Cruising Guides

About Australian Cruising Guides

A cruising guide is the document you can't sail without — the local-knowledge layer that sits on top of official AUS-numbered charts. Where charts give you depths, hazards and navigational marks, cruising guides give you the anchorage notes, holding bottom descriptions, weather windows, fuel and water locations, port entry procedures, and the small details that only come from sailors who have actually been there. For Australian waters, the standard references are written by yachtsmen and ocean cruisers who have sailed the routes themselves over decades.

Mapworld stocks the definitive Australian cruising guides plus key New Zealand and South Pacific references. We carry current editions only and rotate stock as new editions print.

Australian Cruising Guides — The Standards

Alan Lucas — Cruising the Coral Coast

Cruising the Coral Coast by Alan Lucas is the definitive cruising guide for Australia's east coast — covering the Queensland coast from the Sunshine Coast to the Torres Strait, including the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday Islands in detail. First published over 50 years ago and now in its current edition, this is the reference that every east-coast cruising sailor carries. Anchorage by anchorage notes, passage planning, weather considerations, and the kind of local knowledge that comes from a lifetime on the water.

Lucas's Cruising New South Wales

Alan Lucas's NSW companion volume — covering the NSW coast from the Queensland border to Eden, with detailed anchorage information for Sydney Harbour, the Hawkesbury, Port Stephens, Lake Macquarie, Jervis Bay, and the south coast inlets.

Cruising Tasmania & Bass Strait

Tasmania-specific cruising guides covering the Tasman Peninsula, D'Entrecasteaux Channel, the East Coast (Wineglass Bay, Maria Island), the Furneaux Group and the Bass Strait passage. Tasmania's coastline rewards detailed local knowledge and the cruising guide writers know it.

Whitsundays & Great Barrier Reef

Region-specific cruising guides focused on the Whitsundays — the most-chartered cruising ground in Australia. These guides supplement Cruising the Coral Coast with finer-grain anchorage notes, charter-boat-friendly passage planning, and tips for the Whitsunday-specific weather and tide patterns.

New Zealand & South Pacific

For Australian sailors heading east, our New Zealand and South Pacific cruising guides cover the Bay of Islands, the Hauraki Gulf, Fiordland, plus the major Pacific cruising grounds — Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia and the Pacific passage routes from Australia.

Choosing the Right Cruising Guide

Cruising Guides vs Nautical Charts — What's the Difference?

You need both. Nautical charts (the AUS-numbered Australian Hydrographic Service charts and DPI inshore charts we stock in our Marine Charts collection) give you the legally compliant navigational reference — depths, hazards, navigational marks, official landmarks. Cruising guides sit on top of charts and give you the local knowledge: which anchorage holds in a SE swell, where the fuel is in Airlie Beach, what the tide does at the entrance to Lake Macquarie, when to round Cape Otway. Charts tell you what's there. Cruising guides tell you what to do about it.

Why Buy Cruising Guides from Mapworld

• Largest specialist cruising guide range in Australia — every major Australian cruising title plus key NZ and Pacific references
• Current editions only — we rotate stock with each new edition (Lucas guides are revised periodically as harbours, marinas and infrastructure change)
• Paired with official AUS charts — buy the cruising guide and the matching AUS chart together for complete coverage
• Free shipping over $75 Australia-wide, flat $7 below that
• Knowledgeable support — call 1300 795 697 for advice on which guide suits your trip
• Trusted by training colleges and charter operators — Mapworld supplies marine schools, charter fleets and government agencies as well as private owners

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best cruising guide for the Whitsundays?

Alan Lucas's Cruising the Coral Coast is the standard reference for the entire east coast including the Whitsundays. For Whitsunday-specific charter sailing, pair it with one of the Whitsundays-focused anchorage guides — these are tighter and faster to navigate when you're working through six islands in a week.

Are these the latest editions?

Yes. Mapworld stocks current editions only. Cruising the Coral Coast and the other Lucas guides are revised periodically as harbours, marinas, fuel locations and infrastructure change. Each product page lists the edition number and year.

Do I need a cruising guide if I have AUS charts?

Yes — they serve different purposes. AUS charts give you the official, legally-compliant navigational data: depths, hazards, marks. Cruising guides give you the anchorage notes, weather windows, fuel and water locations, and local knowledge that charts don't carry. For chartering, ocean cruising, or any trip where you'll be anchoring overnight rather than just transiting, you want both.

Do you stock New Zealand and South Pacific cruising guides?

Yes. Our cruising guide range includes New Zealand (Bay of Islands, Hauraki Gulf, Fiordland), Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia and South Pacific passage references — essential for Australian sailors heading east.

Do you ship cruising guides interstate?

Yes. Mapworld ships Australia-wide from our Perth warehouse. Free shipping on orders over $75, flat $7 below that. Most metro deliveries arrive in 2 to 5 business days. Express options available at checkout.

Can Mapworld supply cruising guides for charter fleets and training colleges?

Yes. Mapworld supplies marine training colleges, charter operators, sailing schools and commercial vessels with cruising guides, charts and references. Bulk orders, account terms and standing orders for new editions are available. Call 1300 795 697 to discuss.