VESSEL TRAFFIC SERVICE’S (VTS) provide active monitoring and provide navigational advice for vessels in particularly confined and busy waterway. The system was developed to improve safety the world’s ports and waterways. To assist in this effort we have the U. S. VTS Users Manuals available for download.

 Valdez VTS                                                                  Puget Sound VTS

Los Angeles/Long Beach VTS                                         Houston/Galveston VTS

Port Arthur VTS                                                             Berwick Bay VTS (NA)

Lower Mississippi VTS                                                   Tampa VTS (NA)

Louisville VTS                                                                New York VTS

St. Mary’s River VTS

Sight Reduction Tables Pub. 229

Without a calculator or computer programmed for sight reduction, the navigator needs sight reduction tables to solve the celestial triangle. Two different sets of tables are commonly used at sea.

NIMA Pub. 229, Sight Reduction Tables for Marine Navigation, consists of six volumes of tables designed for use with the Nautical Almanac for solution of the celestial triangle by the Marcq Saint Hilaire or intercept method. The tabular data are the solutions of the navigational triangle of which two sides and the included angle are known and it is necessary to find the third side and adjacent angle.

Each volume of Pub. 229 includes two 8 degree zones, comprising 15 degree bands from 0 to 90 degrees, with a 1 degree overlap between volumes. Pub. 229 is a joint publication produced by the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, the U.S. Naval Observatory, and the Royal Greenwich Observatory.

Sight Reduction table, Vol. 1        Sight Reduction table, Vol 2

Sight Reduction table, Vol 3        Sight Reduction table, Vol 4

Sight Reduction table, Vol 5        Sight Reduction table, Vol 6

Light List for lights in U.S. territorial waters; NIMA publishes the List of Lights for lights in foreign waters.

Light lists furnish detailed information about navigation lights and other navigation aids, supplementing the charts, Coast Pilots, and Sailing Directions. Consult the chart for the location and light characteristics of all navigation aids; consult the light lists to determine their detailed description.

List of Lights 110                                                                      List of Lights 111

List of Lights 112                                                                      List of Lights 113

List of Lights 114                                                                      List of Lights 115

List of Lights 116

U. S. Coast Guard Light List

The United States publishes two different light lists. The U.S. Coast Guard publishes the Light List for lights in U.S. territorial waters; NIMA publishes the List of Lights for lights in foreign waters.

Light lists furnish detailed information about navigation lights and other navigation aids, supplementing the charts, Coast Pilots, and Sailing Directions. Consult the chart for the location and light characteristics of all navigation aids; consult the light lists to determine their detailed description.

The Notice to Mariners corrects both lists. Corrections which have accumulated since the print date are included in the Notice to Mariners as a Summary of Corrections. All of these summary corrections, and any corrections published subsequently, should be noted in the “Record of Corrections.”

US Coast Guard Light List, Vol 1    US Coast Guard Light List, Vol 2

US Coast Guard Light List, Vol 3    US Coast Guard Light List, Vol 4

US Coast Guard Light List, Vol 5    US Coast Guard Light List, Vol 6

The American Practical Navigator (Pub 9) – (File size 40.23 MB)

The American Practical Navigator (Pub 9) is a publication, which describes the modern principles of marine navigation and includes the formulas, tables, data and instructions required by navigators to perform the computations associated with dead reckoning, piloting, and celestial navigation. The publication also contains sections addressing the Practice of Navigation, Navigational Safety, Oceanography, Weather, and Electronic Navigation.

NIMA International Code of Signals (Pub. 102) – (File size 895.09 KB)

This book lists the signals to be employed by vessels at sea to communicate a variety of information relating to safety, distress, medical, and operational information. This publication became effective in 1969.

According to this code, each signal has a unique and complete meaning. The signals can be transmitted via Morse code light and sound, flag, radio telegraph and telephone, and semaphore. Since these methods of signaling are internationally recognized, differences in language between sender and receiver are immaterial; the message will be understood when decoded in the language of the receiver, regardless of the language of the sender.

The Notice to Mariners corrects Pub.

