The new Digital Pilot Book by The International Yachting Media is now online. With over 1,000 anchorages, ports, harbors, and marinas available to browse, this initiative—now in its eleventh year—has been completely revamped, both in terms of design and functionality.
These functionalities are highly appreciated by our readers, who are typically boat owners, skippers, and captains who rely on the guide to find a mooring spot for their boat or, during the busiest months, to locate a safe anchorage near their chosen destination.
Accessing it via smartphone makes it even easier to click on a phone number and call directly to book the desired port, all without any subscription fees—a hallmark of all our publications.
The new edition of the Digital Pilot Book is also available in four languages: Italian, English, French, and Spanish. This feature allows sailors worldwide not only to use this amazing tool but also to add new anchorages, port facilities, or propose updates to existing ones anywhere in the world, directly in their native language.
The digital pilot book integrates these languages into a single platform, meaning that if an English-speaking user adds or updates a port in their language, the same information will be visible to visitors accessing the Italian, French, or Spanish versions.
Many new features are available, which we will explain in more detail below. However, if you’d like to explore them right away, you can navigate directly to the guide by clicking here.
Digital Pilot Book: how to use it
The pilot book is incredibly easy to use. Navigation is done through a drop-down menu, allowing users to select the area they are interested in and check whether refueling services are available in that specific location. If you already know the name of the port or anchorage you are looking for, a quick search using the dedicated search box will suffice.
For example, if you select Liguria as your area of interest, you can refine your search by choosing “Ports and Anchorages” and filter further to find marinas or ports offering fuel services. If you decide that the port of Savona is the most suitable for your needs, clicking on the map will display a detailed port profile.
The profiles for ports and anchorages are highly detailed, providing all the necessary information for docking at your chosen location. This includes VHF channels and essential contact numbers for booking a mooring spot or accessing additional services you may need. In the new digital pilot book, all profiles integrate Google Maps, enabling users to utilize satellite views to understand the layout of piers within the port and easily locate their mooring spot.
Registered users can also benefit from the “Favorites” feature, which allows to save anchorages, ports, or bays they wish to keep highlighted for quick reference.
Interactivity and Notes
By registering with a username and password, you can access a dedicated section and add new anchorages or marinas that have not yet been listed in our pilot book. For example, one of our readers, while sailing along the central-eastern coast of Sardinia, shared information about the anchorage at Cala Liberotto.
By clicking on the anchor symbol on the Digital Pilot Book map, you can access the informational profile of this beautiful cove and read the notes the boat owner added during their stay. In this specific case, you can also watch a video of the area.
Adding a new anchorage is extremely simple. Once logged in, the pilot book provides a form where you can input the acquired data and details. Then, just move the cursor on the map to the desired location, save your work, and the new point will appear on the map after being reviewed and approved by the editorial team.
If you’re sailing and using a smartphone, you can access the pilot book directly from your device, enjoying the same functionalities and operational ease.
Conclusions
It’s highly common to hear boat owners chatting on the dock, especially in summer, about the most sheltered anchorage, the seabed with the best holding, or simply discussing which port offers the most useful services for planning a cruise. Our Digital Pilot Book, now one of the most widely read worldwide, provides precise answers to all these questions, offering an ever more accurate service for sailing enthusiasts.
The Digital Pilot Book, further enhanced by The International Yachting Media, delivers clear and immediate information on all these topics.
Easy to consult and completely free, it is also interactive, allowing every boat owner to add important notes and updates about locations or anchorages, sharing this valuable knowledge with all users of the platform. This means that anyone can propose new content or enrich the guide’s information, making it even more precise and comprehensive. After a quick moderation process, the contributions are published online! Not only does the guide provide detailed information about ports and anchorages in the Mediterranean, but it also covers lakes. Planning your stops as well as your route is crucial, whether it’s for a long weekend or an extended voyage. Knowing in advance where your anchorages or ports will be is essential. Even a simple transfer must adhere to these principles to avoid risks that could sometimes lead to catastrophic consequences.
Every year, serious maritime accidents are reported, and the summer of 2024 unfortunately set a record for tragedies at sea. Overcrowded anchorages, mooring too close to the coast, unplanned stops, and a general lack of caution have been the root causes of potentially very dangerous situations.
The pilot book serves as a “second compass” that, when used properly, can help prevent many problems. Thanks to its interactivity, as previously mentioned, it is constantly updated. The new digital pilot book provides valuable information to help identify locations through textual descriptions, maps, and, most importantly, details about navigation hazards such as shallows or wrecks. It also includes guidance for entering ports, anchoring, and any other information deemed essential for safe and efficient navigation.
