cruising guides to central america?

[supernova]

I''m preparing to head south from Isla Mujeres (Mexico) to Panama. I''ve got Freya Rauscher''s guide that will get me to Guatemala, but I can''t find anything to get me through Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Any suggestions on good cruising guides?

[WHOOSH]

You won''t find a lot. Freya''s and also Calder''s guides are quite dated now. Since you didn''t ask about Panama, you probably know about the Zydlers'' Panama guide. It and a wide selection of other guides on the *West* coast of Central America are all published by Seaworthy; see www.seaworthy.com/store/customer/home.php?cat=53)

You''ll find some useful routing and major port info in Pat & John Rains'' Cruising Ports, Florida to California (e.g. the El Salvador marinas) but they mostly make power boat deliveries, so I''d look at that book before buying. See www.bluewaterweb.com/CruisingGuides/Guide.asp?GeoID=1502&SKU=0963847090

Your best single info source is probably the SSCA CD of the last 8 years of SSCA Bulletins, which include a lot of info abut that area, some of it dated but some more recent...and not a lot changes in that region, either. Go to www.ssca.org, Store, Pubs and select the CD. $25 as I recall.

Jack

[supernova]

Thanks, Whoosh. The Panama guide is indeed excellent (or looks to be). I also noticed the Reed''s Nautical Almanac for the Caribbean has a bit of info as well. I hate to buy a whole book for a few pages but such is life.

I guess I''ll have to write "Simon''s Cruising Guide to Honduras and Nicaragua". Always wanted to be a travel writer.