GPS Information Web-site GPS information—including numerous links and GPS hardware reviews

Joe Mehaffy's WAAS page "Your Questions Answered"  

NAVSTAR GPS User's Overview at the USCG Navcen 

 

Lighthouse Links

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The lighthouses of Australia     

The BC Lighthouse Keeper's Database   

British Lighthouses -- German web-site

The Commissioners of Irish Lights      

John Morris BC Lighthouse photographs

The Lighthouse Getaway--Photos of lighthouses from around the world

LighthousesRUS--index of North American lights

Lighthouses Guiding Ships to Safety

The Northern Lighthouse Board--the general Lighthouse Authority for Scotland and the Isle of Man  

Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society  

The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse     

Trinity House  UK lighthouse authority

 

Link Sites 

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The Mother of All Maritime Linksa huge collection of links to nautical sites—(from soup to nuts)

Port Credit Marine Surveys  Enough material to keep you occupied for a month. 

 

Marine Electronics

 

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Furuno USA   manufacturer of a complete line of marine electronics

Garmin  manufacturer of GPS hardware

Lowrance Electronics Inc.  manufacturers of GPS, sonar and aviation electronics

       Lowrance Radars - including Broadband Radar  

Magellan Systems Corporation    

Maretron  Manufacturer of NMEA 2000 compliant instruments and cables   

Raymarine Electronics   

Si-Tex Marine Electronics   

Simrad Marine Electronics    

Standard Horizon  

Trimble Navigation   GPS hardware 

 

Museums and History 

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The British Merchant Navy Association  

Captain Cook's Journal    

Marine Museum of Manitoba   

Maritime Museum of British Columbia

The Museum at Campbell River  

Mystic Seaport Maritime Museum   

National Maritime Museum at Greenwich UK

NOAA Historical Maps and Charts  

Vancouver Maritime Museum

 

Nautical Science

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Robert Allan Naval Architects  

Nautical Knowhow  Understanding and Utilizing the Secrets of Waves

 

Navigation

 

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Admiralty Easy-Tide A tide prediction service of the UK Hydrographic Office . 

The Canadian Aids to Navigation System 

Collision Regulations The International Rules with Canadian modifications

Guidelines for Voyage Planning [IMO Resolution A.893(21)]

Institute of Navigation   

National Geospatial Intelligence Agency Publications Page home of the American Practical Navigator (Bowditch) On-Line

The Nautical Institute  The world’s leading institute for professional mariners

Navigation Center  The official US Coast Guard site for information about GPS, DGPS and other subjects of navigational interest. 

NOAA Historical Declination  To view an interactive map of magnetic declination worldwide from 1590 to 2020

The Royal Institute of Navigation   for those with an interest in navigation in its broadest terms  

 

Northwest Sites

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Alaska Department of Fish and Game

         Fishing in Alaska  Sport  Subsistence  Personal Use

Anchoring in False Creek

BC Freshwater Sport Fishing Synopsis   
          GoFish BC--database of lake depths for over 2500 lakes.  

Area Whiskey Golf

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Pacific Region

          Sport Fishing Guide   

          Rockfish Conservation Areas   PDF Version    

Tidal WatersSport Fishing App

Georgia Strait Alliance           

Northwest Boat Travel  Home of Northwest Boat Travel Guide and a massive collection of links.

Slowboat A wealth of information about the west coast (Puget Sound, British Columbia and Southeast Alaska)

Gulf Islands National Park Reserve  

Victoria Harbour Traffic Scheme

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 

          Sport Fishing Regulations and Seasons  

 

Notices to Mariners

 

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Worldwide Navigational Warning System 

Australian Notices to Mariners

The Commissioners of Irish Lights-- Republic of Ireland

Hong Kong Notices to Mariners

Japanese Hydrographic Department Notices to Mariners

New Zealand Notices to Mariners

Chart Co Commercial Notices to Mariners Service for US and British Admiralty Charts distributed by Satellite

     

 Radio     

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Boat US application for a United States MMSI

Canadian Coast Guard   
             Marine Communication and Traffic Services   

Maritime Mobile Service Identity - MMSI  GMDSS for recreational boaters

Radio Aids to Marine Navigation (Canada) (United States)

US Coast Guard NAVTEX Marine Safety Broadcasts   

             VHF Radio coverage charts for the United States

Obtain training for the Restricted Radio Operator's Certificate (Maritime)       
         Available from          Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons    

Syllabus for the Canadian Restricted Radio Operator's Certificate (Maritime Commercial)    
         Available from          Industry Canada
       

 

Safety

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Cold Water Boot Camp  "Most of the water in Canada is cold year round. It’s cold water that is a major contributor to recreational drowning deaths year after year. Nine Boot Camp volunteers offered to ‘jump in with both feet’ and experience first hand what happens in 6 degree Celsius water."

