books and charts for north puget sound

[magna 6882]

Since we have time to kill before getting our boat were thinking of the items we would want to have onboard. We saw some books at west marine that outlined the ports and harbors. Is there one that you guy might recommend. Also charts. Is there a good vendor for charts.
Anything else we should be looking to add to our like?
Thank

 

[Beaverlake]

The Captains for book recommendations and charts. https://www.captainsnautical.com/ Been around forever.

Cruising bible is Waggoner Guide. https://waggonerguide.com/

 

[tiltrider1]

Start with the Waggoner. It’s like combining the Old Yellow Pages with a Michelin Travel Guide.

After that there are tons of travel guides. Pick which ever fits your style.

 

[Waterford]

The Waggoner website has an excellent collection of books and resources. https://www.waggonerguidebooks.com/waggonerbookstore.html

In addition to the Waggoner Guide, I'd add Ports and Passes to keep track of tides and currents.

If your chart plotter does not have a good chip for Puget Sound, you might consider loading Navionics onto an iPad. Otherwise, there are several good chart books, although reduced detail, they are useful for planning and backup purposes.

 

[firehoser75]

Minimum of 2 books. Waggoner (general info and guidebook) and Ports and Passes (tides and currents for Washington, all of BC).
Depending on where you plan on cruising, and if you want to go to out of the way places to anchor, then the various Douglas (author) cruising guides (organized by area) often give details that Waggoner does not. If you have a computer or tablet on board, don't forget to download the Government documents called "Sailing Directions" in BC (free). If I remember correctly they are called "Coast Pilot" in Washington.
There should be several places to obtain charts in the Seattle area. That should give you a good start on your "guidebook" library.

 

[AlaskaProf]

Website, hell! Go to Captains' Bookstore, 1120 NW Ballard Way. Coolest shop ever. And yes, they will sell you the indispensible Waggoner's.

 

[Nomad Willy]

I’m not a fan of the Wagner guides.
I spend the extra money and get a much better cruise guide.
That is ;
The Don Douglass & Reanne Hemingway series. There’s about five of them starting w the San Juan Islands and Gulf Islands book. The Canadian and SE Alaskan books are even better.
We do keep and carry the Wagoneer. For some local marina and resort information the Wagoneer guides are better.
I also have a book called “Marine Atlas”. It has oversized pages that are charts w information added. There are many aerial photos in the back showing harbors and passes ect. The compass courses are marked off in nautical miles. This is a very handy tool to estimate distances from point to point. Macro navigation I do w the chart plotter but the big picture is well represented in the Marine Atlas. The services notes are now just for entertainment as the book was published in 1959. But the rocks don’t move much.
Also I highly recommend for any even just contemplating going out to the Queen Charlotte Islands/Haida Gwaii get “Boat Camping Haida Gwaii” by Neil Frazer.
It’s a wonderful read and full of great information re the Islands.
Hecate Strait is a mean body of water quite shallow in the NE part. And the safest way there in your own boat is from Larsen Harbour on the north end of Banks Is. Crossing Hecate Strait to either Queen Charolette City or Masset on the south Dixion Entrance coast. Where I once lived.
The book is refered to as “a small vessel guide” but I see it as valuable or better for any size vessel.