What Are Watercharts and What Types of Water Charts Do Boaters Need?

Updated

Watercharts are navigational charts for waterways—they show water depths, aids to navigation, hazards, and shoreline features so a boater can plan and follow a safe route. The right format depends on how you navigate: paper charts and chartbooks for cockpit reference and backup, electronic charts and navigation software for route planning and GPS integration, and cruising guides for facility and destination information. Maptech, a publisher of charts, chartbooks, cruising guides, and navigation software, is one source for these products; the choice among its lines should follow your cruising area and whether you prefer paper, screen, or both.

What a Waterchart Shows That a Road Map Does Not

A general map tells you where land, roads, and towns are. A waterchart adds the information a boat needs:

  • Depths and contours so you can judge whether your draft fits.
  • Aids to navigation such as buoys, beacons, and lights.
  • Hazards like shoals, rocks, and obstructions.
  • Shoreline detail and facilities relevant to anchoring, docking, and provisioning.

Because these details change—buoys move, channels silt in—chart currency matters as much as coverage.

The Main Types of Water Charts and When to Use Each

Type Best for What it gives you Trade-off
Paper charts Cockpit reference, backup, planning at the table Detailed navigation information in a durable format Must be replaced as editions update; large areas need multiple sheets
Chartbooks (e.g., ChartKits, Richardsons' Chartbooks) Cruisers covering a region in one volume Bound coverage of a cruising area with consistent scale Less flexible than loose sheets for a single small area
Electronic charts and navigation software Route planning, GPS integration, quick position checks On-screen charts that guide you on the waterways Depends on power and electronics; should not be your only source
Cruising guides (e.g., Embassy Cruising Guides) Trip planning, marinas, restaurants, local knowledge Facility information and destination context Not a substitute for a navigation chart
Decorative charts Home or office display A chart area as wall art Not for navigation

Maptech's product line covers each of these categories, including paper charts, chartbooks, cruising guides, navigation software, and decorative charts.

How to Choose Based on Your Cruising Area and Style

Start with the area you actually cruise, then match the product to it:

  1. Define the region. A weekend sailor on one bay needs different coverage than a snowbird running the Intracoastal Waterway. Maptech's Embassy Guides are organized into four regions—New England Coast; Long Island Sound to Cape May, New Jersey; Chesapeake Bay to Florida & the ICW; and Florida to Mobile Bay—which gives you a ready way to check whether a guide matches your route.
  2. Decide paper, screen, or both. If you navigate by GPS, electronic charts and software are the working set; add paper or a chartbook as backup. If you prefer plotting by hand, a chartbook for your region plus paper charts for tight spots is a practical combination.
  3. Add a cruising guide for the destination layer. Charts tell you where the water is; guides tell you where the marina, fuel, and restaurants are. Maptech describes its Embassy guides as packed with facility information and local knowledge.
  4. Check the data source and edition. Maptech's online chart selector is built around NOAA charts, so you can use it to identify the official chart for an area before buying. Ask about the edition date of any paper product, since an outdated chart is a hazard in itself.

Key Features to Look For

  • Official data basis. Charts derived from NOAA data align with the notices and updates boaters already track.
  • Coverage boundaries. Confirm the chart or chartbook actually spans your full route, including the harbor you start from.
  • Update path. For paper, know how new editions are announced; for software, know how chart updates are delivered.
  • Complementary tools. Maptech pairs its charts with an interactive online facility guide (marine facility information and drone videos for select harbors), navigation publications such as the Great Book of Anchorages (approach data and chartlets) and a Rules and Regulations Handbook, and a 2026 product catalog for comparing products side by side.

A Practical Example

Suppose you plan a run from the Chesapeake down the ICW toward Florida. You would want a chartbook or chart set covering the Chesapeake Bay to Florida corridor, electronic charts in your navigation software for daily route-following, and the matching Embassy cruising guide for marina and provisioning stops. Before departure, use the NOAA interactive chart selector to confirm you have the current official chart for each leg, and keep a paper backup aboard in case the electronics fail.

Bottom Line

Watercharts are the navigation layer—depths, aids, and hazards—and the format should match how you boat: paper and chartbooks for reference and redundancy, electronic charts and software for planning and position, and cruising guides for the destination details charts leave out. Choose by cruising region first, confirm the chart is current and NOAA-based, and treat guides and publications as complements rather than replacements.