The Bahamas Cruising Guide: With the Turks and Caicos Islands [ILLUSTRATED] (Spiral-bound)

~ Mathew Wilson (Author) "Look down from Space..." (more)
Key Phrases: central cruising grounds, post office propane, cay side, George Town, Marsh Harbour, Grand Turk (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Among the best of the Bahamas guides . . . unique use of Admiralty charts . . . of great practical use." -- Blue Water Sailing magazine

"Makes a fine addition to any cruising library." -- Southern Boating

Product Description

Whether just beginning to think about cruising in the Bahamas, actively planning a trip, or on the water with the islands in sight, this updated edition of a classic resource will fulfill any cruising boater's wish list. Clear, precise advice is presented in a practical spiral format. This comprehensive reference includes full shore-side information as well as official British Admiralty charts, aerial photographs, and waypoints. Also provided are useful Blue Pages for navigation, seamanship, and preparation; Green Pages for history, wildlife, fishing, and diving; and Buff Pages for information about the Bahamian government and infrastructure-from entry formalities to holidays and special events. The especially handy Yellow Pages supply detailed port-of-call information, from marinas and restaurants to banks and telephones.

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Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 360 pages
• Publisher: Nomad Press; 3rd edition (April 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965925862
• ISBN-13: 978-0965925860
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,674,733 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Professial Presentation But Dangerous Information, August 1, 2000

By	STEPHEN SIMPSON (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bahamas Cruising Guide (The): With the Turks and Caicos Islands, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

I used this book from April to June 2000 cruising the Bahamas on our way to Panama via the Windward Passage.I found if the wind blew from the east then the book did not give information on other anchorages that one could change to E.G. White Cay Berri Islands and Stanley Cay in the Exums.In other instances the best anchorages were not even mentioned by Wilson. The books G.P.S. waypoints were dangerous wrong E.G.George Town .The lack of information on entrances from the sound to the banks E.G. The entrance to Thunder Ball Cave area .It is my belief that this book is dangerous and it is best to find another guide book.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Looks good but disappointing in use, June 14, 2000

By	Capt. Hal Sutphen "hsutphen03" (Kilmarnock, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bahamas Cruising Guide (The): With the Turks and Caicos Islands, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

During a cruise through the Bahamas in the spring of 2000, this guide was a great disappointment. The BA charts are woefully lacking in detail -- especially depths -- and discussions of shore sites are in many cases unduly negative. We visited a number of places about which Mr. Wilson used disparaging terms and found them delightful. Coverage of the Exumas assumes one is approaching from the banks side and gives little attention to approaches from Exuma Sound. In some places the author gets on a soapbox for environmental concerns and in other places he tacitly approves practices (such as feeding fish at snorkel sites) that are not ecologically sound. Fails to acknowledge existence of the Explorer series of charts that are by far the best for practical use in the area. In general, the "yellow pages" info is current and useful, but all things considered, there are better cruising guides for the Bahamas.

41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best guide to the Bahamas I've ever read., June 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bahamas Cruising Guide (Spiral-bound)

The All-New Bahamas Cruising Guide by Mathew Wilson

This comprehensive cruising guide will hit just about everything on your wish list, whether you're just beginning to think about cruising in the Bahamas, actively planning your trip, or on the water with the islands already in sight. The promise of the book is that it will take cruising guides into the 21st century, and it certainly achieves its aim. The clear, precise advice is set out in an attractive, pleasant-to-read format that brings the text alive on every page, and the sailing directions are combined with great reference sections on virtually every on-shore resource from laundries to nightlife.

Not only will you use this guide, but you'll find its engaging, witty style makes it a very entertaining read. Mathew Wilson's skills as a sailor and storyteller are well matched as he uses both to advantage, interspersing solid cruising advice with funny personal anecdotes, informing and entertaining his readers at the same time.

The Bahamas Cruising Guide offers newcomers a helping hand right from the start with an introductory section that provides great advice on `eyeball navigation,' and the Guide's sketch charts, with Bahamian waters color-coded for depth, make coastal navigation almost intuitive. The exhaustive reference section includes Blue Pages for Navigation, Seamanship, and Preparation; Green Pages for History, Wildlife, Fishing, and Diving; and Buff Pages for everything to do with the Bahamian infrastructure, from entry formalities to holidays and special events. However, the book's greatest single reference resource is its Yellow Pages, which tell you what you need to know about every port-of-call, and suggests ideas for what you might want to do when you get there.

The Bahamas Cruising Guide is the first new guide covering all the Bahamas in over 40 years. Reading this makes one wonder how visitors to the Bahamas managed so long without it.