Help
Browse U.S. coastal information, draw a route, save a trip, and share a float plan.
Browse
Use the Coast Pilot, Notices, and Weather controls to choose the information you want to see. Coast Pilot includes nearby locations and index search. The map refreshes shortly after you stop moving it; choose Refresh area to reload immediately.
Prefer to start with a chapter? Browse Coast Pilot books and chapters.
Learn about what Local Notices to Mariners contain and where to find them before reviewing notices on the map.
Explore nearby locations and source chapters.
Browse nearby Coast Pilot locations, search indexed names and topics, and read the source chapter. NOAA’s Coast Pilot supplements nautical charts with information about coastal waters. Seaward’s mapped locations help you find relevant passages.
Review notices returned for the current map area.
All categories are shown unless you filter them. A Regatta activity summary contains individual returned USCG notices whose schedules and affected areas vary; open it and review each notice. Seaward’s groupings are not official severity ratings.
Read source marine forecasts for selected zones.
Select a marine forecast zone to read its Coastal Waters Forecast. The text comes from the source forecast; it is not a Seaward forecast.
Plan
Open Trip planner, choose Start route, and add numbered waypoints. Drag a waypoint to correct it or select a route segment to insert one between two existing points.
Select a waypoint on the map, or use the waypoint count to open the numbered list. Add a purpose, notes, and whether you plan to stay overnight where relevant. Changes apply as you edit; choose Done editing to return to the list.
The first and last waypoints are automatically Departure and Destination. For a return trip, choose Return to start, then adjust that visible return path. Displayed distance follows the straight segments you drew; it is not routing or a navigability check.
Save and create
Add the date and timing, boat, people aboard, experience, local familiarity, and constraints. You can browse and draw while signed out. Sign in when you save the trip.
Reopen a saved trip to revise its route or details, or prepare a float plan.
Open saved tripsBriefs are temporarily unavailable while we work on the next version.
View the illustrative example to see the Brief format. Its conditions are not current and must not be used to plan a real trip.
View example BriefLimits
Seaward does not replace current charts, Local Notices to Mariners, weather, tides, currents, onboard instruments, or local knowledge. Conditions and source data can change.
Seaward indexes source material and presents mapped locations and generated summaries to help you prepare a trip. Read the linked sources for their full context and updates. A source’s issue date tells you when it was published; Seaward’s retrieval time tells you when it was fetched. A recent retrieval does not make an older forecast current for your trip.
Seaward imports USCG NAVCEN notice feeds. Refresh area reloads those imported records; it does not fetch new records from the Coast Guard. A notice’s effective dates describe the activity, not when Seaward last retrieved it. Source changes may not yet appear in Seaward.
Results depend on imported data, the map area, and your filters. An empty area does not mean there are no notices or hazards. Read the location details in each notice as well as its mapped point, line, or area. Check current notices at USCG NAVCEN before departure.
A float plan is shared with a trusted person ashore. It is not filed with or monitored by emergency services.
View Early Access limitsCurrent source coverage focuses on U.S. coastal waters.