Official Marine Publications & Resources
Equip your vessel and crew with verified, high-signal maritime documentation. Access official handbooks, fillable Coast Guard float plans, interactive NOAA charts, and Southcentral regulations summaries.
Interactive Guides & Tools
Salmon Hatcheries Guide
PWS Aquaculture PortalExplore the Sound's 4 major remote salmon hatcheries. Review exact coordinates, VHF hailing protocols, tour schedules, and salmon species returns.
Explore Hatcheries Guide →Interactive Float Plan Creator
Pre-Departure SafetyBuild, customize, and generate a print-ready or email-ready PWSGUIDE-generated float-plan template to leave with your designated shore contact.
Create Float Plan →Local Resources Directory
Searchable DirectoryInstantly search and filter emergency medevac contacts, harbormasters, water taxis, hatcheries, and towing services across PWS.
Access Directory →Downloadable PDFs & Guides
PWS Boater's Handbook Supplement
The official handbook supplement detailing Prince William Sound's harbors, local wind hazards, safety checklists, emergency contacts, and wildlife regulations. Access via the official DNR portal.
🌐 Access Official PortalUSCG Fillable Float Plan Template
The official fillable float plan template. Complete this form, print or email it, and leave it with a reliable shore contact before departing on any remote marine transit in the Sound.
💾 Download PDFUSCG Navigation Rules Handbook (COLREGS)
The complete, official International & Inland Navigation Rules of the Road. Crucial legal reference and carriage guideline for safety, stand-on/give-way responsibilities, and visual/sound signaling.
💾 Download PDFPrimary Digital Charts (NOAA ENCs & NCC)
NOAA has officially retired traditional paper nautical charts. The current primary sources for PWS navigation planning are **Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs)** and the **NOAA Custom Chart (NCC)** generator.
NOAA Custom Chart (NCC)
NOAA Office of Coast SurveyGenerate your own current, print-quality nautical charts for any area of PWS at any scale — derived directly from the latest official ENC data. The official replacement for legacy paper charts.
Open Chart Tool →NOAA ENC Viewer (US Chart Catalog)
National Oceanic & Atmospheric AdministrationInteractive Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) browser. View the latest official digital vector charts for all of Prince William Sound — zoom to any anchorage, depth contour, or hazard.
Open Chart Tool →NOAA Chart 16700 — Interactive Viewer
National Oceanic & Atmospheric AdministrationFull interactive digital raster nautical chart covering the entirety of Prince William Sound. Review depth contours, moraine sills, rocks, and anchorage entries online.
Open Chart Tool →Legacy Traditional Chart Numbers
Traditional 5-digit NOAA paper charts are **retired and no longer updated**. These numbers are retained here purely for historic reference or cross-referencing legacy cruising books.
Full sound overview — the essential index chart covering all of PWS from Whittier to Cordova. Use for passage planning and orientation.
Port Wells, Cochrane Bay, Culross Island, and the inner western sound. Vital for Whittier departures heading south or east.
Knight Island Passage, Esther Passage, Culross Passage — the protected inner cruising routes of western PWS.
Southern extensions of western PWS, Port Bainbridge, and Bainbridge Passage. Gateway to the Kenai Peninsula coast.
Montague Island and Montague Strait — southern boundary of PWS and the primary transit corridor to the Gulf of Alaska.
Hinchinbrook Island, Orca Bay entrance, and the primary eastern deep-water entrance to PWS.
Valdez Narrows, Port Valdez, and the Valdez marine terminal area — mandatory chart for all Valdez approaches.
Unakwik Inlet, Meares Glacier terminus, and Jonah Bay — detailed chart for northern inlets.
Orca Bay, Hinchinbrook Island east, and the approaches to Cordova. Vital for eastern sound transits.
Orca Inlet and Cordova Small Boat Harbor channel approaches. High-detail navigation for Cordova harbor entries.
High-resolution detail of the Valdez Narrows and upper Valdez Arm showing traffic separation zones.
College Fjord, Harriman Fjord, Barry Arm — essential for glacier expedition routes, showing terminal moraine depths.
Highest resolution chart for Whittier Harbor, Passage Canal, and immediate approaches. Perfect for local harbor maneuvers.
Columbia Bay and the approaches to Columbia Glacier — high resolution coverage of the glacial moraine and calving zone.
Printed BookletChart Collections
Spiral-bound, laminated-cover compilations of multiple NOAA charts. Note that these are printed booklets compiled from legacy raster charts, and do not receive automatic updates.