The Nautical Almanac (1981) – (File size 58.38 MB)

For celestial sight reduction, the navigator needs an  almanac for ephemeris data. The Nautical Almanac, produced jointly by H.M. Nautical Almanac Office and the U.S. Naval Observatory, is the most common almanac used for celestial navigation. It also contains information on sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset, as well as compact sight reduction tables. The Nautical Almanac is published annually.

Sight Reduction Tables Pub. 229 Volume 2 (File size 5.46 MB)

Without a calculator or computer programmed for sight reduction, the navigator needs sight reduction tables to solve the celestial triangle. Two different sets of tables are commonly used at sea.

Current Tables (Reprint from the 1983 Tide and Tidal Currents)

Coast Tidal Current Tables informs the reader on the expected behaviors of the oceans along the eastern coasts of North and South America, as well as the western coasts of Europe and Africa, and its waves through charts, graphs, and informative writing.

Topics include daily predicted times of slack water and predicted times and velocities of maximum current (flood and ebb), the speed of a current at times between slack water and maximum current, and the duration of weak current near the time of slack water. This book is published as one part in a set of four volumes listed below:

Tide Tables

Central and Western Pacific and Indian Ocean Tide Tables contains full daily predictions for 76 reference ports and differences and other constants for about 2,600 stations in North America, South America, and Greenland.

It also contains a table for obtaining the approximate height of the tide at any time, a table of local mean time of sunrise and sunset for every 5th day of the year for different latitudes, a table for the reduction of local mean time to standard time, a table of moonrise and moonset for 8 places, a table of the Greenwich mean time of the Moons phases, apogee, perigee, greatest north and south and zero declination, and the time of the solar equinoxes and solstices, and a glossary of terms.

Stability Data Referance Book

Some of the questions in the deck examination booklets require the use of trim and stability reference material to answer the question. All of the material necessary to these questions is contained in the appropriate Merchant Marine Deck Examination Reference Book.

If a question requires the use of trim or stability reference materials, it will be specifically stated in the stem of the question. For example, if the question in your examination booklet is, “The sailing drafts are: FWD 24′ -03″, AFT 25′-03” and the GM is 5.5 feet. Use the information in Section 1, the blue pages of the Stability Data Reference Book, to determine the available righting arm at 30 degrees inclination.”, you must use Section (the blue pages)of ‘Ihe Merchant Marine Deck Examination Reference Book, STABILITY DATA REFERENCE BOOK to answer the question.

The Merchant Deck Examination Reference Book, STABILITY DATA REFERENCE BOOK, has three (3) sections. Each section has its own index and is color coded as follows:

1. Selected Stability Curves                                             Blue Pages

2. Trim and Stability Book- S.S.American Mariner           White Pages 

3. Trim and Stability Book-  S.S.Northland                      Salmon Pages

 GUIDANCE MANUAL FOR LOADING  M.V. GRAND HAVEN

Some of the questions in the deck examination booklets require the use of vessel loading reference material to answer the question.  All of the material necessary to these questions is contained in the appropriate Merchant Marine Deck Examination Reference Book.

If a question requires the use of vessel loading reference materials, it will be specifically stated in the stem of the question. For example, if the question in your examination booklet is, “Your vessel’s existing draft is: FWD 24′-05”, AFT 25′-04.  Using the Guidance Manual for Loading M.V. Grand Haven, determine the new draft if 180 long tons are loaded in No.23 hatch.”, you must use The Merchant Marine Deck Examination Reference Book, GUIDANCE MANUAL FOR LOADING M.V. GRAND  HAVEN  to answer the question.

The American Practical Navigator (Pub 9) – (File size 40.23 MB)

The American Practical Navigator (Pub 9) is a publication, which describes the modern principles of marine navigation and includes the formulas, tables, data and instructions required by navigators to perform the computations associated with dead reckoning, piloting, and celestial navigation. The publication also contains sections addressing the Practice of Navigation, Navigational Safety, Oceanography, Weather, and Electronic Navigation.

Navigation Rules and Regulations Handbook – (File size 2.13 MB)

The U.S. Coast Guard publishes Navigation Rules for international and inland waters.

This publication, officially known as Navigation Rules and Regulations Handbook, contains the Inland Navigation Rules enacted in December 1980 and effective on all inland waters of the United States including the Great Lakes, as well as the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea, enacted in 1972 (1972 COLREGS). Mariners should ensure that they have the updated issue.

