Maptech Guide: Planning a Cruise and Getting to Know the U.S. Coast

The Maptech Guide is nautical documentation designed for recreational sailors navigating mainly along the United States coastline, in major bays, inland waterways and certain areas of the Bahamas and Caribbean. Maptech guides are particularly well known for their practical information on ports, marinas, anchorages, access routes, facilities and local characteristics. They provide useful cruise-planning documentation for both sailing yachts and motorboats.

The Maptech collection is part of an American tradition of nautical documentation combining charting, harbour information and local knowledge. The Embassy Cruising Guides cover areas including the New England coast, Long Island Sound, the U.S. East Coast, Chesapeake Bay, the Intracoastal Waterway, Florida, the Florida Keys and the Gulf of Mexico. The information is particularly useful for planning multi-stage cruises and organizing successive stopovers.

What Is a Maptech Guide Used For?

A Maptech Guide provides information that complements a nautical chart. The chart is used to determine the vessel's position, depths, hazards, channels, navigation marks and other information required for navigation. The guide provides a more practical understanding of the coastal environment and the facilities available to recreational sailors.

Depending on the area covered, a Maptech Guide may provide information about:

• ports and marinas;

• anchorages;

• access routes and approaches;

• channels and inland waterways;

• harbour facilities;

• refuelling and provisioning;

• services available to sailors;

• local characteristics;

• distances between different stages;

• useful navigation points;

• facilities suitable for different types of boats.

This combination is particularly useful for longer cruises, when sailors need to plan several successive stopovers.

Maptech Embassy Cruising Guides

Maptech's best-known collection is the Embassy Cruising Guides. These guides cover major sailing areas in the United States and are designed as practical tools for preparing and carrying out cruises.

They cover four major geographical areas in particular:

• the New England coast;

• Long Island Sound to Cape May;

• Chesapeake Bay to Florida and the Intracoastal Waterway;

• Florida to Mobile Bay, including the Florida Keys.

The information is organized to allow sailors to plan their route progressively, identify accessible ports and select stopovers suited to their cruising plans.

For European sailors preparing a cruise in the United States, this regional organization also makes it easier to understand the major American sailing areas.

Maptech Guide for New England

The New England coast is a particularly interesting sailing area. It includes the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, with numerous ports, islands, bays and anchorages.

A guide dedicated to this region helps sailors plan navigation around areas such as Boston, Cape Cod, Newport and Block Island, as well as further north towards the Canadian border.

Navigation in this part of the Northwest Atlantic can be influenced by tides, currents, shoals and the complex configuration of certain bays and passages. Knowledge of ports and access routes therefore becomes particularly important during a coastal cruise.

NOAA nautical charts provide the official U.S. cartographic reference for many of the areas covered by Maptech guides. They can be used together with the guide's information to prepare routes and harbour approaches.

Long Island Sound and the U.S. East Coast

Another major Maptech sailing area extends from Long Island Sound to Cape May, including New York Harbor and the New Jersey coast.

This region has a high concentration of ports and waterways. Sailors can plan stopovers around New York, Long Island, Block Island and Cape May.

Navigation in New York Harbor and its surroundings requires careful preparation because of commercial traffic, currents, channels and extensive harbour infrastructure.

The guide provides complementary information that helps sailors better understand stopover options and the local nautical environment.

Chesapeake Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway

Chesapeake Bay is one of the major cruising areas on the U.S. East Coast. It connects with an extensive network of waterways and forms an important route for sailors heading south towards Florida.

Maptech guides cover routes linking Cape May and Delaware Bay to Chesapeake Bay, then onwards to the Intracoastal Waterway and Florida.

This type of navigation differs from purely coastal cruising. Sailors must take bridges, vertical clearances, channels, changing depths, tides and the many ports and marinas along the waterway into account.

A specialist guide helps plan the successive stages and identify the facilities required for a cruise lasting several weeks.

