Excursion Guides

Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook: A Compendium for Coastal and Offshore Sailors

The most comprehensive and helpful guide ever written for selecting and equipping a cruising sailboat

Whether you’re a coastal or offshore cruiser, you’ll find your most pressing concerns treated with the know-how that makes for skillful, confident cruising in Nigel Calder’s Cruising Handbook. The author -- one of the most respected marine how-to authors on either side of the Atlantic, and author of the universally admired Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual, -- walks you through all key technical and practical aspects of modern cruising systems and equipment, providing you with a summary of the skills necessary for safe, enjoyable sailing.

The first half of the book includes an easy-to-use tabular method for evaluating a boat's suitability for cruising; ideas for workable deck and interior lay-outs and organization; how to choose and configure suitable boat systems for cruising; and how to install gear for trouble free operation.

The book's second half teaches you boat handling skills; core navigational expertise; anchoring techniques; weather understanding; heavy weather expertise; and specific skills for long-term and long-distance cruising.

Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands, 13th ed

Completely revised and updated with full color sketch charts, these guides have been indispensable companions for sailors and visitors to these islands since 1982. Includes a free 17" x 27" color planning chart covering the Virgin Islands from St. Thomas to Anegada. Anchoring and mooring information and fees. Customs, immigration and National Parks regulations. Particulars on marina facilities and the amenities they offer. Water sports - where to go and where to rent equipment. Shore-side facilities, restaurants, beach bars, shops, provisions, Internet connections. Alphabetical - by island - Directory of goods and services. Everything you will need to help make your vacation an enjoyable and memorable experience in a concise easy-to-use format.

Catamarans

The modern cruising catamaran has arrived

The arguments are over and the verdict is in--cruising catamarans comprise a rapidly growing percentage of the cruising fleet worldwide. Their advantages of space, stability, speed, and handling under power are truly compelling, and modern cats are every bit as reliable as monohulls. This long overdue, in-depth guide will help you choose and cruise the right catamaran for your needs.

“An authoritative guide for novices and experienced sailors; the best book written on the subjects since the early 1990s.”--“Trimaran” Jim Brown, renowned multihull designer

“In Catamarans, Gregor Tarjan shares his enthusiasm for yachts with two hulls, based on years of sailing all types. An excellent introduction.”--Dick Newick, legendary catamaran and trimaran designer

“If you are contemplating spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a cruising catamaran, the small price of this book is probably the best investment you could possibly start with.”--from the Foreword by Charles K. Chiodi, publisher of Multihulls Magazine

A Cruising Guide to Narragansett Bay and the South Coast of Massachusetts: Including Buzzard's Bay, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and Block Island

Between Long Island Sound and the elbow of Cape Cod lies a richly varied cruising ground. A Cruising Guide to Narragansett Bay and the South Coast of Massachusetts is the definitive cruising guide to these waters. Its coverage extends to the headwaters of Narragansett Bay and miles offshore to the solitude of Block Island and Nantucket.

Longtime area boaters Lynda and Patrick Childress and Tink Martin take you on a personal tour with all you need for a day, a weekend, or several weeks of cruising. They provide essential information on weather, tides, currents, and pilotage, as well as the availability of moorings and the closest place to pick up provisions. The unique harbor rating system shows at a glance what each anchorage offers in facilities, protection, beauty, and interest. Maps and charts help negotiate tricky channels or find that hidden marina.

When you've dropped anchor and are sitting back in the cockpit after a day's cruising, the guide continues to inform you, pointing out places to go for food and entertainment, where to find hiking trails, picnic and fishing spots, wildlife sanctuaries, museums, and more. In addition, the authors give cruisers the historical context in which to view the passing scenery, and they impart a deep affection for the region's unique character.

The Cruising Guide to Central and Southern California: Golden Gate to Ensenada, Mexico, Including the Offshore Islands

Comprehensive and authoritative, this guide combines and updates two smaller, long-trusted regional books to provide seamless coverage of the entire California coast from just outside the Golden Gate Bridge to Mexico, with special attention given to the popular offshore islands between Point Conception and San Diego. Brian Fagan draws upon more than three decades of experience sailing those waters under all conditions to offer the definitive cruising guide for both sailors and powerboaters.

A Cruising Guide To The Windward Islands: Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Carriacou, Grenada, Barbados

With 80 sketch charts this is the most comprehensive guide covering The Windward Islands. The Windward Islands Guide contains GPS waypoints, approaches and routes, anchorages, dive sites, an extensive appendix, photos and a bibliography. As with all of Steve's guides it contains sections on history, marina services, and much more useful info.

Cruising the Chesapeake: A Gunkholer's Guide

Acclaimed as the ultimate guide to uncrowded anchorages, Cruising the Chesapeake is the reference of choice among sailors and powerboaters seeking to avoid the beaten path. This new Third Edition has been expanded to include coverage of the Atlantic coasts of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, including Delaware Bay. Readers get: - A cruise planner for short or long itineraries - An expansive catalog of GPS coordinates - Major updates to all piloting and shoreside facilities

Croatia Cruising Companion

The Dalmatian coast, with its many unspoilt islands and crystal clear waters, ranks high amongst the best cruising areas in the world. Share its secrets, get an inside track on the latest cruising and destination news, and obtain all the facts, photos and chartlets you need to cruise it safely, discover its hidden gems, and enjoy it to the full.

• Croatia is a cruising hotspot that is developing rapidly. This is the most in depth and up to date book of its kind on the market.
• The authors have access to the best contacts and latest information on what is happening onshore and offshore. They have lived and worked in the cruising area for five years.

 This book features

• Port guides - where to eat, shop & visit as well as local facilities, chandlers and engineers.
• Pilotage - clear pilotage directions, aerial approach shots.
• Colour charts to simplify harbour approaches, carefully selected approach and entrance waypoints.
• History and culture - useful background information about these important aspects of the cruising region.
• Eating and drinking - restaurant tips for each harbour, local cuisines and wine cellars.

Cruising Guide To Coastal North Carolina

The only cruising guide devoted exclusively to North Carolina, this book covers almost every body of water along the coast as far inland as it is safe to navigate. The guide includes historical summaries, coastal folklore, listings of coastal marinas and their services, and tips on shoreside attractions.

A Cruising Guide to the Tennessee River, Tenn-Tom Waterway, and Lower Tombigbee River