Canadian Sailing Directions

The Sailing Directions booklets are an indispensable companion to nautical charts. They are a great tool for planning and assisting in navigation because they provide information that cannot be shown on a chart.

Click here to learn more about Sailing Directions features.

Important note

New: Updates are now included directly in the publication for easy reference. Each volume includes a new section entitled “Record of Changes” which lists all updates that are incorporated during the current calendar year.

Starting in March 2022, all Sailing Directions volumes will be available exclusively in digital format. The Canadian Hydrographic Service is proud to offer all of its nautical publications for free via digital download. Providing free digital nautical publications means easier access to up-to-date information for safer navigation. Click here to learn more.

It is the mariners' responsibility to maintain their digital Sailing Directions file by ensuring that the latest version is always downloaded. Please check this page by the 15th of the month to verify the last update date for the booklet that has been downloaded, and download a new copy as required. Do not leave port without it!

Atlantic Coast

ATL 100 General Information, Atlantic Coast — **ATL 100 - 2021/12**
General Information, Atlantic Coast
PDF, 4.98 MB

ATL 101 Newfoundland, Northeast and East Coasts — **ATL 101 - 2022/12**
Newfoundland, Northeast and East Coasts
PDF, 14.2 MB

ATL 102 Newfoundland, East and South Coasts — **ATL 102 - 2022/12**
Newfoundland, East and South Coasts
PDF, 14.0 MB

ATL 103 Newfoundland, Southwest Coast — **ATL 103 - 2022/12**
Newfoundland, Southwest Coast
PDF, 7.3 MB

ATL 104 Cape North to Cape Canso (including Bras d'Or Lake) — **ATL 104 - 2023/02**
Cape North to Cape Canso (including Bras d'Or Lake)
PDF, 41.0 MB

ATL 105 Cape Canso to Cape Sable (including Sable Island) — **ATL 105 - 2023/02**
Cape Canso to Cape Sable (including Sable Island)
PDF, 48.6 MB

ATL 106 Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy — **ATL 106 - 2023/02**
Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy
PDF, 26.9 MB

ATL 107 Saint John River — **ATL 107 - 2023/02**
Saint John River
PDF, 30.0 MB

ATL 108 Gulf of St. Lawrence (Southwest Portion) — **ATL 108 - 2023/02**
Gulf of St. Lawrence (Southwest Portion)
PDF, 82.9 MB

ATL 109 Gulf of St. Lawrence (Northeast Portion) — **ATL 109 - 2022/12**
Gulf of St. Lawrence (Northeast Portion)
PDF, 10.5 MB

ATL 110 St. Lawrence River, Cap Whittle / Cap Gaspé to Les Escoumins and Anticosti Island — **ATL 110 - 2022/11**
St. Lawrence River, Cap Whittle / Cap Gaspé to Les Escoumins and Anticosti Island
PDF, 3.5 MB

ATL 111 St. Lawrence River, Île Verte to Québec and Fjord du Saguenay — **ATL 111 - 2023/01**
St. Lawrence River, Île Verte to Québec and Fjord du Saguenay
PDF, 3.6 MB

ATL 112 St. Lawrence River, Cap-Rouge to Montréal and Rivière Richelieu — **ATL 112 - 2023/02**
St. Lawrence River, Cap-Rouge to Montréal and Rivière Richelieu
PDF, 2.7 MB

ATL 120 Labrador, Camp Islands to Hamilton Inlet (including Lake Melville) — **ATL 120 - 2022/12**
Labrador, Camp Islands to Hamilton Inlet (including Lake Melville)
PDF, 14.7 MB

ATL 121 Labrador, Hamilton Inlet to Cape Chidley (including Button Islands and Gray Strait) — **ATL 121 - 2022/08**
Labrador, Hamilton Inlet to Cape Chidley (including Button Islands and Gray Strait)
PDF, 34.4 MB

Central Canada

CEN 300 General Information, Great Lakes — **CEN 300 - 2021/12**
General Information, Great Lakes
PDF, 7.94 MB

CEN 301 St. Lawrence River, Montréal to Kingston — **CEN 301 - 2023/01**
St. Lawrence River, Montréal to Kingston
PDF, 2.8 MB

