This is an eclectic mix of materials. Some items will keep the dream alive on those days of quiet desperation. Some items will help you plan. Still others will help you prepare yourself and your boat. There are titles which are clearly reference works and are not meant to be read through.
Bigon, Mario and Guido Regazzoni, The Morrow Guide to Knots, Quill/William Morrow, New York, 1981.
Black, Steve, Editor, West Marine Passagemaker Seminars, Crusing Rallly Association, Rhode Island, 1993.
Blewitt, Mary, Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen, Revised Edition, International Marine - - McGraw-Hill, Camden, Maine, 1995.
Buckley, William F., Airborne: A Sentimental Journey, Macmillan, New York, 1970.
Buckley, William F., Atlantic High: A Celebration, Little, Brown, Boston, 1982.
Buckley, William F., Racing Through Paradise: A Pacific Passage, Random House, New York, 1987.
Buckley, William F., Wind Fall: The End of the Affair, Random House, New York, 1992.
Calder, Nigel, Refrigeration for Pleasure Boats, International Marine - - McGraw-Hill, Camden, Maine, 1991.
Casey, Don and Lew Hackler, Sensible Cruising: The Thoreau Approach, International Marine, Camden, Maine, 1986.
Coles, K. Adlard, Heavy Weather Sailing, 3rd edition, John De Graff, Inc., Clinton Corners, New York, 1980.
Cornell, Jimmy, World Cruising Routes, International Marine - - McGraw-Hill, Camden, Maine, 1987.
Dellenbaugh, David, Editor, The North U. Cruising Course, North Sails, 1991.
Doyle, Christopher, Cruising Guide to the Leeward Islands, 4th Edition, Cruising Guide Publications, 1995.
Fields, Meredith H., Editor, Yachtsman’s Guide to the Virgin Islands, Tropic Isle Publishers, Navesink, NJ, 1989.
Fields, Meredith H., Editor, Yachtsman’s Guide to the Bahamas, Tropic Isle Publishers, Navesink, NJ, 1994.
Goertmiller, Richard and Dixie, Guide to Cruising Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Bay Communications, 1994.
Grant, Jim, The Complete Canvas Worker’s Guide, 2nd edition, International Marine, Camden, Maine, 1992.
Grosvenor, Marcia, Gimbaling Gourmet: Galley Guide, Gimbalin Gourmet Press, Annapolis, MD, 1984.
Hines, Doug, The Captain’s Coastal Directions, 3rd Edition, Doug Hines and Associates, Maryland, 1992.
Kettlewell, John and Leslie, The Intracoastal Waterway Chartbook: Norfolk to Miami, McGraw-Hill, Camden, Maine, 1993.
Maloney, Elbert S., Dutton’s Navigation and Piloting, 14th Edition, Naval Institute Press, Maryland, 1985.
Marino, Emiliano, The Sailmaker’s Apprentice: A Guide for the Self-reliant Sailor, International Marine - - McGraw-Hill, Camden, Maine, 1994.
Mason, Charles, editor, The Best of SAIL Trim, Sail Publications, Inc., Charlestown, MA, 1975.
McKnight, Hugh, Cruising French Canals and Rivers, Seven Seas Press, Newport, Rhode Island,1985.
Miller, Conrad and Elbert S. Maloney, Your Boat’s Electrical System, Hearst Marine Books, 1988.
Moeller, Jan and Bill, The Intracoastal Waterway: A Cockpit Crusing Guide, Norfolk to Miami, International Marine - - McGraw-Hill, Camden, Maine, 1993.
Neale, Tom, All in the Same Boat: Family Living Aboard and Cruising, International Marine - - McGraw-Hill, Camden, Maine, 1997.
Quarrier, Ian, Embassy’s Complete Boating Guides: Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Embassy Marine Publishing, 1992.
Quarrier, Ian, Embassy’s Complete Boating Guides: Long Island Sound: Connecticut and New York, Embassy Marine Publishing, 1992.
Rousmaniere, John, The Annapolis Book of Seamanship, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1983.
Sirna, Anne L. and Antonia F.Ritchie, Chapwoman’s Guide to Shemanship and Pilot Handling, The Anagram Group, Berwyn, PA, 1986.
Spurr, Dan, Upgrading the Cruising Sailboat: Spurr’s Boatbook, 2nd Edition, Seven Seas Press, Camden, Maine, 1991.
Spurr, Dan, Steered by the Falling Stars: A Father’s Journey, McGraw-Hill - - Ragged Mountain Press, Camden, Maine, 1992.
Stone, William T. and Anne M. Hays, A Cruising Guide to the Caribbean, Revised Edition, Sheridan House, New York, 1991.
Taft, Hank and Jan, A Crusing Guide to the Maine Coast, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, Camden, Maine, 1991.
