Cruising Information
DOCUMENTS YOU WILL NEED
This page includes sections on:-
Cruising Organisations
Cruising Magazines
Cruising with Children
Navigation
Maps
Tides
Courtesy Flags
Travel Information
Reports & Links.
Cruising Club Of America
www.cruisingclub.org
Thorough and updated information on range of cruising subjects especially aimed at North American sailors including information on offshore communications and "Cruising European Waters" (buoyage, charts and cruising guides, European datum, nautical almanacs, regional identification, tidal ranges, Beaufort wind scales, part shipments from the US, VAT, Shengen countries, cruising charges, Med mooring, telephones, electricity, propane etc).
Regularly updated. Changes have been highlighted in yellow to make them easy to spot. Suggestions and corrections are always welcomed. Walter Paul, Cruising Club of America
Island Cruising Association (ICA)
John and Lyn Martin, P.O. Box 534 Paihia BOI, New Zealand
http://www.islandcruising.co.nz/index.php, john@islandcruising.co.nz
Offer help and advice including seminars, training days, recommended reading, discounts at many marine stores, marine insurance, rallies to the South Pacific Islands, plus many other benefits throughout New Zealand & the South Pacific. See their website for the latest programme of seminars, club picnics, rallies etc.
Los Correos de la Mar (Sea Couriers)
www.correosdelamar.org, info@correosdelamar.com
Association founded in 2006 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Ca nary Islands, Spain. Volunteers and sailors cooperating to take humanitarian aid by boat to countries around the world.
Mittelmeer-Skipper-Club
www.mittelmeer-skipper-club.de
Members of the officially registered club are mostly owners of yachts cruising in the Med. The club also runs a internet bulletin board with more than 500 Skippers who share their experience about cruising in the Med. Mainly in German but an English section has been added where sailors can ask questions. Click on the Forum button on the home page.
Ocean Cruising Club
www.oceancruisingclub.org
The Ocean Cruising Club exists to promote long-distance cruising in all its forms and although it is an international club, it is administered from the UK. Members are identified by a distinctive blue and yellow burgee with a stylized Flying Fish on the blue part of the flag. Membership is open to anyone either as skipper, or certified as competent by the skipper, who has completed a continuous ocean passage of at least 1000 miles, measured along the rhumb line, in a vessel of under 72 feet. The Ocean Cruising Club maintains a network of over 100 Port Officers world-wide to assist members in their undertakings and publishes the journal "Flying Fish" twice a year and a quarterly newsletter. Much published material is available for non-members to review on the OCC website.
RCC Pilotage Foundation
http://www.rccpf.org.uk/
A voluntary organisation run by yachtsmen to provide planning and cruise planning information. Have a number of free cruising guides for download as well as printed material at a cost. New feedback and question forum introduced November 2011.
Royal Yachting Association
www.rya.org.uk/Cruising, cruising@rya.org.uk
The International Certificate of Competence can be obtained from them, as it is now required by most countries in Europe.
Seven Seas Cruising Association
www.ssca.org
SSCA, a non-profit, international organization with nearly 10,000 members, has been supporting liveaboard cruisers for over fifty years. The goals of the original founders are still the goals of SSCA today: sharing cruising information, camaraderie, and leaving a clean wake. Monthly Bulletins, a collection of letters from cruisers all over the world, are now available online and on CD, with searchable index by geographical area and topic. Active online Discussion Board is open to everyone. Links page lists special discounts available to members. Eighty cruising stations worldwide. Equipment Survey and other publications available. Regular gatherings with cruising seminars held annually in several locations.
See online list of events.
The Cruising Association
CA House, 1 Northey Street,, Limehouse Basin, London E14 BT
Tel:+44 (0)20 7537 2828, Fax:+44 (0)20 7537 2266
www.cruising.org.uk, office@cruising.org.uk
A worldwide cruising organisation with local representatives available to help in many countries.
Cruising Compass
www.cruisingcompass.com
Blue Water Sailing magazine's weekly e-newsletter for sailors and cruisers.