Beyond Cold Water Boot Camp 

Cold Water Boot Camp USA

United States Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety     

          Safety Alerts 

          Product Assurance Division--Recalls and Manufacturer's Identification Code Database

Transport Canada Office of Boating Safety    Safe Boating Guide

Survival in Cold Waters (TP13822)  Based on the work of Dr. Michael Tipton, world authority on hypothermia. (We consider this publication to be so important that it rates a link on our home page. Everyone who operates a boat in cold waters should read this publication.)

           Small Fishing Vessel Safety Manual  

           Transport Canada Small Vessel Compliance Program

           Transport Canada Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide 

Boat Safe Boats and Speed

Boat US  Seaworthy Magazine--The Boat US Marine Insurance and Damage Avoidance report

             Navigating in the vicinity of large commercial vessels

California Department of Boating and Waterways   

Fish Safe BC

iFloat blog-Lifejackets-This Name Is For a Reason

Marine and Safety Tasmania  

Maryland Department of Natural Resources  

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources    
           Ice Safety  

           Boating Safety 
           The Drowning Machine   
National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) 

Boating in Oregon Coastal Waters--2007 Edition  1999 Edition

Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (Pacific)  

SIYachts Resource Guide to Boating and Yacht Safety

SmartBoater.ca  

SOS Distress Light, by  Sirius Signal 

UK Marine Accident Investigation Board--Performance Investigation of Marine Radar Reflectors  

     consequent to the investigation of the sinking of the Ouzo 

UK Safe Boating Sites

     Boating Database for New Boat Owners

     Ultimate List of Boat Safety Resources 

Washington State Boating Safety 

 

Tides and Currents 

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Canadian Tides, Currents and Water Levels Home Page 

          Tides Predictions 

          Current Predictions 

Canadian Hydrographic Service Publications         

           Tide and Current Tables

          Current Atlas for Juan de Fuca Strait & Strait of Georgia

          Hydrographic Tidal Manual

          Canadian Tidal Manual

 

Crossing the Bar A great instructional video from New Zealand

Extreme Tidal Environments in British Columbia

NASA Perpetual Ocean Animation of worldwide ocean currents  Long Version

NOAA Tides and Currents graphic interface

          NOAA Tide Predictions

          NOAA Current Predictions

          Tides and Currents Education

          FAQs

Ports and Passes The most comprehensive tide book for the Pacific northwest (Olympia WA to Glacier Bay AK). Compensated for daylight time!! Logbooks, and maps too.

Slowboat Video of Nakwakto rapids. A work of art.

Tidal Current Charts of Puget Sound  

Wikipedia Theory of Tides

How Tide Predicting Machines Saved D-Day

 

Weather   

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Meteorological Service of Canada  

          Lightstation reports 

          Current conditions (Marine)

          British Columbia Marine Text forecasts

          Georgia Strait marine forecast 

          BC North Coast marine forecast

          BC South Coast marine forecast

         Surface Analysis (Synoptic charts) 

         GOES Satellite images 

         Guide to Environment Canada Marine Weather Forecasts 

Publications and Resources

        Marine Weather Guide (Brochure) for British Columbia Waters by Environment Canada

        National Marine Weather Guide

        Regional Marine Weather Guide for British Columbia

 

United States National Weather Service   

           Alaska Coastal Marine Forecasts

           Washington State Coastal Marine Forecasts 

           Marine Radiofax Charts

           NWS radiofax charts for Northeast Pacific and North Pacific

Publications  includes Marine Weather Service Charts for Alaska

           The Beaufort Scale (poster)

           Mariner's Weather Guide to Gulf of Alaska Coastal Waters 

 

United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

          National Data Buoy Center

          NOAA Satellite Server   GOES-West image viewer 

          NOAA Photo Library     

          National Hurricane Center  

 

United Kingdom Met Office

         Learn About Weather

         Fact Sheets

 

Animated weather maps

NullSchool

Ventusky  

Windyty 

 

Other Weather Links

Coastal BC Weather Links 

Cliff Maas Weather Blog 

Current Satellite Photographs (University of Oregon)

Lee Chesneau's Marine Weather

Mariner's Weather Handbook by Steve & Linda Dashew

Michelangelo and the Hurricane  

Paths of water particles in wind-driven waves

Physical Geography  Introduction to the Atmosphere

Rough Water Seamanship  

Royal Meteorological Society

The Weather Doctor

The Weather Window  

 

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Last updated March 2024