Disclosure: PWSGUIDE is not sponsored by and does not receive compensation from these links. Links and references are provided for convenience only.
Prince William Sound West — BookletChart™
Spiral-bound, laminated-cover booklet compiling 8 NOAA charts covering western PWS — Whittier, Passage Canal, Esther Passage, Knight Island, and Montague Strait. Essential for the inner-sound cruiser.
Prince William Sound East — BookletChart™
Covers eastern PWS — Valdez Arm, Port Valdez, Unakwik Inlet, Tatitlek Narrows, and the eastern passages. Indispensable for voyages east of Naked Island.
Kachemak Bay to Prince William Sound — BookletChart™
Covers the full passage from Homer (Kachemak Bay) north through Resurrection Bay and east to PWS Hinchinbrook Entrance. The complete chart set for vessels transiting from Southcentral Alaska.
External Web Portals & Databases
ADF&G Southcentral Fishing Regulations
Alaska Department of Fish & GameDirect portal to active regulatory summaries, bag limits, gear regulations, emergency orders, and salmon run closures for Prince William Sound and the North Gulf Coast.
Access Official Portal →Recreation.gov PWS USFS Cabin Reservations
U.S. Forest Service / Chugach National ForestThe official booking portal for reserving the 15+ remote, wilderness public use cabins dotting the secluded beaches and spruce shorelines of western and central PWS.
Access Official Portal →NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Juneau
NWS Alaska RegionLive marine forecasts, wind velocity charts, sea height models, active gale/storm warnings, and direct links to marine VHF weather broadcasts covering Port Wells and the Gulf of Alaska.
Access Official Portal →AMHS Marine Highway Ferry Calendar
Alaska Department of TransportationThe official monthly sailing calendar lookup for the Alaska Marine Highway System. View departures, arrivals, and schedules by month and port for Whittier, Valdez, and Cordova.
Access Official Portal →Real-Time Marine Updates & Community Channels
USCG Sector Western Alaska & Arctic
U.S. Coast GuardOfficial channel for Western Alaska and the Arctic. Major updates on sea safety, search and rescue alerts, marine events, ice conditions, and sector notifications.
View Social Channel →NOAA NWS Anchorage Weather
National Weather ServiceDaily weather forecasts, gale/storm warnings, freeze alerts, sea ice charts, and coastal flood advisories covering Prince William Sound and Southcentral Alaska.
View Social Channel →Whittier Harbor Department
City of WhittierOfficial Whittier harbor master page with tunnel opening schedules, harbor slip waitlists, launch ramp advisories, and marine event postings.
View Social Channel →Valdez Port & Harbor Master
City of ValdezOperational updates for the Port of Valdez, transient slip availability, weather advisories, harbor facility repair notices, and fishing derby updates.
View Social Channel →Cordova Port & Harbor Master
City of CordovaOperational updates for Cordova's small boat harbors, grid usage reservation details, crane maintenance, and winter storage reminders.
View Social Channel →Prince William Sound Boaters Group
Cruising CommunityThe primary community forum for local cruisers, sharing real-time ice field reports, anchorage updates, fuel dock schedules, and marine emergency citizen assistance.
View Social Channel →PWSRCAC Watchdog Group
Regional Citizens' Advisory CouncilNon-profit watchdog group sharing oil tanker monitoring reports, environmental science updates, oil spill prevention drills, and public safety programs for PWS.
View Social Channel →PWS Science Center (PWSSC)
Research InstituteResearch updates on PWS marine ecosystems, salmon spawning counts, local oceanography, herring surveys, and regular public science seminars.
View Social Channel →ADF&G Southcentral Sport Fish
Alaska Dept of Fish & GameOfficial fish count reports, emergency sport fishing regulatory orders, opening/closure announcements, and hunting permit updates for the sound.
View Social Channel →USCG Auxiliary District 17 (Alaska)
U.S. Coast Guard AuxiliaryVolunteer-led division promoting safe boating education, scheduling free vessel safety exams, and sharing volunteer safety patrol schedules.
View Social Channel →Alaska Marine Highway System
AMHS State FerryOfficial AMHS page with sailing delays, ferry terminal wait updates, vessel repairs, and new route/schedule listings.
View Social Channel →VESSEL CARRIAGE REGULATIONS
Under Federal Code 33 CFR § 164.33, all marine vessels operating in United States waters must carry up-to-date nautical charts and marine publications. The downloadable documents and NOAA links provided on this page satisfy standard planning requirements, but must always be cross-referenced with active Local Notices to Mariners (LNM) issued by USCG District 17.