Sea of Cortez: A Cruiser s Guidebook, is an up to date, comprehensive guide detailing the remote and pristine anchorages of the Baja peninsula and Mexican mainland within the Sea of Cortez. The harbors and anchorages listed in this guide are illustrated with over 100 GPS accurate chartlets, derived from satellite photography and first-hand exploration. GPS waypoints, along with prime anchorage locations, accompany each chartlet. Important cruising information such as weather, HAM and SSB radio nets, customs and immigration information, marina locations and layouts, fuel availablity, boat haulout facilities and marine chandleries are among many of the features detailed throughout this guide. And because cruising doesn t stop when the hook is dropped or the docklines are made fast, also included are city maps, grocery store locations, hiking trails, dive and snorkel sites and more. Sample itineraries have been included, based on different schedules to help you make the most out of your time while boating within the Sea of Cortez. Vivid color photography, illustrating the serene beauty and life of the Sea of Cortez, makes this book not only a valuable aid to mariners, but also a fantastic way to plan your next trip or just to daydream of sunny days in the Sea of Cortez. In an area where the charts may be off by as much as a mile, sailors will appreciate the detailed, GPS-accurate chartlets and the thorough research that went into the making of Sea of Cortez: A Cruiser's Guidebook by Shawn Breeding and Heather Bansmer. It also helps that this guide was well thought out, which means it's beautifully designed and easy to use. Compiled from a variety of computer-based sources and supplemented by thousands of soundings taken by the authors, the chartlets would in themselves justify the price of this book, available from Blue Latitude Press. Users also get all that one expects from a good cruising guide plus useful suggestions for hikes and activities ashore, recommendations on restaurants and shops, recipes using local ingredients, and hundreds of professional-quality photographs. Sample itineraries simplify voyage planning, and tables showing distances to nearby anchorages offer the appropriate next-stop possibilities at a glance. With Sea of Cortez, the authors have raised the standard for cruising guides in general and guides to Mexico in particular. - Beth A. Leonard --Cruising World - June 2008 This book is a true labour of love, its two authors having spent four years (2003 to 2007) compiling a most comprehensive guide to one of the most attractive cruising areas of the world. Exploring every nook and cranny between Baja California and the Mexican mainland in their Westsail 32 Om Shanti, the authors enthusiasm and affection for this unique body of water comes through on every page. The reader s appetite, including this reviewer s, is constantly whetted by colourful descriptions of secluded anchorages, amazing encounters with the prolific wildlife, all illustrated by a generous supply of excellent photographs. As an experienced graphic designer, Shawn Breeding has produced scores of harbour plans as well as detailed chartlets, all matched to accurate GPS readings and accompanied by relevant waypoints. As the subtitle suggests, this is more than just a cruising guide as shore attractions and facilities are described in enough detail to provide a complete picture of what to see and do on land - Jimmy Cornell --Noonsite - June 2008 It's been awhile since a new cruising guide for Baja's Sea of Cortez has been published, so Shawn Breeding and Heather Bansmer's Sea of Cortez: A Cruiser's Guidebook will be a welcome addition to every Baja-bound boaters bookshelf. Breeding and Bansmer spent more than two years painstakingly researching this beefy 312-page guide. They even created chartlets of the most popular - and some lesser-known - anchorages in the Sea. Using satellite photos and NASA data, as well as taking depth soundings by hand, the couple have created extremely detailed charts that include accurate GPS waypoints, topography and the best snorkeling spots. The spectacular photography and bits of history, trivia and recipes scattered throughout really bring the book to life, while the entries for each area offer a wide cariety of activities and services for cruisers to choose from. We have to say that their efforts have resulted in an extremely user-friendly resource. - LaDonna Bubak --Latitude 38 - May 2008 Since late 2003, Heather and Shawn have been exploring Pacific Mexico and the Sea of Cortez, relishing the beauty of this foreign land so close to home. Their love of boating and cruising the coastal waters of Mexico lead to the development of their cruising guides, in hopes of sharing the unique beauty and richness of life Mexico has to offer. In 2007, they released their first book, Sea of Cortez: A Cruiser's Guidebook. By October of 2009, a second edition of this popular guide was released. The followin