perthamina
New Member
We are crossing over to Antigua this autumn and intend to cruise the islands down to Trinidad, including the virgin islands, can anyone reccommend which pilots would be best to buy?
alan
alan
pilots for carribbean
- Thread starter perthamina
- Start date
Kilter
Well-Known Member
Caribbean Passagemaking - A Cruisers Guide by Les Weatheritt
Then there's Chris Doyle's books or Don Street..loads of stuff out there...have a browse and see what sits best with you.
Then there's Chris Doyle's books or Don Street..loads of stuff out there...have a browse and see what sits best with you.
kesey
Well-Known Member
Chris Doyle's Guides are superb, and current.
snowleopard
Well-Known Member
I concur. Chris Doyle has it hands down.
TigaWave
Well-Known Member
Definately not Streets! Doyles was excellent.
Kilter
Well-Known Member
Doyle is also my favourite but Street's always fun to compare...he's never short of an opinion or two!
sharkattack
N/A
Really suprised to see so many people voting for Chris Doyles caribbean guides. I thought they were poor. They are full of adverts for restaurants and hotels. Not too bad if you are going on a 2 week charter but if you are a live aboard you are probably not that interested in all the restaurant info. Most of the cruisers we met in the Caribbean were on a budget so restaurant info really not required. I liked Streets cruising guides but they are old so some of the info is out of date. I wouldnt buy any Doyles guides myself. I will happily sell anybody my Doyles guides for not a lot of money. Pm me if you want them
CharlesM
Well-Known Member
Re Doyles
I kinda agree with sharkattack.
I was somewhat dissapointed with the Doylels guides. Sure, they were usefull in many occasions, but somehow I expected more.
I cannot comment on any other guides since I have not used any others. -so maybe the Doyles are the best. I dont know. Did feel there was a load of superflous information in them, and would have prefered more anchorages and pilotage info.
my 2 p
Charles
I kinda agree with sharkattack.
I was somewhat dissapointed with the Doylels guides. Sure, they were usefull in many occasions, but somehow I expected more.
I cannot comment on any other guides since I have not used any others. -so maybe the Doyles are the best. I dont know. Did feel there was a load of superflous information in them, and would have prefered more anchorages and pilotage info.
my 2 p
Charles
kesey
Well-Known Member
Let's say you want to sail from St. Lucia to the Grenadines. Chris Doyle gives you the necessary info.: sailing directions, weather and currency notes, customs clearance data, times to clear in and out so as to avoid overtime charges. He gives as much info as one can give re: poss boat boy annoyances in various locations in St.Vincent. He mentions the boltholes which are available should they become necessary.
So, you have arrived in the Grenadines and pleasantly cleared in, where do you go? Chris gives narratives about each place, chartlets and pilotage guides. As far as I am concerned, short of having him piloting my boat, I don't know what much else he can do. The "editorials" about the restaurants and shops I can live with. It brings colour into the tale. Even if I were a liveaboard, I would like to have that kind of info. Anyway, while I'm there I'm happy to read the Caribbean Compass.
An alternative type of guide would be one similar to Rod Heikell's for the Med. All in all, my preference is for a bit of Caribbean colour with my sailing guides. It brings fond thoughts of the trip in advance.
So, you have arrived in the Grenadines and pleasantly cleared in, where do you go? Chris gives narratives about each place, chartlets and pilotage guides. As far as I am concerned, short of having him piloting my boat, I don't know what much else he can do. The "editorials" about the restaurants and shops I can live with. It brings colour into the tale. Even if I were a liveaboard, I would like to have that kind of info. Anyway, while I'm there I'm happy to read the Caribbean Compass.
An alternative type of guide would be one similar to Rod Heikell's for the Med. All in all, my preference is for a bit of Caribbean colour with my sailing guides. It brings fond thoughts of the trip in advance.
TigaWave
Well-Known Member
Trouble is there is only really Streets or Doyles? or are there others I should know about?
Streets was not only out of date but completely wrong about some facts that would make you avoid some lovely places. One place in particular was Sint Eustatius, where we had a lovely weeks exploring and diving. Streets advice was clearly dont go there none of the problems he mentioned were found by us or others, that was just one example, there were others.
So it was Doyles by default, and it was pretty good. Cant say I looked at the adverts though.
Streets was not only out of date but completely wrong about some facts that would make you avoid some lovely places. One place in particular was Sint Eustatius, where we had a lovely weeks exploring and diving. Streets advice was clearly dont go there none of the problems he mentioned were found by us or others, that was just one example, there were others.
So it was Doyles by default, and it was pretty good. Cant say I looked at the adverts though.
SimonJ
Well-Known Member
Re: pilots for Caribbean
Doyles every time - and they do not necessarily have to be the latest edition (although they are preferred of course.) New info also comes in to his website. The Virgin Islands pilot which looks like a Doyles and comes from the same publishers I think is awful and is aimed at charter market - but then British Virgins are best avoided by cruisers as they are so busy and so expensive - think Solent on the sunniest, warmest bank holiday when everyone is out!
There is a new book that appeared last year the exact title of which I have forgotten but it deals only with passage making between the islands. (Doyle has most of that in his pilots nevertheless)
Doyles every time - and they do not necessarily have to be the latest edition (although they are preferred of course.) New info also comes in to his website. The Virgin Islands pilot which looks like a Doyles and comes from the same publishers I think is awful and is aimed at charter market - but then British Virgins are best avoided by cruisers as they are so busy and so expensive - think Solent on the sunniest, warmest bank holiday when everyone is out!
There is a new book that appeared last year the exact title of which I have forgotten but it deals only with passage making between the islands. (Doyle has most of that in his pilots nevertheless)
perthamina
New Member
thanks for allyour help, look forward to seeing some of you there. alan
