maptech.com

Navionics is a digital marine chart and navigation service: chart data delivered through plotters and mobile apps rather than printed pages. Maptech is a publisher of paper and print-oriented navigation products—ChartKits, Richardsons' Chartbooks, Embassy Cruising Guides, paper nautical charts, and navigation software. The two overlap in purpose (getting you safely along a coast or waterway) but differ in format, updating, and what they are best at. Choose Navionics-style digital charts for live position, zoomable detail, and route planning on a screen; choose Maptech print products for planning at the table, backup navigation, and facility/local-knowledge content that a chart alone doesn't carry.

What Navionics is

Navionics is best understood as a chart service rather than a single product. Its core is digital chart data—depth contours, aids to navigation, and chart detail—displayed on compatible chartplotters and in mobile apps, with route and track tools built around a live GPS position. Because it is software-based, the chart you see is tied to a device and a subscription or chart card, and updates arrive electronically.

That description is general product knowledge. Maptech's site lists "Navionics" among its related keywords but does not sell or describe Navionics products; everything Maptech actually offers is its own line, described below.

What Maptech offers

Maptech's catalog, as listed on its site, is organized around print and planning tools:

Maptech also publishes decorative charts and a 2026 product catalog for comparing its line. The site describes 50 years of publishing charts, cruising guides, and navigation tools.

The practical differences that decide the choice

• Live position vs. planning. A digital chart service centers on where you are right now and what's ahead on screen. Maptech's chartbooks and guides center on planning a passage and understanding a destination—facilities, anchorages, local knowledge—before and during the trip.
• Updates. Digital charts update electronically; paper charts and chartbooks are editions you replace. Neither approach removes the need to check notices to mariners for your area.
• Screen dependence. Digital navigation depends on a powered device, a working GPS, and a readable display. Paper products work when electronics don't—the usual reason cruisers carry both.
• Depth of destination content. Maptech's Embassy Guides and the Great Book of Anchorages carry facility and approach information that a chart display typically doesn't. If your question is "where do I tie up and eat in this harbor," the guide answers it; if it's "where exactly is the channel edge," the chart does.

How to choose

Use these conditions to decide:

1. You cruise mostly with a chartplotter or tablet and want routing tools. A digital chart service is the primary tool; add a paper chart or chartbook for the area as backup.
2. You plan at home and want one bound reference per region. A Maptech ChartKit or Richardsons' Chartbook for your cruising area, plus the matching Embassy Cruising Guide, covers planning and underway reference in print.
3. You need marina, provisioning, and dining information. Start with the Embassy Cruising Guide for your region; Maptech's free Destinations web guides give a sample of that content before you buy.
4. You want the official chart for an area. Use Maptech's NOAA Interactive Chart Selector to identify it, then decide whether you need the paper version.
5. You are equipping a boat from scratch. Most cruisers end up with both: digital charts for live navigation and a print chartbook plus guide for planning, backup, and local knowledge.

If your cruising is confined to one of Maptech's four guide regions, the print route is straightforward—one chartbook and one guide per region. If you move between regions or want route planning on a screen, treat digital charts as the base layer and add Maptech print products where destination detail matters.

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.

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.

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

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.

Maptech sells paper nautical charts, ChartKits and Richardsons' Chartbooks, Embassy Cruising Guides, navigation software and electronic charts, navigation publications, and decorative charts. Match the product to the job: paper charts and chartbooks for cockpit navigation, Embassy guides for trip planning and marina/facility details, software and electronic charts for on-screen navigation, and decorative charts for display. Confirm current availability and pricing on maptech.com before ordering, since the site's product pages are the authoritative source.

The Main Product Lines

Match the Product to Your Use

If you navigate from the helm

Paper charts give you reliable detail without power or screen glare, and they work as a backup when electronics fail. A ChartKit or Richardsons' Chartbook is the practical choice when your route crosses many charts, because you carry one bound volume instead of loose sheets. If you prefer screen-based navigation, the navigation software and electronic charts cover planning and underway use.

If you are planning a cruise

Embassy Cruising Guides are the planning tool: the site describes them as packed with facility information and local knowledge. Add the Great Book of Anchorages if anchoring is part of your plan, since it includes approach data and chartlets. The Rules and Regulations Handbook covers what you need for safe navigation and regulatory compliance.

If you want chart art

Decorative charts are a separate purchase from navigation products. They are peel-and-stick, applied directly to a wall, door, or window with no frame required.

