Customer Reviews

Mexico Boating Guide: Baja, Sea of Cortez, Pacific Mainland, Gulf Coast & Yucatan

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

 

 

When the notice "not for navigation" appears in this guide, they are not kidding! This guide has more errors than a collander has holes. For it being a second edition, there is no excuse for this. Some gps way points are hundreds of miles off and the worst proof reader should be able to pick these out. Others are just dislexic errors. In any event, I must agree this guide is not for navigation.

The clearing in for Mexico seems to still be in a state of flux. Ask 8 officials about checking in and get 10 answers. Aparently the one step checkin in Cabo has a small "fee" attached to it. I never did find the one place to go and went to individual places, just like before.

The pictures are nice and the print/format is good. All in all I would place the value of the book at somewhere around $30. But the retail price is rediculous for the errors contained there in.

Highly rated by Latitude 38 magazine and The Log. A great investment with a ton of detail on the Baja and the mainland down to Manzanillo where my interests lie.

We spent a half a year traveling Mexico's west coast and this guide quickly became our best source for for information on destinations and anchorages. Anyone leaving without it will find themselves spending a lot of time searching for it once in Mexico and paying more for it there.

The official nautical charts for Mexico often lack detail and are off by as much as 2 miles (yes when we were in Puerto Vallarta the charts showed we were anchored up in the mountains per our GPS location). The Mexico Boating Guide picks up where the charts leave off. For instance one of our favorite anchorages, Tenacatita Bay, is barely a dent on the chart. The Mexico Boat Guide describes the following for Tenacatita Bay:

* the entrance to the bay
* what rocks to avoid while sailing through
* where the best anchorage is
* where it is good to snorkel
* where you can go across the bay to provision

Since our time in Mexico, we've sailed 20,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean and back. We wished we had a guide as good as this for the rest of our trip.

Mexico Boating Guide

This book is (in my opinion) an essential book for anyone planning on cruising to Mexico or Central America. The author, Captain Pat Rains, with co-author John Rains, has an impressive twenty-five years and 100,000 natical miles of experience skippering yachts up and down the coasts of Mexico and Central America. Their book "Mexico Boating Guide" is endorsed by
Cruising World and Latitude 38 and is considered the Bible for cruisers. No wonder, too, for this book offers 272 full color pages, 350 photos, 200 GPS accurate charts, many maps as well as an index for easy reference. One of the things I love about this book is that Captain Pat not only includes the essential information but many extras to make a most delightful cruise! Here are a few features of the book:
outfitting the boat
areas to avoid
areas to include
historical details
resources
information about local events and activities
wildlife information and wildlife refuge facts
documentation and paperwork requirements
details about marinas and facilities
These are just some of the things you will find in Captains' Pat and John's book. This really is a must have and interesting read. Keep this one tucked under your pillow as you get ready to head to sea! Highly recommended.

Excellent overview with numerous specifics and details. Easy to use, accurate in it's navigation info, with very helpful pictures and maps. Highly recommended!