Sail World Cruising
www.sail-world.com/cruising
Active Yahoo Group for Families
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sailing_Kids/
Boat Kid Chatter
www.Nordhavn.com
A forum for boat kids up to the age 13, and for those thinking about going cruising who have lots of questions to ask.
See Noonsite report for more information.
Boater Kids Forum
www.boaterkids.weebly.com
Created by Drew Collins, himself sailing across the Pacific with his family from November 2010 to Australia, this forum is for any kids under 19 who live on board and want to talk about their sailing adventures, give ideas or tips, or just chat. Soon Drew will be adding a google maps so you can pin on the map where you are.
Cruisers with kids
http://groups.google.com/group/Cruisers-with-kids, Cruisers-with-kids@googlegroups.com
Cruisers-with-kids is a forum for Boaters that cruise with kids on board. Share ideas, plan group trips or meetings and share experiences with other sailors.
Cruising with Kids & the Calvert Course
A report from a mother who sucessfully used the Calvert Course of study with her son.
Family Voyaging - Alaska to New Zealand
www.familyvoyaging.com
Burns family website devoted to family cruising based on their experiences. The focus of the site is to encourage and assist other families in making such a voyage. Includes a daily blog from the entire voyage, interactive passage planning and preparation, their book, and more.
First College UK
http://www.firstcollege.co.uk
Online high school UK 11-17yrs. Live classes online daily. Small sized, personal approach, class limit 15 students. IGCSE exams or non-exam studies. Very experienced teachers' & home educators' co-operative.
Kids in the Cockpit - Author Happy To Give Advice
http://www.jilldickinschinas.com/books/kids-in-the-cockpit/
Jill Schinas is happy to give advice to anyone with questions about educating your kids on board. Check out her website.
Sail Kids Ed
http://sites.google.com/site/sailkidsed/
Nadine Slavinski, teacher and life-long sailor, took a year-long sabbatical in 2007-08 with her husband and young son, cruising the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Her experiences led her to develop material to help sailing families make the most of all the learning opportunities available whilst cruising. Published "Lesson Plans Ahoy!" - educational materials, resources, and tips for education afloat.
Schinas Family Website
www.yachtmollymawk.com
Includes some great tips for home schooling, links and advice on long-term cruising with children.
Social Network Site for Kids
www.cruisingkidsonline.com
A free site especially for kids to keep in touch.
See Noonsite report.
The Effects of Cruising on Children
Here are three interesting reports from Ann Saitow on the results of her research into
The Effects of Cruising on Children
Family Cruising: A Positive Learning Environment
and
Family Cruising and Healthy Child Developement
Wilderness School
http://www.wilderness-school.us
Source for outdoor learning activities for students of all ages.
Free Online Navigation Course
http://www.sailingissues.com/navcourse0.html
Online marine resources to teach you to navigate safely - by Diederik Willemsen.
Free US Pilot charts
http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/maritime/index.jsp?front_door=true
Pilot charts published by the U.S. government available free online. Click on Publications.
Free online navigation software
http://www.navquest.com/
Reeds Nautical Online
www.reedsnauticalalmanac.co.uk
A comprehesive online nautical almanac covering Atlantic Europe from the tip of Denmark to Gibraltar.
Share Maxsea Track Files
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/circumnavigation/
Share tracks with other cruisers. Helpful in determining approaches and anchorages as well as avoiding uncharted low-water areas. Interesting to see how others have approached long passages.
Share Worldwide Tracks
http://www.bluesipp.blogspot.com/
Library of tracks by cruising sailors for well-known routes but also San Blas; Galapagos; Tuamotus; French Polynesia; Suwarrow; Philippines; Maldives; Chagos; Seychelles and Red Sea. Started November 2011.
Skippertips.com
www.skippertips.com
Not just navigation articles here, but also engine repair/maintenance, weather, boat handling etc. Some free resources, but very reasonable sign-up fee.
US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
http://pollux.nss.nima.mil/index/index.html
US Notices to Mariners, Sailing Directions, etc available online.
Visit My Harbour Website
www.visitmyharbour.com
A free website for UK sailors containing a wealth of information including useful pilotage notes and aerial photos for many ports around Britain.
