There are days when the best route is the one you didn't plan.
It all started with a day of anchoring off the island of Tabarca. The idea was to enjoy the day in one of the most beautiful spots along the Santa Pola coast, taking advantage of the fact that it was still Friday and not as crowded as it usually is in the height of summer.
But as evening fell, our plans changed. Instead of going home, we decided to spend the night in the harbor.
We radioed Marina Miramar to ask if they had a berth available. From the very beginning, they treated us wonderfully. If I remember correctly, it was Carmen who answered us over the radio. We told her that, if possible, we’d like a berth in a quiet area, away from the hustle and bustle of the port, and she immediately assigned us D 126.
Before we went in, he told us something very simple:
“You can see it on Portview.”
We opened the app, searched for the port, selected the berth we'd been told about, and the route to our finger appeared.
At that moment, we stopped wondering exactly where the docking spot was or what maneuver we would need to perform upon arrival. We could see the position of the finger pier, which street we needed to take to get there, and which way it was facing.
It may seem like a small detail, but it isn't when you arrive at night at a port you barely know. That uncertainty of not knowing exactly where your berth is disappeared before I even began the maneuver.
We went in feeling much more relaxed and confident because we already knew exactly where we were going.
Stories like Carmen's show the true value of mooring guidance.
When a port assigns a berth, the work doesn't end there. The sailor still needs to locate it, figure out how to get there, and prepare for the approach maneuver.
With Portview, that information is available right from the start. The boater can view the route to their dock, to anticipate the maneuver and approach with greater confidence, especially in unfamiliar ports, in conditions of poor visibility, or when the arrival was unplanned.