Anybody who spends time boating and fishing along the Maine coast needs good maps, and truth be known, there are plenty of maps out there to choose from. What there aren’t many of is maps that are big enough, tough enough and detailed enough to be truly useful for the recreational boater and angler.

I’ve always wanted weatherproof, large-enough-to-read maps to keep in my boat and in the past, they have been hard to come by. Now, a company out of Punta Gorda, Florida, of all places, has come up with a wonderful solution for those of us who roam the coast of Maine. The company is called Waterproof Charts and they have just finished publishing three big maps to cover most of the Maine coast. The three maps cover the Merrimack to Cape Elizabeth, Casco Bay and Sac Bay and the Kennebec, Sheepscot and Damariscotta Rivers.

I am particularly experienced in those last three locations, having fishing, hunted and boat on all of them for the past 40 years, and I can tell you these are wicked good charts.

There is a huge amount of information contained in each of the charts. Here’s how the company describes the content of the Kennebec, Sheepscot and Damariscotta rivers maps:

Side A has complete coverage from Sebasco on the New Meadows River, around Cape Small, and up to Bath. Side B gives you great detail of Boothbay up the Sheepscot to Wiscasset, as well as the Damariscotta River up to Little Point, just south of where river passes under Route 1. With the help of local guides and tackle stores, we†have pinpointed the most likely areas to hold striped bass, bluefish, and even baitfish.

These areas are designated on the charts with a symbol of the species caught in that area. We have also pre-plotted dozens of GPS Waypoints†to make it easier for you to find these hotspots. You can sit at the dock and enter the coordinate into your GPS and you are on your way to some great fishing.

No need to struggle to see the numbers as these waterproof, folded products come in the popular large print format. We have added all of the most popular†boat ramps, as well as marinas and bait stores for your convenience. This chart is a great compliment to all of the other Waterproof Charts of this area.

All I can add to that is these maps will now have a permanent place on board my fishing boat. And it won’t matter if they get soaked and I don’t have to worry about them getting torn or crumpled because the paper these maps are printed on is truly rugged stuff. This is a product that delivers everything the maker claims for it. They certainly are deserving recipients of the Harry’s Choice Award for July.

Check the maps out for yourself. Go to: waterproofcharts.com