Inexpensive Cruising Guides for Central and South America

by Cruisers Network Online/Sail-World on 3 Jan 2010 South and Central America has long been a difficult area for obtaining cruising guides, and the guides available are often either dated, don't cover all the region or are not published in English. The one thing they usually have in common is that they are expensive.

Some of the excellent guides that do exist are difficult to find for those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean or in places even further afield.

Here is a link that is used by the http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cruisers_Network_Online!Cruisers_Network_Online for South America, which features some low cost online cruising guides and some free ones.

First there's Explore Central America Part 1, constantly updated and updates are free. It's just $13 (not worth photocopying) and it includes a wealth of information on the Pacific side of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. With lots of waypoints, charts and images, it also has weather, exit and entry formalities, and many tips on getting the weather yourself from GRIB, Spot, Buoyweather, Shore buoys, and NOAA.

Then there's Explore Central America Part 2, which includes Costa Rica, Western Panama and all the way to the Canal. Exit and entry procedures for Costa Rica, Panama and Ecuador. The same applies, with the same relevant information for cruising those areas.

On the site there are also links to additional Free Resources:
The Lesser Known Coast - Pacific Colombia (2009)
Research Info on Cruising Pacific Coast of Columbia(2008)
Bahia del Sol Cruisers Guide (2008)
Ecuador Cruising Guide written by Cruisers (2009)
La Libertad, Ecuador Guide (2009)
Bahia de Caraquez Ecuador Approach and Exit
Bahia de Caraquez Ecuador Town Resources (2008)
Crossing the ITCZ
Weather Patterns during El Nino/La Nina

All these resources are invaluable to cruisers heading for those areas, and difficult to know that they exist. The guide for Pacific Colombia is particularly valuable for those crossing the Caribbean on their way to the Panama Canal.

The information has been put together by Sherrell and Eric on SV Sarana, who are a couple of corporate types who found a better way of life cruising, but their energy has now been directed into making life easier for other cruisers.

Click http://www.sailsarana.com/guide!here for access to all of the above - and this is all promulgated by the Cruisers Network Online. Think about joining them too! (link above)