Andy Dowden & Bill O’Leary

Published by IMAGE Asia Events Co.

2nd Edition (2007-2008)

Recommended price €25

ISBN 0 974 94998 0 8

The second edition of this useful guide to one of the fastest developing cruising area of the world now covers the entire area from the Gulf of Thailand and Vietnam to the Malacca Straits, Phuket, the south of Myanmar and India’s the Andaman Islands. As the guide is primarily directed at sailors who approach the area from the direction of the Torres Strait and Northern Australia, also included is some very useful routing information on the best routes from Darwin through the Indonesian archipelago to Singapore. Since the first edition of the Andaman Sea Pilot much of the area it covered has seen major developments with new marinas and resorts coming on stream, while onshore facilities are being constantly improved. The major damage caused by the 2004 tsunami has been generally rectified and very few of its consequences are still visible. Sailors will be relieved to know that in the picturesque anchorages close to Phuket life has now returned to normal.

The authors Andy Dowden and Bill O’Leary have a long and detailed cruising experience of this region and for the current edition have co-opted the help of a number of equally experienced sailors who have brought their own font of knowledge to the areas they know best.

The first part of the guide deals with practical information by listing the main marinas in the area as well as a calendar of sailing events. Each country covers a separate section and includes details of each port, marina and anchorage. Each such entry is accompanied by a coloured chart showing all essential details such as lights, buoys, GPS waypoints and recommended track. A simple to read diagram shows the various services and repair facilities available. Extremely useful is the information on Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, all areas that are still very little known in the international sailing community but which are gradually opening up to the outside world and, as a result, are attracting an increasing number of cruising yachts. The only criticism of this otherwise well-researched guide is that clearance formalities for Thailand have been somewhat overlooked.

Depending on the country, the price varies between €50 and €60 and this includes packing and postage. The book can be ordered directly from www.andamanseapilot.com