ADMIRALTY Digital Publications vs. Paper: Choosing the Right Format for SOLAS Compliance

A vessel must carry its SOLAS-required nautical publications, but nothing in the regulations says they have to be printed. ADMIRALTY offers its official publications in both paper and digital formats, and both meet SOLAS carriage requirements.

For a fleet manager or DPA deciding how to provision the bridge, the choice between them affects update workload, storage, inspection efficiency, and cost. Here is how the two ADMIRALTY digital formats work, whether they satisfy SOLAS, and how to decide which format belongs on your vessels.

ADMIRALTY Digital Publications (ADP) and AENP: What Is the Difference?

ADMIRALTY offers two distinct digital publication products, and they are not the same thing. Understanding the difference is the first step to provisioning correctly.

ADMIRALTY Digital Publications (ADP) are computer-based software applications of specific UKHO reference publications:

• Portfolio: three core titles, ADMIRALTY Total Tides (ATT) with tidal information for over 7,000 ports, the ADMIRALTY Digital List of Lights (ADLL) covering more than 70,000 lights, and ADMIRALTY Digital Radio Signals (ADRS).
• Platform: installs on an onboard Windows PC and presents data through a searchable graphic interface.
• Updates: applied weekly by internet download, email, or disc.

ADMIRALTY e-Nautical Publications (AENP) are e-book versions of the ADMIRALTY Nautical Publications, the reference books a bridge carries:

• Portfolio: 87 official ADMIRALTY publications, including Sailing Directions (Pilots), Ocean Passages for the World, the Nautical Almanac, and the Mariner's Handbook.
• Platform: accessed through the ADMIRALTY e-Reader software.
• Updates: weekly Notices to Mariners applied in seconds.

In short, ADP digitizes the interactive reference tools like tides, lights, and radio signals, while AENP digitizes the nautical reference books. Many vessels carry both to cover the full range of required publications.

Is Digital Format SOLAS-Compliant?

Yes. Both ADP and AENP are designed and approved to meet SOLAS carriage requirements.

ADMIRALTY Digital Publications contain identical information to their corresponding paper publications and are approved as meeting SOLAS carriage provisions. ADMIRALTY e-Nautical Publications are designed to meet SOLAS carriage requirements, contain the same official information as their paper equivalents, and have been approved by the flag states of over 80% of ships trading internationally.

Two practical points support compliance. For ADP, a license permits one working copy per ship, which may be shared across separate computers, including one running on an independent power supply, satisfying the SOLAS backup expectation. For AENP, the e-Reader clearly displays when each publication was last updated with weekly Notices to Mariners, which helps demonstrate currency during a port state control inspection. A vessel's specific requirement still depends on its flag state, so confirming flag state acceptance of digital publications is a necessary step before switching a vessel over.

Paper vs. Digital: Which Should Your Vessel Carry?

Both formats are compliant, so the decision comes down to how a fleet operates. Each format has situations where it is clearly the better fit.

Advantages of Digital Publications

Digital publications solve several persistent problems of a paper library:

• Automatic weekly updates: Notices to Mariners are applied in seconds through a small update file, replacing hours of manual hand-correction.
• Reduced storage and weight: a full paper publications library occupies significant shelf space on a bridge where space is scarce.
• Faster inspections: the clear display of each publication's last update date gives an inspector immediate evidence of currency.
• Searchability: crews find the relevant entry by text, position, or graphic window rather than paging through a book.
• No base media shipments: new editions arrive digitally, eliminating courier costs and delays getting books aboard.

When Paper Remains the Right Choice

Paper still has a place, and some vessels are better served by it:

• Limited or unreliable connectivity: a vessel that cannot reliably receive weekly digital update files may find paper simpler to keep current.
• Backup and redundancy: some operators keep key paper publications as a fallback against hardware or software failure, even when digital is the primary format.
• Minimal IT support: a vessel without the onboard IT capability to manage software installation, licensing, and updates may prefer the simplicity of print.
• Flag state or company policy: where a flag state or company management system requires paper for specific publications, that requirement governs.

Many fleets adopt a hybrid approach, running digital as the primary format for the efficiency gains while retaining selected paper publications as backup.

How Weekly Notice to Mariners Updates Work for AENP

The single biggest operational advantage of digital publications is how they handle corrections. With paper, keeping publications current means manually applying Notices to Mariners by hand, a time-consuming task that must be logged and verified for every affected publication.

With AENP, the weekly Notices to Mariners are delivered as a small update file and applied through the e-Reader in seconds, accurately and with minimal manual intervention. The system records when each publication was last updated, creating the audit trail that demonstrates compliance. The correction discipline is the same one every bridge follows, but the mechanism removes the hand-correction workload and the risk of a missed or misapplied update. The ADMIRALTY Notices to Mariners service underpins both the paper and digital update cycles.

Choose the Format That Fits Your Fleet

ADMIRALTY digital and paper publications are both SOLAS-compliant, so the right choice is the one that matches how your vessels operate: digital for the fleet that wants automatic updates, reduced storage, and faster inspections, and paper where connectivity, redundancy, or policy calls for it. Browse ADMIRALTY digital publication options through the ADMIRALTY Digital Publications and ADMIRALTY e-Nautical Publications pages, or contact American Nautical Services at +1 (954) 522-3321 or sales@amnautical.com for guidance on provisioning your bridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are ADMIRALTY Digital Publications SOLAS-approved?

Yes. ADMIRALTY Digital Publications (ADP) contain identical information to their paper equivalents and are approved as meeting SOLAS carriage provisions. ADMIRALTY e-Nautical Publications (AENP) are also designed to meet SOLAS carriage requirements and are approved by the flag states of over 80% of ships trading internationally.

How many publications are included in AENP?

ADMIRALTY e-Nautical Publications cover 87 official ADMIRALTY Nautical Publications in electronic format, including Sailing Directions (Pilots), Ocean Passages for the World, the Nautical Almanac, and the Mariner's Handbook. The range continues to expand over time.

What is the difference between ADP and AENP?

ADP (ADMIRALTY Digital Publications) are software applications for interactive reference data such as tides, lights, and radio signals. AENP (ADMIRALTY e-Nautical Publications) are e-book versions of the ADMIRALTY Nautical Publications reference books. Many vessels carry both.

Can I mix paper and digital publications on the same vessel?

Yes. Many fleets run a hybrid approach, using digital publications as the primary format for automatic updates and reduced storage while keeping selected paper publications as backup. A vessel's flag state requirements should be confirmed when deciding the mix.

How are digital ADMIRALTY publications updated?

Digital publications are updated weekly. AENP applies Notices to Mariners in seconds through a small update file in the e-Reader, while ADP receives weekly updates by internet download, email, or disc. Both record when each publication was last updated to aid inspection.

Do digital publications need connectivity?

Digital publications need periodic connectivity to receive weekly update files by internet or email, though updates can also be delivered by disc. Vessels with limited or unreliable connectivity should weigh this when choosing between digital and paper formats.