Cornell`s World Cruising Routes

[thalassobiote]

Hello,
I`m new of this forum.

I need to buy a copy of world famous World Cruising Routes by Cornell and was considering a past edition due to lower prices they have on the web.
I imagine that most of you will state that dealing with an old edition does repay the few pennies saved in your pocket but let`s discuss the deal..

Let`s take apart very old editions.
Where are the major differencies between say second last and last edition of it?

Anybody can help?

[Adelie]

Newer editions have more routes to use, mostly it gives better resolution to areas covered in previous editions, though a few new areas covered. An older edition should be just fine.

Consider also acquiring BA chart #5308 (aka. The World Sailing Ship Routes). This is part of BA#136 (Ocean Passages of the World) but is available separately.

The Atlas of Pilot Charts are available free for download at: Maritime Safety Information

The US Coast Pilots (different from above), Chart#1 and Distance Between Ports are available free at: Obtain Charting Products

Free charts are available for the US, New Zealand and Brazil. This would not alleviate the need to carry some paper charts, but would minimize the number you need to buy.



What kind of boat and where do you want to go?

[thalassobiote]

Thank you for the informations Adelie.

"What kind of boat and where do you want to go?"
..well this is A question!
I`m building up my project to which the most lacking element is money!

For the moment no boat and everywhere is the reply..

By the way I will be around the Caribbean for a delivery to Europe shortly and I wanted to buy this book as an interesting reading along the way more than as material for this specific crossing.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by thalassobiote

Thank you for the informations Adelie.

"What kind of boat and where do you want to go?"
..well this is A question!
I`m building up my project to which the most lacking element is money!

For the moment no boat and everywhere is the reply..

By the way I will be around the Caribbean for a delivery to Europe shortly and I wanted to buy this book as an interesting reading along the way more than as material for this specific crossing.

I would not buy it for reading, it is a reference book and reads about as well as say a cook book.

[barnakiel]

It is based in say some 70% on Ocean Passages of the World and 30% on stories. The point is stories are single off events that cannot be used to build useful generalizations. Apply with caution.

I prefer the Passages. It is based 100% on collected ship's observations.

Not to say I did not have or use Cornell's book.

b.

[thalassobiote]

Originally Posted by Adelie

I would not buy it for reading, it is a reference book and reads about as well as say a cook book.

I love reading cooking books
Yes, got the advice

[MarkJ]

I'll get into trouble here but..... ummmm do you really need it?
My copy is the 1987 edition. I really try not to use it at all. I have used it on one passage that I was using someone elses advice- and it checked out with Cornell.
But in general, cruising routes are really basically your own. if you make it your own its your route, your passage, your acheivement.

If you use someone elses route: "Go to point A then B then C" you havent really done much yourself have you?

You can get the old sailing ship routes off the internet... below is the 1892 July Pilot with sailing ship routes ... its free and fun and old. But by looking at the Pilot charts you can work out the routes anyway.
here is the link to all the pilot charts in the world... free.
http://msi.nga.mil/NGAPortal/MSI.por...2&pubCode=0003
Why pay heaps for Jimmy?

[rebel heart]

I like the idea of Cornell's book (and I own it), but it's somewhat impossible for a book like that to work that well. There's a natural tendency towards "I want one source for information on offshore routes", but the reality is that Cornell didn't sail all those routes and whomever sailed them, a lot of the times it was done only once or a few times. Take the route from Norway to Spitzbergen: there are only half a dozen boats doing that every year, if that, and during a rather narrow window of time.

I actually have World Cruising Routes sitting right next to me because I was thumbing through it the other day. It's great for distances and quick reference stuff, but I'd be wary of using the route descriptions or advice as gospel.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

It is based in say some 70% on Ocean Passages of the World and 30% on stories. The point is stories are single off events that cannot be used to build useful generalizations. Apply with caution.

I prefer the Passages. It is based 100% on collected ship's observations.

Not to say I did not have or use Cornell's book.

b.

Very close to my usage. As I'm still in the very rough stages of planning, I use a laminated world map in the Mercator projection, dividers, the Admiralty book and the Cornell book, with occasional references to online PDFs of the U.S. pilots for contrast.

Throw in a bottle of Gosling's and you can "plan" away an entire Saturday night.

[conachair]

Some more info to peruse for the planning...

Climatology of Global Ocean Winds - COGOW

[simonpickard]

I've got the latest version that I'm selling, where are you based? I was going to put it on ebay.

I'm in Sydney, Australia.

[Kettlewell]

I have a couple of different editions of World Cruising Routes, and I think the older ones are fine--maybe even better in some cases. I noticed that newer editions include lots of routes used on his 'round the world rallies, which I don't think are always as good as the older, more traditional routes. The newer routes seem to assume you can motor a lot at high speeds, and you don't mind taking chances with the weather because you're paying for a weather router. Ocean Passages and most importantly the pilot charts are very useful too. I particularly use the pilot charts.

[Khagan1227]

Good thread.

I'd forgotten a couple of these publications.

[thalassobiote]

Thank you for the good feedback!
As said above I`m new on this forum and I`ve been pretty surprised about the response of you guys!

Mark, I feel that your point is what would be mine if had less than a total reverence against planning a long passage. As a coastal sailor I`m inclined not follow advices on pilot books for the same reason.
I`m into my first Atlantic crossing.

S/V Alchemy, that is telling much about proper use you can make of it.

[thalassobiote]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

I have a couple of different editions of World Cruising Routes, and I think the older ones are fine--maybe even better in some cases. I noticed that newer editions include lots of routes used on his 'round the world rallies, which I don't think are always as good as the older, more traditional routes. The newer routes seem to assume you can motor a lot at high speeds, and you don't mind taking chances with the weather because you're paying for a weather router. Ocean Passages and most importantly the pilot charts are very useful too. I particularly use the pilot charts.

Yes, I bought a 3rd Edition on Alibris-US yesterday for some 4USD or so.
I felt as a rule of thumb that there should not be much to add to a book like that if a first edition is well compiled.

Thanks