New England Crusing Guide Recommendations

[omgirl]

We are looking for a good cruising guide for New England (N. MA, NH, and Maine). Does anyone have recommendations? Looking for good anchoring spots, general info. and exploration information. We have a new boat and are looking forward to some long weekend exploratory trips this summer. Thanks.

[treilley]

I do not think there is one for all those states combined. Here is what I use in Maine. It is the most popular. I own the hard copy and then print updates from the net.

http://www.coastguides.com/

Tim R.

[NateHanson]

http://www.coastguides.com/cruisingguides/guides.html

A Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast, by Taft and Taft is the BIBLE for Maine sailing. Sailors up here universally refer to it as "the blue book", and there's never any question about what that means. It's frankly the best written cruising guide I've seen for any region.

I've had less luck finding a good cruising guide for Massachusetts though, and I'd like to hear other's recommendations. I've used the mapquest Embassy guides for harbor charts and phone numbers for services. But the descriptions are far too advertising driven, and every little hole gets a luminous review as "the most beautiful shoe manufacturing town in all of new england!" and that sort of blubbering crap.

[Tom Greaves]

This is by no means complete. However, it is useful.

http://cruisingguide.bostonsailingcenter.com/index.html

[jkm]

Coastguides is a good book.

You could spend all summer in Casco Bay. My favorite spot is Basket Island, though Cliff Island is what island life all about.

Have a blast and buy your lobster from a guy in a highliner-you'll save a bundle.

John