Customer Reviews

Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One of the best cruising guides around, definitely the best for Maine. Well written, organized and easy to use. Great sketch charts and all of the info that cruisers (not tourists) really need, as well as a good bit of local color.

A matchless source of information for the Maine coast cruiser. Although some of the information is becoming dated in the second edition, there is still nothing its equal. It is also full of vignettes on the life and history of the Maine coast, and can provide hours of interesting reading for even the least nautical minds

After sailing tens of thousands of miles in the Americas and Caribbean and using dozens of cruising guides I can honestly say this cruising guide is unsurpassed. It contains detailed information about anchorages, approaches and services available in an easy to use format. With numerous anecdotes and historical stories this book is a pleasure to just sit down and read.

CGTTMC is only slightly less essential for succesful Maine crusing than charts and tide tables (and beer, of course). In addition to being incredibly comprehensive, it's also beautifully written... so one can still vicariously experience Maine's spectacular coastline when the boat is in the hard.

My one quibble with the book has to do with its indexing. All major (and many minor) subjects are listed, but some of the more obscure ones are not. The book contains a lot of great "color" information in sidebars and boxes; these are generally stumbled upon and, because they're not always indexed, can be hard to find later without flipping through the book.

And flipping through the book is NOT a good idea, because you'll invariably stumble upon something fascinating and start reading whole sections anew...

We are delighted at this guide for the Maine Coast. It organizes the complete area and provides quick reference for the many prospective anchorages and harbors. Although it is an old edition, any location can be Googled to see what the modern changes are. We found Rockland to be an interesting port and then saw it featured on a recent Anthony Bourdain show. I highly recommend this book to any sailor needing help with making decisions on a passage "Down East".

Whether it's your first trip cruising the Maine Coast or you've sailed here for years, you'll find this your second most valuable resource ( nothing beats a good set of charts [and radar when the fog rolls in]) because when you need to decide where you are going to drop the hook for the night the charts won't be nearly as helpful as the Tafts' years of experience. Where to go, where not go, how to approach the anchorage, what to see ashore are all combined with slices of history and dry witted anecdotes. A bit of advice to the summer cruiser-- equip your boat with mosquito netting if you want a peaceful evening in one of the most wonderful places in the world!!

Please note that the authors of this book are Haft and Curtis Rindlaub