A space age cruising guide to Vanuatu - one of the most fascinating cruising grounds of the South Pacific.
This multimedia CD is a revolution in cruising guides. The CD begins with a photograph of the entire island group taken from space.
Click on an island to zoom in to a photograph of the whole island with a list of possible anchorages. (click on the thumbnail images below to see larger screen shots).
Icon Driven Navigation
The guide operates from a set of icons, three control the navigation on the guide, four icons overlay sailing and chart information onto the satellite and aerial images, one icon loads waypoint data onto a gps and there is a help and exit icon.
To see how these work click here.
On the "all vanuatu" satellite view level, the icons on the menu overlay general information about all of Vanuatu, including:
- Depths
- waypoint information - including a program to upload the hundreds of Vanuatu gps waypoints to your gps.
- passages to Vanuatu - with ocean routes and tips on when and how to make safe open ocean passages to Vanuatu.
- Ports of entry, and entry formalities and regulations.
- Airports throughout Vanuatu
- a chart list of all Vanuatu marine charts
- tides, including a tide program for Vanuatu (and the rest of the world).
- weather - including climate information and how to predict weather windows for passages.
- fuel supply locations
- yacht services, such as marinas, moorings, parts and supplies.
- culture, with a special section on hospitality (how to behave in rural villages of Vanuatu)
- health - how to stay healthy in Vanuatu and what to do if you don't.
- The galley - Vanuatu foods and how to prepare them
Click on an island to zoom in for a close space view of an island (you can zoom in to any Vanuatu island). On the island level you'll see a list of anchorages. You can also point to a bay or area of the coastline and the anchorage maps will be outlined and the name of the anchorage highlighed on the list. Click on one to zoom in for a close look at the anchorage.
Here is an example using the main port of entry on Efate Island.
On the Efate Island level, if you click the Port Vila name, or if you point to and click on the harbor of Port Vila, the program zooms in for a high resolution image of Port Vila. The control icons on the upper left menu bar allow you to overlay information onto the aerial image of the harbour.
click for larger view
The map icon overlays depths, navigation lights and markers. The navigational lights flash at the correct interval and lead lights have bearings indicated.
The anchor icon overlays GPS points with routes leading you into Port Vila harbour and anchors placed exactly where the best anchorages are located, and a sailing boat icon with sailing directions.
If you point to an anchor a window pops up with a photo of the anchorage, full details of the gps position, holding conditions, wind and wave exposure, and points of interest.
If you point to the sailing boat icon, you will see sailing directions for entering the harbor (often also with a photo.
Point to a GPS waypoint icon to see the GPS position.
The information icon overlays information on marinas, beaches, dive spots, yacht services, tour services for yachts, and cameras with panoramic photos of the harbor from vantage points around the harbor. Point to any of these icons to reveal the information.
The Map Navigation icon opens a mini-space view of Vanuatu and from any section of the guide you can quickly and easily go to any other island in Vanuatu with one click.
The Search Icon takes you to a an alphabetical subject index where you can quickly go to any island, anchorage, or information section on the guide.
The Cruising Guide to Vanuatu has photo charts of every island in Vanuatu and 140 anchorages.
You can find an anchorage using the search icon (for a list of anchorage and map names) or you can click on an island to zoom in, point to anchorage names listed on the island map or point to the bays and lagoons on the coastlines to zoom in to a photograph taken from 5 kilometers directly above the anchorage on a clear, bright sunny day. Photos so clear that you can see exactly what the anchorage looks like, reefs, beaches, trees, houses, and all.
Click for a sample image
On the top of each anchorage page is a menu where a single click will reveal depths, dangers, dinghy landings, village names, GPS waypoints, best spot to anchor, navigation aids, wind protection, roll, currents, and points of interest - information critical to your safe and happy voyaging through the islands of Vanuatu. There are even hidden treasures (keep a sharp lookout for a bottle with a message in it).
The weather button on the information section of the home page of the CD has everything you need to know about finding a weather window for sailing to Vanuatu or precautions to take when sailing around Vanuatu.
This section of the guide includes a FULL YEAR time-lapse movie of the atmosphere taken from a point in space 215 kilometers directly above Australia. You will see the weather from 1 April 2001 through to 31 March 2002. A movie of exactly what the atmosphere of the southwest Pacific does from day to day, month to month, season to season.
You'll see the days go by in seconds and the cloud systems swirl across the screen. You'll see cyclones form, move down the west coast of Australia and then watch the systems come right across to the east coast and influence the weather in the Tasman. You can stop the movie, back up, and see exactly what happens before a major atmospheric event forms. You will, if you study these movies, begin to understand how the weather systems BEHAVE. A knowledge vital to your cruising happiness and safety.
What do other Sailors say about using the Cruising guide? Comments.
Order your two-CD Complete Vanuatu Guide NOW US$99.50 (mailing included). |
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Special 4CD package - the 2 CD Vanuatu set + the 2 CD New Caledonia set US$225. (Save $25) |
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PLEASE NOTE:
- This Guide is available by ordering through this website. You can also obtain the guides at Noumea Yacht Services in New Caledonia, South Seas Shipping in Vanuatu, Yachting World in Vanuatu, and Boat Books in New Zealand.
- The cruising guide requires activation and can only be used on the computer it is registered to. It can be copied to the hard drive.
- Air mail is pathetically slow from out here in Vanuatu and New Caledonia. The guides may take a week to 10 days to get to Australia or New Zealand and 2 to 3 weeks to get to the US or Europe.
- Paypal will only allow shipments to the billing address of your credit card. If you are cruising and need the guide sent to another location send me an e-mail at the same time you order the guide.
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