Maptech Guide for Florida and the Florida Keys

Florida is another major sailing area covered by Maptech. The guides include the Atlantic coast, the Gulf of Mexico coast, the Florida Keys and certain inland waterways.

Sailors can plan stopovers around Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Tampa, Key West and many destinations in between.

The Florida Keys have a distinctive configuration, with reefs, shoals, marked channels and numerous anchorages. Sailing conditions also differ significantly between the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico coast.

For a cruise between Florida and the Keys, combining local guide information with accurate nautical charts helps sailors better prepare routes, passages and stopovers.

Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the Intracoastal Waterway

Some Maptech guides also cover routes between Florida and Mobile Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. This area includes Florida's west coast as well as the Alabama coast and the northwestern Gulf.

Navigation may alternate between coastal passages, sheltered waterways, channels and harbour approaches.

Ports such as Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Pensacola and Mobile, as well as the numerous stopovers along the Gulf Coast, have very different characteristics. The guide helps sailors prepare these stages while taking local facilities and cruising possibilities into account.

Maptech and Sailing in the Bahamas and Caribbean

Maptech documentation also covers certain areas beyond the U.S. mainland, including the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

These destinations offer sailing conditions that differ considerably from those found along the U.S. East Coast. Shallow waters, reefs, passes and underwater visibility make accurate chart reading particularly important.

For a voyage to the Bahamas, a Maptech guide can therefore be used as complementary documentation, while official nautical charts and hydrographic information provide the references required for navigation.

Using a Maptech Guide with a Nautical Chart

A cruising guide does not replace a nautical chart. They should instead be used together.

Effective preparation can follow several steps:

• define the general route using the chart;

• identify possible ports and anchorages;

• consult the guide to understand the characteristics of each stage;

• check approaches and sensitive passages;

• determine distances between stopovers;

• prepare alternative options;

• check official information before departure.

For U.S. waters, NOAA charts are an important reference. Depending on the area and type of navigation, other specialized charts or publishers may also be used.

For European sailors accustomed to Shom, Admiralty or NV Charts documentation, the same principle applies: the guide provides practical information about the area, while nautical charts provide the foundation required for navigation.

Documentation Designed for Long Cruises

Maptech Guides are particularly useful for extended cruising. During a cruise lasting several weeks, the challenge is not simply knowing where to sail, but also knowing where to stop, refuel, provision, carry out repairs, wait for deteriorating weather or prepare the next stage.

A regional guide makes it possible to plan several days or weeks of navigation by progressively identifying ports and stopover opportunities.

This approach is particularly relevant to major routes along the U.S. East Coast, for example between New England and Florida, or along the Intracoastal Waterway.

Printed and Digital Documentation

Maptech has historically offered printed publications as well as certain digital versions of its guides. The printed format remains particularly useful for planning at the chart table.

It allows sailors to consult a region quickly, prepare a stage and maintain documentation independent of electronic equipment.

Digital documentation can make searches easier, particularly when sailors need to locate a specific port or destination quickly.

In all cases, the documentation should be used with up-to-date nautical information appropriate to the sailing area.

Who Are Maptech Guides For?

A Maptech Guide can be useful to different types of sailors:

• American or European sailors navigating in the United States;

• crews planning a cruise along the U.S. East Coast;

• sailors using the Intracoastal Waterway;

• sailing yacht and motorboat owners;

• sailors planning a Florida cruise;

• crews sailing towards the Bahamas or Caribbean;

• skippers planning multi-stage voyages;

• sailors looking for detailed information about ports and marinas.

The documentation is particularly relevant when knowledge of local facilities is almost as important as navigation itself.

How to Choose a Maptech Guide

The first criterion is the geographical area.

A sailor planning a New England cruise will not need the same volume as a crew travelling south along the U.S. East Coast towards Florida. Similarly, navigation in Chesapeake Bay or on the Intracoastal Waterway requires documentation corresponding precisely to the intended route.

