What Are Richardsons' Chartbooks and Which Maptech Chart or Cruising Guide Should You Buy?

Updated

Richardsons' Chartbooks are one of the publication lines Maptech identifies itself as publishing, alongside Maptech ChartKits, Embassy Cruising Guides, and Maptech marine navigation software and electronic charts. If you are choosing among them, the practical split is: chartbooks and ChartKits for chart-based navigation, Embassy Cruising Guides for facility and destination information, paper charts for detailed navigation information, and navigation software for on-screen guidance. The right pick depends on whether you are planning a cruise, navigating on the water, or doing both.

What Richardsons' Chartbooks Are

Maptech's own product description lists Richardsons' Chartbooks as one of its publishing lines. The site does not, on the page reviewed, break out Richardsons' Chartbooks as a separate product card with its own specifications. What the site does show is a family of navigation publications sold under the Maptech name, with a 2026 Product Catalog offered specifically so buyers can "see all Maptech has to offer and compare products to find the right fit for your marine navigational needs."

That catalog is the most reliable place to confirm what a given Richardsons' Chartbook covers, since the homepage does not list individual chartbook titles or regions.

The Maptech Product Lines, Compared by Use

The table below uses only what the Maptech site states about each product, plus the use case each description implies.

Product What Maptech says it provides Best for
Nautical Charts (paper) "Detailed navigation information" Traditional paper-based navigation and backup
Richardsons' Chartbooks Listed as a Maptech publication line Chart-based cruising reference (confirm coverage in the catalog)
Maptech ChartKits Listed as a Maptech publication line Chart-based cruising reference (confirm coverage in the catalog)
Embassy Cruising Guides "Comprehensive cruising guides… packed with facility information and local knowledge" Trip planning, marinas, restaurants, provisions
Navigation Software "Easy-to-use software will accurately guide you on the waterways" On-screen route guidance
Navigation Publications Great Book of Anchorages (approach data and chartlets); Rules and Regulations Handbook (safe navigation and regulation compliance) Anchoring and regulatory reference
Decorative Nautical Charts Peel-and-stick chart art, no frame needed Display, not navigation

A key distinction: chartbooks and ChartKits are chart products, while Embassy Cruising Guides are facility-and-local-knowledge guides. They answer different questions, so many cruisers carry one of each rather than choosing between them.

Which Regional Guide Covers Your Area

Maptech's Embassy Guides are organized into four regions, and the site's web guides sample the same content:

  • New England Coast
  • Long Island Sound to Cape May, New Jersey
  • Chesapeake Bay to Florida & the ICW
  • Florida to Mobile Bay

If your cruising falls in one of these regions, start with the matching Embassy Guide for planning. The site's Destinations pages offer an overview of the area, things to do, restaurants and provisions, and featured marinas — a free way to sample the guide's content before buying. For chart coverage of the same area, check the 2026 Product Catalog to see which chartbook or ChartKit covers it.

What to Check Before Buying

  • Coverage: Confirm the chartbook or guide actually covers your cruising grounds. The homepage does not list individual Richardsons' Chartbook regions, so use the catalog.
  • Format: Decide whether you want paper (charts, chartbooks, ChartKits), a guide (Embassy), or software. These are not substitutes for one another.
  • Planning vs. on-water use: Embassy Guides suit planning and port information; charts and chartbooks suit navigation; software suits guided on-water use.
  • Current options: The 2026 Product Catalog is the site's stated tool for comparing products, and the regional guide pages list current Embassy Guide offerings.

Where to Start

Use the NOAA Interactive Chart Selector if you need to identify the right NOAA chart for an area — the site describes it as a click-on-the-map tool. Use the 2026 Product Catalog to compare Maptech's chartbooks, ChartKits, and guides, and the regional Destinations pages to preview Embassy Guide content for your area. The site also offers a monthly newsletter for product updates and special offers.