What term describes a ship's plan or map used for navigation and operations?

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In navigation at sea, a nautical chart is the essential map used for plotting courses and guiding operations. It’s an official, detailed map produced by hydrographic offices that shows water depths, shoreline outlines, danger areas, wrecks, tides, and every navigation aid—lighthouses, buoys, beacons—along with scale and coordinates. This combination lets sailors determine where they are and how to maneuver safely, plan routes, and avoid hazards in real time.

A world map is too general for precise sea navigation. A pilot chart provides regional planning data like winds and currents but isn’t the specific navigational map used to plot a vessel’s exact course. A sea atlas may include various maps and sailing directions, but it isn’t the dedicated navigational chart used on a ship for day-to-day navigation and operations.