Cruising Guide To The Leeward Islands

9nd Edition (2006-2007)

Published by Cruising Guide Publications

By Chris Doyle

Price US$29.95

ISBN 0-944428-73-8

Website http://doyleguides.info/

The Doyle Guides to the various Caribbean islands are deservedly well known. This latest edition, covering the string of islands stretching from Anguilla to Dominica, is extremely comprehensive. It is produced in an easily handled A5 sized ring binder format, on good quality paper that will stand up to being splashed with the odd drop of water. Its 500 pages contain a wide range of cruising information, including a couple of interesting pages with diagrams of the nigh sky over the Leeward Islands as it appears throughout the year.

Chartlets covering all the islands and each major port or anchorage are in good, clear, colour with principle landmarks, services and facilities identified. The advertising, which is interspersed throughout the book, is relevent and there are many helpful aerial photographs. The text is descriptive and gives a clear picture of each destination covered, as well as an overview of each island and group of islands. Information on clearance procedures and regulations are not forgotten, nor are details on banking, communications, provisioning and repairs. Restaurant and bars (those essential cruiser meeting points), are also included.

The final chapter is a handy Directory of services with names, phone numbers and email addresses (where applicable) for each island, listed alphabetically.

If you can spare the several months it would take to explore the whole of this chain of islands, it is unlikely that you will require any other Cruising Guide than this one, as, together with navigational charts, you will have all the information required.