What Waterway Guide does

Waterway Guide is a private recreational boating media and navigation company founded in 1947 and domiciled in Midlothian, Virginia as Waterway Guide Media LLC. The company serves recreational cruisers across major US waterways and select international destinations, providing mile-by-mile navigation information, marina directories, anchorage databases, and fuel pricing through digital guidebooks, mobile applications, and legacy print publications across ten regional guide titles spanning the Great Lakes, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Chesapeake Bay, Gulf Coast, Florida Keys, Bahamas, Cuba, and Caribbean.

The technology platform combines an interactive web-based mapping tool (Explorer), iOS and Android mobile applications with offline content capability for on-water use without cellular signal, and digital PDF publications. Core technical assets include a proprietary database of 4,000+ marina listings, thousands of anchorage locations, weekly-updated fuel price reports across 14 geographic regions, and real-time navigation alerts aggregated from USCG and USACE. Community-driven user reviews and the WGPoints rewards program incentivize user contributions that strengthen the data asset over time.

The business model diversifies across subscriptions, one-time guide sales, and advertising/sponsorships. Annual subscriptions range from $54.99 (digital-only) to $88-$96 (print+digital bundles), while monthly complete-access subscriptions run $9.99 (online-only PDF) or $28.99 (PDF plus app). Free memberships support customer acquisition and include a complimentary BoatUS membership, weekly navigation alerts, and rewards points. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the Ship Store e-commerce site, iOS App Store, Google Play, and Amazon Marketplace, with content marketing through a Knowledge Center, weekly email newsletter, and event participation including the official navigation platform designation for Sail4th 250 and Sail250 Maryland in 2026.

Name

Waterway Guide

Legal name

Waterway Guide Media LLC

Website

https://waterwayguide.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recreational Boating Navigation

NAICS

Marinas (71393), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA)

Keywords

• Boating navigation guides
• Marina directories
• Cruising guides
• Fuel price reports
• Waterway navigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Midlothian

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription - Print + Digital: Annual subscription bundling printed guidebook of choice with online PDF access and mobile app access. Provides 20% discount vs separate purchases. Prices range $88-$96/year depending on guide title.
2. Subscription - Digital Only: Annual digital-only subscription providing online PDF access and mobile app access to specific guide titles. Great Lakes Volume 1 and Volume 2 available at $54.99-$59.99/year.
3. Subscription - Complete Digital: Monthly subscription ($28.99/month) for online PDF and in-app access to all 10 guide titles. Also available as online-only subscription at $9.99/month for PDF access without app features.
4. Individual Guidebook Sales: One-time purchase of individual printed or digital guidebooks. Skipper Bob publications and Waterway Guide regional guides available at various price points ($21-$54.99).
5. Advertising & Sponsorships: Sponsored content and advertising placements on website and in publications. Sponsors include Safe Harbor Marinas, BoatUS, ValvTect, and marine industry associations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Waterway Guide provides digital and print cruising guidebooks covering 10 US and Caribbean geographic regions (Great Lakes, Atlantic ICW, Chesapeake Bay, Bahamas, Cuba, Florida Keys, etc.) for recreational boaters. The platform combines an interactive Explorer mapping tool, marina and anchorage directories, weekly fuel price reports, real-time navigation alerts sourced from USCG and USACE, and a mobile app with offline access for use on the water.

Product overview

Waterway Guide is a comprehensive boating navigation and information platform offering both digital and print guidebooks across 10 geographic regions (Great Lakes Vol. 1 & 2, Northern, Chesapeake Bay, Mid-Atlantic, Southern, Bahamas, Cuba, Florida Keys, Gulf Coast). The core product consists of digital publications accessible via web and mobile app, complemented by a mapping Explorer tool, fuel price reporting service, and Knowledge Center content hub. The company operates a Ship Store e-commerce platform for guide sales and subscriptions, offering tiered options from region-specific digital guides ($9.99-$54.99) to complete all-access subscriptions ($9.99-$28.99/month or $88-$96/year for print+digital bundles). A membership program with BoatUS partnership provides additional benefits including towing services and marina discounts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Print + Digital Subscription Bundle Combined print guidebook and digital subscription offering covering one geographic title; bundle pricing provides approximately 20% discount versus separate purchases. Targeted at recreational boaters seeking both physical and digital cruising references.
• Complete Digital Subscription All-access digital subscription providing online PDF access and in-app access to all 10 Waterway Guide regional titles for $28.99/month. Targeted at boaters cruising across multiple regions.
• Complete Online-Only Subscription Online-only subscription providing PDF access to all 10 Waterway Guide regional titles for $9.99/month without mobile app features. Targeted at boaters who plan trips on desktop.
• Waterway Guide Mobile App iOS and Android mobile application enabling trip planning, navigation, marina exploration, fuel price checking, and offline content access for boaters on the water.
• Waterway Guide Explorer Interactive web-based mapping tool with multiple display modes for exploring marinas, services, anchorages, free docks, bridges, locks, navigation alerts, and fuel prices across covered waterways.
• Fuel Price Reports Weekly-updated fuel pricing data for marinas across 14 geographic regions, including diesel and gasoline prices with discount information and marina contact details.
• Individual Guidebook Sales One-time purchase of individual printed or digital guidebooks including Skipper Bob publications and Waterway Guide regional guides at price points ranging from $21 to $54.99.

