SkipperGuide for Sailing Locations
An Online Pilots Guide for World Sailors and Mariners
Apr 11, 2007
The idea of exploring yacht clubs and marinas from space was first suggested here at Boating & Sailing in a blog entry titled Yachting Clubs on Google Earth. If you haven't tried it yet, Google Earth is an amazing way to view topographic and man made features on the surface of the earth using satellite imagery. After reading the blog entry on Google Earth, Peter, the founder of a website called SkipperGuide, forwarded information about a feature of their site that provides information on sailing destinations using Google Earth. This online guidebook was started in Germany during 2005 and debuted as an international site in 2006.
SkipperGuide was established as an online pilot guide were sailors can contribute information about their favorite destinations and yacht clubs. A pilot guide is traditionally published as a written narrative of pilotage or navigation information that would be useful to a sailor visiting an unfamiliar port or harbor. Using a wiki format, sailors can provide current and useful information on locations that can readily be updated. SkipperGuide is privately funded and intends to avoid commercial influences that could skew or spin the information provided.
SkipperGuide is broken into several sections. These include pages for general discussions, news, recent changes to wiki entries, and a help section. Pilotage area are divided into themajor continental zones; North and South America, Europe, Oceania, Australia, Asia and Africa. The feature that is the focus of this article is the Google Earth export option. By downloading a export option. By downloading a export option. By downloading a KML file that adds a folder to the places bookmark sidebar. Using Bergen, Norway as an example, clicking on the SkipperGuide bookmark zooms the Google Earth map to this port location. A link to the KML file that adds a folder to the places bookmark sidebar. Using Bergen, Norway as an example, clicking on the SkipperGuide bookmark zooms the Google Earth map to this port location. Clicking the link for the wiki entry for Bergen is displays information on local marinas, airports, traveler's tip and recent images. Selecting the geographic coordinates of 60°23'46.41"N 005°19'14.77"E brings up the GeoHack map resources available for this site.
The owners of SkipperGuide are careful to point out that the site does not replace, but is meant to complement traditional tools of marine navigation. Even in the modern world of GPS aided navigation, knowledge and carriage of paper charts and pilot's guide as still extremely important. This site offers sailors a wonderful opportunity to share their hints, insider tips, and experiences throughout the world. These can include good restaurants, hazards to navigation, and favorite anchorages. SkipperGuide is an excellent framework for providing relevant and useful information for sailors. There are unlimited opportunities for readers of Boating and Sailing to contribute their knowledge to the effort.