Trefethan, Jim, Inflatable Boats: Selection, Care, Repair, and Seamanship, IM – RMP - - McGraw-Hill, Camden, Maine, 1996.
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Sailing and Seamanship, Coast Guard AuxiliaryNational Board, Washington, D.C., 1985.
Vail, Linda, Dining on Deck, Fine Foods for Sailing and Boating, Williamson Publishing, Charlotte, Vermont.1986.
Vaitses, Allan H., The Fiberglass Boat Repair Manual, International Marine - - McGraw-Hill, Camden, Maine, 1990.
VanSant, Bruce, The Gentleman’s Guide to Passages South: The Thornless Path to Windward, Cruising Guide Publications, Dunedin, Florida, 1993.
Walker, Stuart, A Manual of Sail Trim, WW Norton and Co., New York, 1985.
Wing, Charlie, Boatowner’s Illustrated Handbook of Wiring, International Marine - - McGraw-Hill, Camden, Maine, 1993.
Wittman, Rebecca, Brightwork: The Art of Finishing Wood, International Marine - - McGraw-Hill, Camden, Maine, 1990.
Chesapeake, ICW, and Bahamas
Mel Neale
1. All in the Same Boat by Tom Neale. Helpful information about living aboard and cruising on the U.S. East Coast.
2. BBA Chart Kits. Regional. Chart books relevant to the passage down the coast, including some digressions.
3. The Bahamas Cruising Guide by Mathew Wilson. Colorful and informative for popular areas. No navigational charts. New from International Marine.
4. Beautiful Swimmers by William W. Warner. About the Blue Crab, the Chesapeake, and its watermen.
5. Chesapeake Bay Cruising Guide--Vol. I, Upper Bay by Tom Neale. NOS Charts, detailed navigational and local information, history, shoreside attractions. Wescott Cove.
6. Cruising the Chesapeake by ~Shellenberger. No charts, but information about many gunkholes and popular areas. Good on lore.
7. Cruising Guide to the Abacos by Steve Dodge. Includes navigational advice, waypoints, charts, and aerial photos. Yearly updates.
8. Cruising Guide to the Abacos and Northern Bahamas by Julius Wilensky. Wescott Cove. Currently being updated.
9. Cruising Guide to the Florida Keys by Capt. Frank Papy. Frequently updated, charts, local insights from long time experience.
10. Claiborne S. Young's Cruising Guides. These are regional, and give good historical perspective and lore. Regions are: North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, Eastern Florida, Western Florida, Northern Gulf Coast.
11. Chesapeake by James Michener. Historically based fiction.
12. Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book. Helpful tide and current tables, especially for upper east coast. Also other useful navigational information. Yearly updates.
13. Embassy Guides. Regional. Colorful, charts, shoreside info, and navigational help. Regions are: Atlantic Coast, Florida East Coast, Florida Keys, Long Island Sound, Rhode Island and Mass.
14. The Ephemeral Islands by Campbell. Interesting and helpful, about the natural history of the Bahamas.
15. Explorer Charts. Guide charts of selected areas in the Bahamas, primarily the Exuma Cays. Also helpful text. Lewis Offshore LTD, 12636 ~Selsey Road, Ocean City, Md. 21842. Phone: 410) 213-2725.
16. The Exuma Guide and On and Off the Beaten Path by Steve Pavlidis. Thorough information with sketch charts, waypoints, and local info.
17. Florida Keys and Everglades Cruising Guide by Freya Rauscher. NOS charts, detailed navigational and local information. Wescott Cove.
18. Guide to Cruising the Chesapeake Bay by Chesapeake Bay Communications.
19. I.C.W. Chartbook, Norfolk to Miami, by John and Leslie Kettlewell. Reasonably priced black and white chart book, presented in geographical order for easy use.
20. Intracoastal Waterway, Norfolk to Miami. Jan and Bill Moeller. Mile by mile description.
21. Reed's Nautical Almanac, East Coast Edition and Caribbean Edition. Tide tables, coast pilot information, GPS waypoints, sketch charts, and more. Updated annually.
22. Tide Tables, East Coast of North and South America. Formerly published by the government, now privately published and available at bookstores.
23. Waterproof Chartbook of the Chesapeake Bay by A.D.C. Color chartbook on waterproof pages.
24. Waterway Guides. Regional: Northern, Mid Atlantic & Southern (includes Fla., Gulf Coast, and Bahamas.) Navigational help, ~shoreside info, historical info, small charts, yearly updates, updated format.
25. Winds from the Carolinas by Robert Wilder. An historical novel of the Bahamas. Re-published by Bluewater Books and Charts of Ft. Lauderdale.
26. Yachtsman's Guide to the Bahamas. Tropic Isle Publishers.
We use Bluewater Books and Charts of Ft. Lauderdale, 800-942-2583 for our nautical books and charts.