CEN 302 Lake Ontario — **CEN 302 - 2022/11**
Lake Ontario
PDF, 4.9 MB

CEN 303 Welland Canal and Lake Erie — **CEN 303 - 2021/12**
Welland Canal and Lake Erie
PDF, 24.1 MB

CEN 304 Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River — **CEN 304 - 2021/12**
Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River
PDF, 8.30 MB

CEN 305 Lake Huron, St. Marys River, Lake Superior — **CEN 305 - 2021/12**
Lake Huron, St. Marys River, Lake Superior
PDF, 23.4 MB

CEN 306 Georgian Bay — **CEN 306 - 2021/12**
Georgian Bay
PDF, 32.5 MB

CEN 307 North Channel of Lake Huron — **CEN 307 - 2021/12**
North Channel of Lake Huron
PDF, 12.5 MB

CEN 308 Rideau Canal and Ottawa River — **CEN 308 - 2022/10**
Rideau Canal and Ottawa River
PDF, 29.5 MB

CEN 309 Trent-Severn Waterway — **CEN 309 - 2021/12**
Trent-Severn Waterway
PDF, 50.5 MB

Pacific Coast

(These Sailing Directions are only available in English)

PAC 200 General Information, Pacific Coast — **PAC 200 - 2022/08**
General Information, Pacific Coast
PDF, 8.5 MB

PAC 201 Juan de Fuca Strait and Strait of Georgia — **PAC 201 - 2023/03**
Juan de Fuca Strait and Strait of Georgia
PDF, 12.3 MB

PAC 202 Discovery Passage to Queen Charlotte Strait and West Coast of Vancouver Island — **PAC 202 - 2023/03**
Discovery Passage to Queen Charlotte Strait and West Coast of Vancouver Island
PDF, 5.7 MB

PAC 205 Inner Passag - Queen Charlotte Sound to Chatham Sound — **PAC 205 - 2022/11**
Inner Passag - Queen Charlotte Sound to Chatham Sound
PDF, 13.9 MB

PAC 206 Hecate Strait, Dixon Entrance, Portland Inlet and Adjacent Waters and Haida Gwaii — **PAC 206 - 2022/11**
Hecate Strait, Dixon Entrance, Portland Inlet and Adjacent Waters and Haida Gwaii
PDF, 12.6 MB

Northern Canada

ARC 401 Hudson Strait, Hudson Bay and Adjoining Waters — **ARC 401 - 2021/12**
Hudson Strait, Hudson Bay and Adjoining Waters
PDF, 23.5 MB

ARC 402 Eastern Arctic — **ARC 402 - 2021/12**
Eastern Arctic
PDF, 6.77 MB

ARC 403 Western Arctic — **ARC 403 - 2022/12**
Western Arctic
PDF, 11.1 MB

ARC 404 Great Slave Lake and Mackenzie River — **ARC 404 - 2021/12**
Great Slave Lake and Mackenzie River
PDF, 106 MB

Sailing Directions Features

	Oblique aerial photography of harbours and prominent features
	Plans of harbours, wharves and bridges supplemental to those carried on the charts.
	Voyage Planning : historical meteorological and ice conditions, climate, tidal streams, distance between ports tables, preferred routes, preferred tides or weather conditions to enter or leave port or to make passage, regulations.
	Safety Information: Canadian buoyage system description, cold water survival, effect of wind on exposed persons, sailing plan, distress assistance.
	Cultural and historical information: description of government, ethnicity of the population, historically significant points of interest, ecological reserves, plant and animal life.
	Port Facilities: berths, anchorage, mooring, fresh water, fuel, waste oil collection, chandlery, slips, medical.
	Navigation Objects: buoys, lights, radio aids, conspicuous objects (headlands, hills, churches, towers), calling-in-points, traffic lanes.
	Dangers: rocks, reefs, wrecks, currents, local ice conditions, local weather conditions affecting safe navigation.
	Government Agencies: Pilotage, Life Saving Stations, Customs, Search and Rescue, Coast Guard, Police.

Date modified:: 2023-03-28