New in 2010, for a fee; the complete set of over 400 UK Admiralty charts are now available.
www.marinas.com
www.marinas.com
Featuring low altitude, high-resolution
aerial photographs of marinas from all over the world.
EVS-Islands
http://evs-islands.blogspot.com/
Maps of islands (not designed for navigation, but overviews of islands throughout the world including many Pacific atolls)
Using Google Maps for planning sailing trips
http://googlemapsgonewild.blogspot.com/
A Worldwide Tidal Calculator
(Marées dans Le Monde),
See details at
http://www.noonsite.com/Members/val/R2010-05-19-1
Available (in English) as a free software download. It covers nearly 10,000 ports.
Tidal information
http://www.mobilegeographics.com/tides/index.html
United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
http://www.ukho.gov.uk/easytide.html
Free Online Tidal Prediction Service, offering tidal predictions for over 6,000 ports worldwide.
Caribbean Courtesy Flags
http://www.waypoints.com/caribbeanflags.html
www.flag-net.com
http://www.flag-net.com/
UK-based online ordering service.
www.worldflags101.com
www.worldflags101.com
French Embassies & Consulates Around The World
http://www.expatries.diplomatie.gouv.fr/annuaires/repdipet.asp
http://www.2theoceania.com/
http://www.2theoceania.com/
Online Oceania travel directory. Links to directories for Africa, Europe, America and Asia.
A Guide to Getting Work Done on your Boat in Thailand
AIS as a Navigation Tool
Hearsay is nay say!!!!
Where We Explore: 2011 Survey
Re-Galvanizing ground tackle in Australia
Family Cruising and Healthy Child Developement
A New Social Network Site for Cruising Kids
Jimmy Cornell Launches New Consultancy
Cruising sailors rescue hungry islanders
Buying a second hand yacht in the USA to export
Caribbean Clearance ESeaClear - Does it really work?
The Fuel Hose Trick
Propane verses Diesel cookers
Kava – Southern Pacific way of life
Amongst Used-to-be Cannibals
Practical boating tips: Mediterranean mooring
Caribbean Cruising, St. Lucia to Antigua
Cookbook of Caribbean Recipies - calling all Cruisers
Tips on Lightning Protection
Incident off Anambas Islands, Malaysia
Calling all Liveaboard Cruisers in Europe
New Look for Attainable Adventure Cruising Website
Popularity Grows for Summer SAILstice Worldwide
More on Panama Canal Delays
American Cruisers Lose Appeal Against Australian Customs
New Regulations In Ecuador Easier For Yachts
South Pacific Logistics
Safe Places In Pacific To Leave A Boat
Circumnavigation Budget
Tide Information In South Pacific
Southbounders Discussion Group
Stringent New Regulations For Yachts In Ecuador
Cruising Costs in the Med
Greek Yachting Survival Guide
Boat size in the Med?
Caribbean Dress Code
Selling a yacht in New Zealand
Offshore Communications and Electronics Updated At Cruising Club Of America Website
Lessons from a Circumnavigation Part IV: Communications
How To Be Sure Your Anchor Is Set
Possible advice on avoiding Propane issues
FAQ: What is a certificate of competence?
Having a fibreglass boat built overseas
Lessons from a Circumnavigation Part II: Pros and Cons of Rally Cruising
Lessons from a Circumnavigation Part III: Cost of Cruising
Lessons from a Circumnavigation Part I: Crews and Boats
Fuelling around the world
Flag Etiquette
Millennium Rally Breakages Survey
Animated Knots for Boating
www.animatedknots.com/indexboating.php
The perfect way to learn how to tie various common sailing knots.
Asian Yachting
http://asianyachting.com/default.htm
Informative site for Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore etc including marina directory, racing events.
Attainable Adventure Cruising
http://www.morganscloud.com/
A website for offshore cruising sailors who want to get off the beaten path.
Berthsandmoorings.com
http://www.berthsandmoorings.com/index.asp
BlueMoment.Com
http://www.bluemoment.com
Cruising information, articles, sources and resources for UK based cruising yachtsman, with links, information and articles of interest to the wider cruising community.
Calor Gas Website
http://www.calormarineshop.co.uk/
Very useful marine gas advice for UK and US yachtsmen.