Quantifiable outcome

• Weekly fuel price reports covering major cruising regions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BoatUScoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBoatUS provides complimentary one-year membership to all Waterway Guide members. Benefits include BoatUS Magazine (6 issues), towing dispatch services, discounts at marinas and West Marine, and exclusive travel deals. This partnership drives customer acquisition and retention for both parties.
• Safe Harbor MarinascoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSafe Harbor Marinas is a major sponsor of Waterway Guide with prominent placement on the website. Safe Harbor properties appear as preferred destinations and featured sponsors throughout the platform.
• ValvTectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerValvTect appears as a sponsor on fuel price reports, promoting their marine fuel products at marinas throughout the Waterway Guide network.
• Aqua MapcoreTechnology or IntegrationWaterway Guide and Aqua Map were named official navigation platforms for Sail4th 250 and Sail250 Maryland. Aqua Map integration provides enhanced mobile navigation capabilities and AIS tracking for tall ships during celebrations.
• AGLCA (American Great Loop Cruisers Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAGLCA members receive fuel discounts at participating marinas through the Waterway Guide fuel price program. Joint promotion of Great Loop cruising content.
• MTOA (Mysterious Two Oceans Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMTOA members receive fuel discounts at participating marinas listed in Waterway Guide fuel price reports.
• SSCA (Seven Seas Cruising Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSSCA sponsorship and cross-promotion with Waterway Guide content and marina discounts for SSCA members.
• US SailingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUS Sailing sponsorship acknowledging Waterway Guide's support for sailing and boating education initiatives.
• ABM (Association of Bahamas Marinas)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerABM sponsorship and partnership promoting Bahamas marina destinations to Waterway Guide cruising audience.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Garmin Marine: Dominant marine electronics manufacturer whose portfolio now includes Navionics and ActiveCaptain. Competes broadly across chartplotters, sonar, and integrated navigation, making it the largest incumbent challenging Waterway Guide's end user.
• C-MAP: Global marine chart provider serving recreational and commercial markets. Competes broadly in marine navigation data, though more focused on chart layers than community-driven cruising content.

Direct peers

• ActiveCaptain (Garmin): Crowd-sourced boating community platform with marina reviews, local knowledge, and trip planning, now owned by Garmin. Closest functional peer on the community-reviews and marina-discovery side of Waterway Guide's offering.
• Navionics (Garmin): Marine electronic charts and navigation app acquired by Garmin. Competes directly with Waterway Guide on chart data, marina listings, and mobile navigation for recreational cruisers.
• Aqua Map: Mobile marine navigation app with detailed charts, AIS data, and crowd-sourced boating information. Direct competitor to Waterway Guide's mobile app and Explorer; notably also a co-designated official navigation platform alongside Waterway Guide for Sail4th 250 and Sail250 Maryland.
• Skipper Bob Publications: Long-running publisher of printed cruising guides for the Great Loop, ICW, and major US waterways. Direct competitor in the printed guidebook category; notably, Waterway Guide also resells Skipper Bob titles through its Ship Store, illustrating direct overlap.
• Reed's Nautical Almanacs: Annual printed nautical almanac covering North American waters with marina data, navigation info, and cruising content. Direct peer in the printed cruising guide category serving similar boater segments.
• Dockwa: Marina reservation and boating trip planning platform with marina directory and reviews. Directly comparable on the marina-discovery and booking side, intersecting Waterway Guide's marina directory and Preferred Destinations.

Emerging players

• PredictWind: Marine weather forecasting and routing platform. Adjacent competitor offering complementary navigation-planning features (weather routing) that overlap with Waterway Guide's trip planning and weather guidance content.

Others

• BoatUS: Largest US recreational boating association offering towing, insurance, and member services. Strategic partner providing complimentary memberships to Waterway Guide users; adjacent rather than directly competing, but reaching the same end customer with overlapping value.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WaterwayGuide
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waterway-guide-media

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Waterway Guide