Chart No. 1 – (File size 17.90 MB)

Chart No. 1, Chart Symbols and Abbreviations  Chart No. 1 is not actually a chart but a book containing a key to chart symbols. Most countries which produce charts also produce such a list. The U.S. Chart No. 1 contains a listing of chart symbols in four categories:

Chart symbols used by the National Ocean Service

1. Chart symbols used by NIMA
2. Chart symbols recommended by the International Hydrographic Organization
3. Chart symbols used on foreign charts reproduced by NIMA

Subjects covered include general features of charts, topography, hydrography, and aids to navigation. There is also a complete index of abbreviations and an explanation of the IALA buoyage system.

NIMA International Code of Signals (Pub. 102) – (File size 895.09 KB)

This book lists the signals to be employed by vessels at sea to communicate a variety of information relating to safety, distress, medical, and operational information. This publication became effective in 1969.

According to this code, each signal has a unique and complete meaning. The signals can be transmitted via Morse code light and sound, flag, radio telegraph and telephone, and semaphore. Since these methods of signaling are internationally recognized, differences in language between sender and receiver are immaterial; the message will be understood when decoded in the language of the receiver, regardless of the language of the sender.

The Notice to Mariners corrects Pub.

The Nautical Almanac (1981) – (File size 58.38 MB)

For celestial sight reduction, the navigator needs an  almanac for ephemeris data. The Nautical Almanac, produced jointly by H.M. Nautical Almanac Office and the U.S. Naval Observatory, is the most common almanac used for celestial navigation. It also contains information on sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset, as well as compact sight reduction tables. The Nautical Almanac is published annually.

Current Tables (Reprint from the 1983 Tide and Tidal Currents) – File size 10.7 MB)

Coast Tidal Current Tables informs the reader on the expected behaviors of the oceans along the eastern coasts of North and South America, as well as the western coasts of Europe and Africa, and its waves through charts, graphs, and informative writing.

Topics include daily predicted times of slack water and predicted times and velocities of maximum current (flood and ebb), the speed of a current at times between slack water and maximum current, and the duration of weak current near the time of slack water. This book is published as one part in a set of four volumes listed below:

Tidal Current Tables: Atlantic Coast of North America

Tidal Current Tables: Pacific Coast of North America

Tide & Tidal Current Tables: New York Harbor to Chesapeake Bay

Tide Tables: Central & Western Pacific Ocean

Tide Tables

Central and Western Pacific and Indian Ocean Tide Tables contains full daily predictions for 76 reference ports and differences and other constants for about 2,600 stations in North America, South America, and Greenland.

It also contains a table for obtaining the approximate height of the tide at any time, a table of local mean time of sunrise and sunset for every 5th day of the year for different latitudes, a table for the reduction of local mean time to standard time, a table of moonrise and moonset for 8 places, a table of the Greenwich mean time of the Moons phases, apogee, perigee, greatest north and south and zero declination, and the time of the solar equinoxes and solstices, and a glossary of terms.

This book is published as one part in a set of four volumes as listed below:

Tide Tables: East Coast of North and South America

Tide Tables: Europe and West Coasts of Africa

Tide Tables: West Coast of North and South America

HANDBOOK OF MAGNETIC COMPASS ADJUSTMENT –  File size 1.35 MB)

This document has been prepared in order to present all pertinent information regarding the practical procedures of magnetic compass adjustment in one text. As such, it treats of the basic principles of compass deviations and their correction, and not of the details of particular compass equipment

Distances Between United States Ports – – File size 1.13 MB)

Distances Between United States Ports contains distances from a port of the United States to other ports in the United States, and from a port in the Great Lakes in the United States to Canadian Ports in the Great Lakes and St Lawrence River. These distances are measured along navigable tracklines.

DISTANCES BETWEEN PORTS, PUB. 151 (World Ports) – – File size 1.87 MB)

The 2001 Edition of Pub. 151, Distances Between Ports, supersedes all previous editions. Distances in this table are in nautical miles  based  on  the  International  Nautical  Mile  of approximately  6,076.1  feet.  Nautical  miles  may  be converted to statute miles of 5,280 feet by multiplying by 1.15.