The daily briefing for America's inland and coastal routes.
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The Reference Desk

A captain's reference desk

Resources

Not a links page. These are the sources we point to for charts, weather, locks, safety, and route knowledge — each marked by who stands behind it and, just as important, how to use it well. Official authorities lead; community and commercial tools are listed for what they're good at, never ranked or endorsed.

Directory reviewed — June 2026 ·Official sources remain the final authority
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This desk is a starting point, not a substitute for the source. We've grouped and labeled these resources — and added a few words on how to use each shelf well — so you can tell authority from opinion at a glance. But conditions change, models differ, and a forum post is not a chart.

When a decision touches safety, go to the official source and read it yourself. That's the whole purpose of a reference desk.