The concept for this guide was that of Dr. Jack van Ost who edited the first edition.  Julius Wilensky wrote that first edition in 1976 and published the second edition in 1980.  The new third edition, long overdue, strives to maintain the best of the traditions of Dr. van Ost and Wilensky and yet introduce a new concept for publishing in the new millennium.  The scope has been broadened to be more than just a book about Abaco.

We’ve understood for many years that by the time a book is written, then is published and printed, much of the information is already obsolete.  This is just as true in publishing cruising guides as it is in any other book. For the new third edition, I have attempted to minimize this problem, by first recreating the charts in a digital format, so that future revisions can be made easily and rapidly.  Secondly, we will utilize the latest advances in printing technology so we can make revisions as necessary. Finally, the introduction of this companion web site, and the online magazine Monthly Supplements, will provide still another dimension for the book.  Here I can provide at the publishing speed of the web, relevant updates for your new edition.  Literally, I will be able to provide you with new information, even as I prepare the next new edition!  This would be logistically and financially prohibitive to do with updates which had to be printed and mailed to you.

I intend to keep this magazine informal, lean, and trim.  It will usually be just a couple of pages and the tide tables for the month.  Sometimes, it will be something that I consider only a first draft.  I’ll be a little foot loose and fancy free with my grammar and style.  At other times, I will include an item for which I could simply find no room in the book, but here can have as much space as my readers are willing to tolerate.  From time to time, there may be a chart update posted.  Issues of importance to navigation will always be given the top priority.  As always readers are invited to submit findings, such as a new rock, wreck, or sand bar from their own cruising. No longer will other readers have to wait for the next edition to benefit from the experiences of others.  Occasionally, even at the risk of seeming irresponsible, and I deem it potentially beneficial, I may publish unconfirmed reports; if the report describes a potential hazard to navigation.

Readers are also invited to submit their own articles and photographs.  This will be new for us but we welcome the opportunity.  Beyond a venue to provide important and timely updates for the book, here, I’d like to have fun.  Hopefully, readers will choose to share their own fun filled experiences of sailing, diving, and cruising in Abaco.  New recipes are always fair game, as are stories from happy sailors who have just completed their first cruise to Abaco.  Since we have broadened the scope of the book to truly be a guide to Abaco and the Northern Bahamas, contributions regarding Grand Bahama Island, Bimini, The Berry Islands, Nassau, and North Eleuthera are equally welcome. 

Since our new third edition is currently up to date and due on the shelves any time, our featured article for this month will provide owners of our old second edition with some of the important navigational information included in the new edition.  It is not possible in a few brief pages to bring the second edition up to new standards, and I highly recommend that readers purchase the new third edition.  Nevertheless, it should be of considerable use to some, and it showcases our commitment to keep our readers up to date.  This particular feature summarizes the twenty years of change since our second edition was first published and is packed quite densely with information.  It is not intended to be easy reading, but future updates promise to be a lot more fun!  As with boat maintenance, a little done each month as is it necessary, is a lot more fun than trying to catch up on twenty years work at one sitting.