Indian Ocean Cruising Guide; Rod Heikell; Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson, 1999; ISBN 0-85288-295-5; £33.00 ; CA15586

The author covers a massive area - the third largest ocean with extensive coastlines and groups of islands. It is written as a successor to Alan Lucas' Red Sea and Indian Ocean Cruising Guide that has served for a long time. We are given Heikell's usual mix of interestingly written material to guide the sailor and stimulate interest in the cultures of the countries.

An Introduction covers broad scale issues with such subject headings as: Cruising in the Tropics, Stores, Piracy, Bureaucracy, Health, Culture. There follows a section on Technical Matters dealing with Weather, Wind, Passage Information and the like. The two main sections deal in greater detail with descriptions and chartlets of the coasts and islands, divided into two parts: North of the equator working westward from Singapore to the Red Sea, and the Southern Indian Ocean westabout from Australia to East Africa. Appendices give hydrographic publications and an excellent list of the more detailed guides and pilots available for the areas covered, a list of charts and other useful books.

This Guide expressly does not attempt to replicate some of these specific pilots. The style reflects that we have come to expect from the Mediterranean series, except the chartlets are in shades of yellow/mustard rather than black and white and are, perforce, generally of broader scale. I am confident this will rapidly become a standard work for those planning passages and cruising in the Indian Ocean. The book is well-printed and has charming and evocative colour photographs. - PDD

Page prepared 1 November 1999

Home	New Acquisitions