Other factors should then be considered:

• the exact area covered;

• the planned route;

• the ports and marinas required;

• the waterways being used;

• the edition or version of the guide;

• compatibility with the other documentation used on board.

This approach makes it possible to build consistent nautical documentation without unnecessarily carrying multiple guides.

Conclusion

The Maptech Guide is specialized nautical documentation particularly suited to navigation in the United States, along the East Coast, in Chesapeake Bay, on the Intracoastal Waterway, in Florida, around the Florida Keys and in certain destinations in the Bahamas and Caribbean.

The Embassy Cruising Guides provide practical information about ports, marinas, anchorages, access routes, facilities and local characteristics. They are particularly valuable for extended cruises where planning stopovers and successive stages is essential.

Used with appropriate nautical charts, particularly NOAA publications for U.S. waters, the Maptech Guide helps sailors plan routes more effectively, anticipate specific passages and develop a more practical understanding of the destinations along the voyage.

For navigation between Boston and New York, in Chesapeake Bay, along the Intracoastal Waterway, around Florida or towards the Bahamas, the guide provides practical documentation that complements chart data and official nautical information.

FAQ – Maptech Guide

What is a Maptech Guide used for?

A Maptech Guide primarily provides practical information about ports, marinas, anchorages, approaches, facilities and nautical destinations. It complements the nautical chart when planning a cruise.

Which areas are covered by Maptech Guides?

The main areas covered include the New England coast, Long Island Sound, the U.S. East Coast, Chesapeake Bay, the Intracoastal Waterway, Florida, the Florida Keys and certain areas of the Bahamas and Caribbean.

Are Maptech Guides suitable for sailing yachts?

Yes. They are designed for recreational sailors and can be used aboard both sailing yachts and motorboats.

Do Maptech Guides replace nautical charts?

No. They are complementary documentation. Nautical charts remain essential for navigation and provide information such as depths, hazards, channels and navigation aids.

Which charts should be used with a Maptech Guide in the United States?

For U.S. waters, NOAA charts are an important reference. Depending on the area, sailors may also use other specialized charting systems suitable for their route.

Is a Maptech Guide useful for the Intracoastal Waterway?

Yes. The waterway includes numerous bridges, channels, changes in depth, ports and marinas. Specialized documentation helps plan stages and anticipate navigation constraints.

Is a Maptech Guide suitable for cruising in Florida?

Yes. The guides cover different parts of Florida, including the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Florida Keys and certain inland waterways.

Can a Maptech Guide be used for the Bahamas?

Yes, certain Maptech publications cover areas of the Bahamas. When sailing these waters, it remains essential to use suitable charts for reefs, shoals, passes and channels together with current official nautical information.

Are Maptech Guides useful for planning stopovers?

This is one of their main functions. They allow sailors to research ports, marinas, anchorages, services and facilities in order to organize the different stages of a cruise.

What is the difference between a Maptech Guide and a nautical chart?

A nautical chart primarily provides the geographical and hydrographic information required for navigation. A Maptech Guide provides more practical information about ports, marinas, facilities and cruising destinations.

Is a Maptech Guide useful for a long cruise?

Yes. Its regional structure is particularly suitable for voyages lasting several days or weeks, especially along the U.S. East Coast, the Intracoastal Waterway or in Florida.

Should a Maptech Guide be chosen according to the planned route?

Yes. It is preferable to choose the volume that corresponds precisely to the sailing area and to check that the entire route is adequately covered.

Is the printed format still useful for navigation?

Yes. A printed guide can be consulted at any time at the chart table without an internet connection or electrical power. It provides useful support alongside electronic navigation systems.

Why use a Maptech Guide together with a NOAA chart?

A NOAA chart provides the cartographic and hydrographic reference required for navigation, while the Maptech Guide provides practical information about ports, marinas, anchorages and destinations. The two documents therefore serve complementary purposes.