Plan Your First Route
Planning a route on BoatRoutes takes less than a minute. Here is how to get started.
Step 1: Find a Location
Section titled “Step 1: Find a Location”Start by visiting any location page on BoatRoutes. Every marina, anchorage, and marine park has its own page with details about amenities, nearby tide and current stations, and available routes.
You can find locations by:
- Browsing the interactive map and clicking on a location marker
- Browsing a cruising grounds page and selecting a location from the table
Step 2: Choose a Destination
Section titled “Step 2: Choose a Destination”On any location page, you will find a Routes section listing every available route from that location. The table shows the destination, distance in nautical miles, and estimated travel time at your chosen boat speed.
Click on any route to see the full route detail page.
Step 3: Set Your Boat Speed
Section titled “Step 3: Set Your Boat Speed”BoatRoutes calculates travel time based on your cruising speed. Use the speed control (the +/- buttons) to set your typical cruising speed in knots. This affects the estimated travel time for all routes.
Common cruising speeds:
| Boat Type | Typical Speed |
|---|---|
| Sailboat (under power) | 5-7 knots |
| Trawler | 7-8 knots |
| Powerboat (cruising) | 15-20 knots |
| Powerboat (planing) | 25-35 knots |
Step 4: Set Your Departure Time
Section titled “Step 4: Set Your Departure Time”Use the departure time picker to set when you plan to leave. This is important because it determines:
- Tide heights along your route at that time
- Tidal current speeds and directions you will encounter
- Slack water timing for any narrow passages on your route
Step 5: Review Your Route
Section titled “Step 5: Review Your Route”The route detail page shows you everything you need for your passage:
- Distance and estimated time for each route variant
- Route map with the plotted course on nautical chart tiles
- Tide overlay showing water levels along the route
- Current overlay showing current speeds and directions
- Nearby stations with tide and current predictions
- Start with a short, familiar route to get a feel for how the environmental overlays work.
- Compare the Direct, Protected, and Scenic variants to understand the tradeoffs. The Protected route may add distance but keep you in calmer waters.
- Pay special attention to current overlays in areas with strong tidal flows like the San Juan Islands or the Gulf Islands.
- Bookmark route pages you use frequently — the URL contains your departure time, so you can share specific scenarios with crew.