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cspott · 25-03-2017, 13:34

Hello,

I am currently in the Sea of Cortez and am planning on heading south down mainland Mexico this November then heading through Central America, east through the Panama Canal and into the Caribbean.

I have some lovely guidebooks which will take me throughout Mexico (I highly recommend Pacific Mexico and Sea of Cortez by Shawn Breeding and Heather Bransmer) but and having trouble finding many books that cover further south.

Does anyone have any suggestions for good cruising books for the Pacific side of Central America, the Panama Canal and the Caribbean Sea? (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, possibly Columbia) I already have a good collection of Jimmy Cornell's books; I am looking for some more detail.

Thanks!
Caroline

belizesailor · 25-03-2017, 18:16

Others can fill in on the Pacific side better than me, but the Rians guide covers transit routes on both coasts. Bauhaus' excellent Panama guide also covers both coasts of Panama.

My notes re guides on the Carib Side of CA:

Cruising Guides

There are a number of cruising guides published for the region. Collectively they provide excellent and detailed coverage.

Below is my perspective on each of these publications (that I know of) which cover this region (note there are a few out of print guides and other Internet based sources of info as well).

Cruising Ports: the Central American Route (AKA "Rains Guide" ). Excellent guide to passage planning between cruising ports. Very good publication. It is not intended to be a "cruising guide" per se, but does also include a fair amount of information supplemental to its purpose. It's primary value is for planning routes between cruising ports.

Cruising Guide to Belize and Mexico's Caribbean Coast, including Guatemala's Rio Dulce (Freya Rauscher). Another excellent work and the only comprehensive reference for Belize. Her charts are the most comprehensive and accurate available for Belize (Excluding the small area around Belize City which has current surveys -- all other government issued charts are based on very old surveys). There are a few, very few, errors and omissions in this guide so, as with any other source of information, use it prudently, but overall it is accurate and very well done -- especially true given the extensive and complex waters of Belize.

A Cruising Guide to the Northwest Caribbean (Stephen J. Pavlidis). This is an odd publication. It only covers a relatively small area of the NW Carib. For example, effectively no information on Belize or Mexico -- even the section describing potential routes from the Gulf Of Mexico to Rio Dulce omits Belize like it does not exist -- tough to do from a practical perspective (Not even a reference to Freya's guide for more information). It's primary value is the navigation information it provides for the Bay Islands and Northern coast of Honduras (many more ports are covered than in the Rains guide...which appropriately only covers those commonly used for transiting the area). The navigation information is sparse, but sufficient and accurate. However, there are voluminous sections on local culture and history (reasonably well done, but all this information and more is available from other sources). The sparse navigation information for each port is supplemented by much more extensive information regarding Internet access and dining options for that port. Those anchorages which lack much in the way of these services are typically dismissed as having nothing of interest for the cruising sailor (other than a good anchorage!). And, just in case you missed something, there is even more information in the appendices regarding Internet access and dining in the NW Carib. An update that makes much of this voluminous documentation of Internet Cafe's obsolete -- good, inexpensive cellular Internet access is available through-out Honduras and the Bay Islands from TIGO -- buy yourself a TIGO stick including one month of service for less than $30US total and surf even when underway!

The Panama Cruising Guide (Eric Bauhaus). This is truly "THE" guide to Panama and one of the best guides I have ever used independent of venue. Extremely detailed and comprehensive with excellent satellite cartography, aerial shots, and extensive local knowledge. Gets my vote for best cruising guide ever written.

Cruising Guide to Colombia. This is a truly impressive official tome of a cruising guide which is richly illustrated and chock full of navigation details. However, it was clearly developed to promote maritime tourism and much of the text was clearly written by people who knew nothing of boats or navigation. The navigation details however are extensive and good, including a full set of charts, waypoint lists, and arial photos. Paper copies are not widely available, but are handed out for free when clearing into Santa Marta or Cartagena. Bluewater Books & Charts used to offer a paper copy for shipping costs only, but no more. There is a full PDF version available, but the problem is that the PDF version of this guide is so large and rich in graphic content that it often fails render properly and can be very slow and cumbersome to navigate, especially since it has no hyperlinked content. You can find a full copy of the cruising guide, and a version broken into multiple PDF files here: https://db.tt/rEd5ywl4.

Colombia Other.

There are a number of articles and simple guides written by other cruisers which are not as extensive or as detailed as the official guide, but do contain a lot of useful information. A list of those I know of below.

CRUISING GUIDE FOR COAST OF COLOMBIA (updated December 2006). Lourae and Randy on PIZAZZ.

Cartagena to the San Blas The Easy Route. Suzanne Longacre. Caribbean Compass 2007.

Bay of Cholon Waypoints. s/v Nikki Wikki. 2011

Club Nautico Web site. Dated web site, but still has good info on Colombia & Cartagena. http://www.clubnauticocartagena.com/carta.htm

Sailing the Caribbean Coast of Colombia. Three part article published in Oct, Nov, Dec 2011. Constance Elson. Caribbean Compass. Also available from author as a single PDF.
You can find copies of all of these resources, and a few more, here: https://db.tt/OqRpS7wR

Older Guides

There are at least two older guides relevant to the region. I have not read them, but hear good reports. Both are very dated though.

Cruising Guide to the Northwest Caribbean: The Yucatan Coast of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and the Bay Islands Hardcover – September 1, 1991by Nigel Calder.

Cruising guide to the Bay Islands Spiral-bound – January 1, 1979 by Julius M Wilensky.

belizesailor · 25-03-2017, 18:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by cspott

Hello,

I am currently in the Sea of Cortez and am planning on heading south down mainland Mexico this November then heading through Central America, east through the Panama Canal and into the Caribbean.

...

Just so you know, you will be heading North thru the Panama Canal.