Crew Exchange Site - Boathitchhiking.com
http://www.boathitchhiking.com
Free - dedicated both to passengers and skippers
Cruisers Forum
www.cruisersforum.com
Cruisers Forum - Discussion Board and Photo Gallery for the Cruising Sailors and Wannabes
Cruising Life Custom Search Engine
http://cruisinglifecse.com/
Cruising Resources
http://www.cruisingresources.com
On-line directory for cruisers: how-to articles, useful sailing sites, boat specifications and reviews, and other information sources on over 300 cruising sub-topics.
Fishing: Go Saltwater Fishing
http://www.go-saltwater-fishing.com
A valuable source of saltwater fishing tips, tackle and techniques for offshore sailors both on passage and at anchor.
Great Photos - Destinations Off the Beaten Path
http://www.timforderer.com/
Yacht skipper Tim Forderer has been to many countries less-visited by cruisers such as the Andaman Islands, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Greenland etc. For an insight into these places take a look at his great photo journal.
How Sailors Can Help While Cruising
http://www.MaritimeMissions.org
Website for offshore sailors to find out about ways to help while cruising and get more involved with the communities they visit. No matter what your skills are, we need your help identifying and working with these needs.
Jimmy Cornell's Boats
http://jimmycornell.com/boats
Includes information on Jimmy Cornell's past and present boats, as well as an archive of FAQs on the OVNI 435 and Jimmy's personal biography.
Marina Life
www.marinalife.com
Marina Information and booking services for the U.S., Canada, Bahamas, Caribbean, and Central America.
Marine Fuel.com
www.marinefuel.com
The only online resource to shop & compare local fuel dock prices in the US & Caribbean, while encouraging eco-friendly waterway & ocean use.
Multihull Cruising Web Site
www.multihulls4us.com
Dedicated to multihull cruising this non-commercial site offers forums on every make of catamaran, a multihull links library, free classified adverts, product reviews and more.
Myhomeharbor.com
http://www.myhomeharbor.com
Overheard Sailing
http://www.overheardsailing.com
Funny/interesting snippets of conversations overheard on pontoons/marinas, etc.
Overheard Sailing
http://www.overheardsailing.com
Funny/interesting snippets of conversations overheard on pontoons/marinas, etc.
Patagonia Cruising
www.lonestarcapehorn.com
Some great advice, cruising notes and tips on this yachts' website.
Planning a European Cruise?
Website: JimB Sail
http://www.jimbsail.info
Very useful website which aims to compare European cruising areas in order to help relatively novice cruising folk decide where to charter or where to base their boat for a season or so. Information arranged by cruise areas.
Reeds Nautical Online [see above]
Sail Search
www.Sail-Search.com
Sailing directory and search engine.
Sailing and Boating
www.michaelbriant.com/sailing.htm
Cruising and sailing information gathered during a circumnavigation, including detailed notes on Red Sea and Atlantic crossing. Down load various useful ebooks.
Salty Sailors
www.saltysailors.com
A general cruising information website.
SeaKnots.com
www.SeaKnots.com
The social network for cruisers. Sharing your adventures, pictures, videos and blogs with other cruisers is only a click away.
The Boat Galley
http://www.theboatgalley.com/
A very useful site on how to get the most out of your on-board cooking facilities.
UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency
http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-home
Including British Small Ship Register.
Women and Cruising
www.womenandcruising.com
Advice, Resources and Inspiration for Women Cruisers
www.7knots.com
http://www.7knots.com
Sailing & Cruising Database
www.Berthfinder.com
http://www.berthfinder.com/
www.WorldCruisingGuide.net
http://www.worldcruisingguide.net/
www.animatedknots.com
http://www.animatedknots.com
www.morganscloud.com
www.morganscloud.com
Information for cruisers on a variety of topics including high-latitude sailing in Greenland and working with aluminum boats.
www.sail-the-net.com
http://www.sail-the-net.com/
A web site featuring the following - marine directory with 16000+ listings, yacht brokers, yacht charter, sailing schools, marine insurance, ...
www.sea-ex.com
www.sea-ex.com
www.searoom.com
http://www.searoom.com
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