Choose the Right Cruising Guide Region

Maptech's web guides sample the Embassy Guides for four regions. Pick the one that covers your route:

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

The free online destination guides give an overview of each port, things to do, restaurants and provisions, and featured marinas, so you can preview a region before buying the full guide. If your route crosses a regional boundary, you will likely need more than one guide.

Find and Compare Products

1. Locate your charts. Use the NOAA Interactive Chart Selector: click your area on the map to find the matching NOAA charts.
2. Compare the full line. The 2026 Product Catalog lists everything Maptech offers and lets you compare products to find the right fit.
3. Preview destinations. Read the free web guides for your region to confirm the guide covers the ports you plan to visit.
4. Check the product page before ordering. Confirm current availability and price on maptech.com; the site does not publish pricing in its general product listings.

Common Pitfalls

• Buying a guide for the wrong region. The four Embassy regions are specific; a Chesapeake Bay guide will not cover New England.
• Assuming a chartbook replaces paper charts entirely. ChartKits and Chartbooks are chart collections, but for areas outside their coverage you still need individual charts.
• Missing the free magazine. Destinations Magazine is free with any online purchase while supplies last, so it will not appear as a separate line item you can order alone.
• Expecting decorative charts to be navigational. They are display products, not charts for use on the water.

A battle map is a scaled, top-down map used during tabletop RPG encounters to show where characters, monsters, and terrain sit relative to each other. You use one when positioning matters — combat, chases, traps, room-by-room exploration — and skip it for purely narrative scenes. You can make one by drawing terrain in a vector editor, placing assets, then exporting for screen, print, or a virtual tabletop. DungeonFog is one tool built for exactly this workflow.

Battle map vs. world map: what's the difference

These two map types answer different questions, and mixing them up is the most common early mistake.

A battle map zooms in far enough that a single chair or pillar changes your tactics. A world map zooms out far enough that a single chair is invisible. You generally need both over a campaign, but they serve different moments at the table.

When to actually put a battle map down

Reach for a battle map when the answer to "where exactly is everyone?" changes the outcome:

• Combat — line of sight, flanking, area-of-effect spells, and movement speed all depend on position.
• Dungeon crawling — doors, corridors, and room shapes matter for exploration and ambushes.
• Chases and escapes — distance and obstacles drive the tension.
• Stealth and traps — who is standing where determines what gets triggered.

Skip the map for shopping, negotiation, travel montages, and any scene where nobody cares about exact distance. Forcing a grid onto a conversation slows the game down.

How to make a custom battle map

DungeonFog describes a three-step process: create a map, place assets, then export and play. Here's what each step involves and what to expect.

1. Draw the terrain

Start with the layout — dungeon walls, building floor plans, or overland terrain. DungeonFog uses a vector-based editor, which means shapes stay sharp when you scale or print them, rather than turning blurry like a stretched bitmap. Draw the rooms and corridors first; decoration comes later.

2. Place assets

Populate the map with props, furniture, and terrain features. DungeonFog's library lists over 3,000 assets spanning different time periods and settings, and new asset packs are released monthly as part of its premium content subscription. Search the library for the pieces that match your story rather than settling for whatever's closest.

3. Export and play

You can play with others inside DungeonFog itself, or export and print the map. Exporting is where your earlier choices pay off — a vector map holds up at print resolution, and a well-scaled grid keeps tokens aligned.

Key considerations before you commit

• Grid scale. Decide your squares-per-inch (or per-5-feet) before you draw, not after. Changing it later means redoing the layout.
• Resolution. If you plan to print, you need higher resolution than for on-screen play. Vector output helps here.
• Asset library size. A bigger library means less time hunting for the right prop — but also more browsing. Check whether the library covers your campaign's setting (fantasy, modern, horror, etc.).
• Where you'll play. On screen, printed, or inside a virtual tabletop each has different export needs.

Ways to play with your map

• On screen — display the map on a TV or monitor laid flat or mounted, and move physical minis on top.
• Printed — export at print resolution and tile the pages for a physical battle mat.
• In a virtual tabletop — play with others inside DungeonFog, or export the file for use in your VTT of choice.

The practical takeaway

If you only need a quick sketch, paper and a marker still work. If you want reusable, high-detail maps that survive printing and scaling, a vector editor with a large asset library saves real time across a campaign. DungeonFog fits that second case — free to sign up, with premium memberships and a marketplace for additional content. Check the pricing page for current tiers before committing, since asset packs and premium features sit behind that subscription.