Cruising Guides to The Bahamas

[Rick2192]

I have been fishing the Abacos down to Chub Cay for over 20 years, owning three sport fishing boats from 35'-45'. I finally got to retire and am now going to go cruising throughout the Bahamas and live a simpler life.

I am seeking advice on cruising guides for the Bahamas. Most seem to be be divided into North, Central and South. Does anyone know of or recommend a comprehensive Bahamas Cruising Guide? if not, is there a particular author or publisher that does a good job?

I am looking for something similar to the Abacos Cruising Guide by Steve Dodge.

Thanks for any help.....this is my first post on this forum

[onestepcsy37]

Explorer Charts still the best, IMHO. The books by Steve Pavlidis make good reading but the information is a bit old now. The old standard, The Yachtsmans Guide To The Bahamas, is also good reading and pretty current, but I no longer use it for navigation.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF,Rick.

[FSMike]

Dodge's Abaco Guide, Pavilidis' guides to the rest of the Bahamas, and the Explorer Charts are what you need.
I quit using the Yachtsman's Guide years ago. The only updates in it were marina information in the ads.

[Waterway Guide]

Welcome aboard, Rick! The Explorer charts have a lot of cruising information as well as great charts, and the info and charts are updated yearly, I think.

(Warning: Shameless plug ahead...) Waterway Guide's Bahamas Edition is a full-featured cruising guide covering all of the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos in detail and is updated each year – the 2016 Edition comes out this fall, and the editors say it is being reorganized and improved quite a bit from the 2015 Edition. We update news and nav information daily on our website.


The other guides are good, too – we used most of them each time we cruised the Bahamas – but best to use ones that are updated...and, even then, things change constantly there.


Happy cruising...and retirement!

[bratzcpa]

Explorer chart books. There are 3 books that cover all of the Bahamas. Spend the money and get all 3.

EXCELLENT - - - very accurate charts. Good info on harbors, marinas, and other "tips".

They're spiral bound, so open easily and sit flat on the nav table or cockpit seat. They're also printed on waterproof and non-tearing paper. extremely durable even after many "soakings"!

We love 'em.

~markb

[4arch]

The Pavilidis guides haven't been updated since 2009. Things probably haven't changed all that much in six years but to my mind that's getting a bit long in the tooth for a cruising guide. Also if it was published in 09 it was probably compiled 07-08 so may not reflect changes that came about as a result of the recession. I've chosen to skip Pavilidis for now but did order the Explorer chartbooks.

[Lodesman]

It's not a shameless plug if the guide is good - a big +1 from me on the Waterway guide. Also good info here: Bahamas Cruisers Guide

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by FSMike

I quit using the Yachtsman's Guide years ago. The only updates in it were marina information in the ads.

What you say Mike. My "current" copy of the Yachtsmans Guide is from 2009 and I found it in a dumpster at Nassau Yacht Haven.

[AnchorageGuy]

Welcome RicK. We have a Bahamas edition to our Great Book Of Anchorage series that makes the perfect companion to your favorite cruising guide. We are strictly an anchorage guide. Chuck

[Charisma1937]

I have been sailing those islands for over 50 years and don't think God has changed them much, not so you would notice. I wouldn't worry about the date of the publication, Berkie may not be the dock master at Staniel Cay any longer or Donna the boss at Fernandez Bay on Cat Island, but not much else is likely to have changed. I will give you info on guides when I get back to my office.

[Steve Pavlidis]

A few of you are uninformed as to the dates of my guides and the data involved. First off, let me remind you that as soon as I leave an island, something has changed, it is a fact of writing cruising guides. As for my guides, if a book was published in 2009, there still annual updates added but the Edition date is not changed until major changes are made. Recheck the dates as my work is up to date, and if fact, I am returning again in 2015 to update again. My competition does not do that.

[Waterway Guide]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlidis

A few of you are uninformed as to the dates of my guides and the data involved. First off, let me remind you that as soon as I leave an island, something has changed, it is a fact of writing cruising guides. As for my guides, if a book was published in 2009, there still annual updates added but the Edition date is not changed until major changes are made. Recheck the dates as my work is up to date, and if fact, I am returning again in 2015 to update again. My competition does not do that.

At least one of your competitors has on-the-water cruising editors, office editors and staff that updates its Bahamas Guide every year (and each of its other guides, too). I like your guides and I've used them – I just want to set the record straight.

If it were me, I'd just get all of our guides. What else are you going to do while you're anchored here:

[4arch]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlidis

A few of you are uninformed as to the dates of my guides and the data involved. First off, let me remind you that as soon as I leave an island, something has changed, it is a fact of writing cruising guides. As for my guides, if a book was published in 2009, there still annual updates added but the Edition date is not changed until major changes are made. Recheck the dates as my work is up to date, and if fact, I am returning again in 2015 to update again. My competition does not do that.

Thank you for the clarification regarding the updates. It's great to hear directly from the author. It's not clear from the publisher's or many resellers' websites that updates are added annually. This is very good to know and will lead me to take another look!

[Rick2192]

Thank you so much for the welcome note!