Tropical Cruising Handbook by Mark Smaalders, Kim des Rochers

Synopsis

Each year, adventurous cruising sailors from around the globe, drawn by the promise of balmy breezes, picture-perfect scenery, exotic cultures, and unparalleled sailing conditions, set sail for the region lying between latitudes 23.5 degrees north and south of the equator. But the majority of cruisers hail from higher latitudes, and while many are accomplished temperate-water sailors, few are prepared for the unique weather patterns, living conditions, and navigational hazards they'll encounter in the tropics.

Tropical Cruising Handbook provides you with the knowledge and skills needed to meet those challenges. Drawing on their years of experience living in and cruising the tropics, Mark Smaalders and Kim des Rochers have written an accessible, easy-to-understand, yet comprehensive reference covering weather and sea conditions, tropical seamanship, visual and intuitive navigation, anchoring among reefs, passagemaking, and dealing with heavy weather, as well as boat maintenance in tropical environments, prevention and treatment of major and minor tropical illnesses, avoiding injury from hazardous marine life, safety and comfort in port, and dealing with officialdom. You'll also find helpful guidelines on how to enjoy yourself without harming or offending the environments and cultures you'll encounter. Finally, there is detailed, region-by-region coverage of tropical cruising grounds for use while planning a voyage to rough out itineraries around the vagaries of wind and weather.

Whether you want to circumnavigate the tropics or simply gunkhole the Bahamas, Tropical Cruising Handbook arms you with the expert advice and information you need to plan, prepare for, and realize your tropical cruising adventure.

"What strikes me most about Tropical Cruising Handbook is not so much the wide knowledge and hard-earned experience that inform every page, but the smart, straightforward writing. This book clearly demonstrates that sensible, safe voyaging in the tropics is an achievable goal."—Tim Queeney, editor, Ocean Navigator

The only comprehensive guide to mastering the challenges of low-latitude cruising

Tropical Cruising Handbook provides cruising sailors the knowledge and skills they need to master the challenges of sailing the topics. With the help of more than a hundred illustrations, Mark Smaalders and Kim des Rochers fill you in on

• Weather patterns and sea conditions, generally and region by region
• Reef navigation, anchoring, and other key tropical seamanship skills
• Tropical passage planning and passagemaking
• Equipping a boat for tropical sailing
• Maintaining gear in tropical environments
• Preventing and treating common tropical illnesses
• Avoiding injury from hazardous marine life
• Dealing with officials

Cruising World Magazine

..the authors deliver a rare gem — an instructional book that is as inspiring as it is sensible and comprehensive

Biography

Mark Smaalders (Canada) is a yacht designer and geographer. He has written articles on boat design and repair, seamanship, and cruising for magazines worldwide.

Kim des Rochers (Canada) is a geographer who has published articles on environmental cultural issues and cruising topics.