China sail

This sail category focuses on navigation resources for China, bringing together paper nautical charts, chart packs and atlases, harbor plans, pilot books, cruising guides and tide and current tables. The aim is straightforward: provide the mapping and reference material needed to plan and execute coastal passages and port approaches with clarity.

Covers a wide range of waters, including approaches to major ports, island groups and busy sea lanes in the Bohai, Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea. You will find planning charts for big-picture routing, medium-scale coastal charts for day-to-day legs, and larger-scale harbor plans for final approaches, anchorages and marina entries. Many chart packs combine multiple scales so planning, coastal sailing and close-in work stay consistent.

Editions and updates matter. Check publication dates and update notes so soundings, buoyage, traffic separation schemes and restricted areas reflect current information. Chart datum (often WGS84) is typically shown on each sheet; matching your GPS datum to the printed chart helps avoid position offsets. Materials vary from standard paper to waterproof, tear-resistant sheets and spiral-bound atlases that lie flat on the chart table.

Pilot books and cruising guides expand on what the chart shows. Expect entrance waypoints, recommended tracks, local regulations, formalities, VHF working channels, seasonal considerations such as monsoon patterns and visibility, plus notes on fuel, water and repair options where available. Tide tables and current atlases are useful for bar crossings, straits and river mouths, including areas influenced by strong tidal ranges and outflow.

Choosing the right set is easier if you match scale to your plan: small-scale for overview, mid-scale for the coastline you will follow, and large-scale for ports you will enter. Paper charts remain a solid backup even if electronic navigation is onboard, and many sailors carry duplicates for redundancy. Simple extras like chart covers, parallel rulers and dividers support neat plotting and longer chart life. At OutdoorXL you will find an extensive choice from various publishers so you can assemble a coherent, up-to-date kit for sailing in China.