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Tropical Cruising Handbook The definitive guide for sailing in tropical latitudes. Tropical Cruising Handbook provides cruising sailors with the knowledge and skills they need to master the challenges of sailing the tropics. With the help of more than two hundred illustrations, we filll you in on: • Weather patterns and sea conditions, generally and region-by-region • Reef navigation, anchoring, and other key tropical seamanship skills • Tropical passage planning and passagemaking • Equipping a boat for tropical sailing • Maintaining gear in tropical environments • Preventing and treating common tropical illnesses • Avoiding injury from hazardous marine life • Route planning in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans Whether you want to circumnavigate the tropics or simply gunkhole the Bahamas, Tropical Cruising Handbook arms you with the expert advice and information you need to plan, prepare for, and realize your tropical adventure. Written by Mark Smaalders and Kim des Rochers and published by International Marine/McGraw-Hill in December 2001. 376 pages, including over 200 illustrations and maps. Tropical Cruising Handbook is available from many bookstores, marine chandleries, and online	Contents
	Part 1 - TROPICAL ENVIRONMENTS Chapter 1: Introduction Our Approach | Tropical Environments | Tropical Seamanship |Life in the Tropics | Finding Your Own Way | The Perfect Boat | Desirable Features of a Tropical Cruising Boat | What Will It Cost? | Cruising Lightly Chapter 2: Tropical Environments Coral Reefs | Mangroves | Threats to Tropical Ecosystems Chapter 3: Weather in the Tropics Tropical Weather Basics | Highs and Lows | Ocean Currents | Tropical Disturbances | El Niño, La Niña and the Southern Oscillation | Tropical Cyclones
	Part 2 - TROPICAL SEAMANSHIP Chapter 4: Navigating in Tropical Waters Use Your Judgement | Charts and Pilots | Aids to Navigation | Visual Piloting | EPs and Fixes | Putting It All Together Chapter 5: Tropical Anchoring Anchors and Ground Tackle | Tropical Anchorages | Anchoring | Retrieving the Anchor | Anchoring Variations Chapter 6: Sailing in the Tropics Sails | Sail Construction | Downwind Sailing | Reducing Sail | Light-Air Sailing Chapter 7: Route Planning Cruising Seasons | Variations in the Trade Winds | Using Lows to Your Advantage | Coping with Ocean Currents | Cyclone Seasons and the Sailor | Passages to and from the Tropics | Planning Your Route| Passage Times | Refining Your Plans: Moving beyond the Averages | Piracy and Political Unrest Chapter 8: Passagemaking Departure | On Passage | Safety at Sea | AbandoningShip | Equipping the Tropical Cruising Yacht Chapter 9: Heavy Weather in the Tropics Waves and Swells | Heavy-Weather Hazards | Tactics for Moderately Heavy Weather | Tactics for Extreme Conditions | Cyclone Strategies
	Part 3 - LIFE IN THE TROPICS Chapter 10: Life Aboard Shade | Ventilation | Drinking Water Provisioning | Tropical Pests | Keeping It Simple | Engine Maintenance Chapter 11: The Business Side of Cruising Paperwork | Customs | Staying in Touch Chapter 12:Staying Healthy in the Tropics Infectious Diseases | Major Tropical Diseases | Sun- and Heat-Related Injuries | General Wound Care Chapter 13: Dangerous Tropical Marine Organisms Large Marine Animals That Bite | Venomous Marine Animals with Spines | Venomous Marine Animals That Bite | Marine Animals with Stinging Cells | Poisonous Marine Animals Chapter 14: Boat Maintenance Temperature, Rainfall, and Humidity | Know Your Boat | Metals in the Tropics | Stainless Steel | Aluminum | Copper Alloys: Brasses and Bronzes | Fiberglass Boats | Wooden Boats | Metal Boats
	Part 4 - CRUISING LIGHTLY Chapter 15: Green Cruising Garbage | Sewage | Antifouling Paints | The Discharge of Oil | Coral Reefs | Fishing and Shell Collecting | Endangered Species Chapter 16: The Quest for Paradise Today's Reality| Persistent Traditions | Showing Respect | Receiving Visitors | Making Visits | Trading | Interest and Sensitivity
	Part 5 - TROPICAL CRUISING DESTINATIONS Chapter 17: Tropical Atlantic Ocean North Atlantic Ocean (West Indies | Central America | Caribbean South America | Cape Verde Islands) | South Atlantic Ocean Chapter 18: Tropical Pacific Ocean North Pacific Ocean | South Pacific Ocean Chapter 19: Tropical Indian Ocean North Indian Ocean | South Indian Ocean | Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
	Part 6 - APPENDICES 1: Ropework and Sewing Rope Ratlines | Rope-to-Chain Splice | Mountain Climber's Water Knot | Roped Awning 2: Weather Forecasts Sources of Weather Information | Understanding Weather Forecasts 3: Resources
	INDEX
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