Cruising Guides: Florida, ICW, Bahamas, and Chesapeake Bay for Boaters
Quick Reference Cruising Guides
ICW, Bahamas, Florida Keys, Florida Gulf Coast, and Chesapeake Bay
Find what you need instantly—anchorages, bridge openings, services, and more
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Florida Keys & Okeechobee Waterway
South Florida LoopSaleFlorida Keys & Okeechobee Waterway
South Florida LoopSpiral Bound: $35.92PDF download • No shipping: $20.00BUNDLE: Spiral Bound+PDF: $45.92Sale -
Florida Gulf Coast
Dry Tortugas to Mobile, ALSaleFlorida Gulf Coast
Dry Tortugas to Mobile, ALSpiral Bound: $35.28PDF download • No shipping: $20.00BUNDLE: Spiral Bound+PDF: $45.28Sale -
Chesapeake Bay
Eastern and Western Shores, Norfolk to the C&D CanalSaleChesapeake Bay
Eastern and Western Shores, Norfolk to the C&D CanalSpiral Bound: $39.17PDF download • No shipping: $29.00BUNDLE: Spiral Bound+PDF: $53.67Sale
“What a great way to find what you need with a flip of a page.”
What's Included
UP-TO-DATE
CATEGORIES
ANCHORAGES
FREE DOCKS
BRIDGES
SERVICES
BAHAMAS
NAV ALERTS
HAULOUTS
INLETS
"The right anchorage for a norther? Dog walking? A boatyard that can haul my cat? It's been SO hard to find this info, and you make it easy."
The Practical Details Other Guides Leave Out
The everyday cruising information that’s surprisingly hard to find in most guides.
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Everywhere:
- Anchorages by protection direction
- Dog walking
- Grocery stores
- Propane fills
- Schedules for opening bridges
- Free docks
- Max beam for haulouts
- Marine stores and hardwares
- Storm holes
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Bahamas:
- Customs and immigration
- Trash disposal
- Liquor stores
- Restaurants and bars
- ATMs
- SIM cards
These guides don’t contain charts. They’re designed to quickly answer the question every cruiser asks: “Where can I find…?”
“Great help in scheduling stops and figuring distances. Used the anchorages list and marina list every day of travel north on the ICW.”
Why We Rebuilt the Cruising Guide From Scratch
This idea didn’t come from an office—it came from an end-of-day conversation over painkillers at the Annapolis Boat Show.
Some of us from The Boat Galley team were getting ready to cruise the ICW. We started comparing notes: every night, we were spending hours flipping through guides, apps, and notes just to make lists—fuel stops, groceries, pumpouts, laundry, protected anchorages, and bridge details. Everything had to be cross-checked and rewritten by hand.
Then someone joked, “Whoever leaves first should just send their list to the rest of us.” We all laughed—but then paused. Why wasn’t there a guide already organized by what boaters actually need to find?
So we built one.
We started with those nightly lists. We tracked what we always looked up, what was hard to find, and what caused last-minute stress. Larry Webber compiled the first guide. The rest of us used it, tested it, added our knowledge, and spent months verifying every detail.
The result? Larry’s guide gave us back our evenings. Instead of making lists, we could make plans.
Today, our five-region series covers the entire East Coast and Bahamas—from Mobile, AL, to the northern Chesapeake. Each guide is tabbed by topic (not town), with info sorted by mile-marker inside clear tables. No filler. No guessing. Just what you need, when you need it.
Available in print and PDF. The PDF downloads instantly, for when you’re already underway.
“The info is convenient and well organized. Just what you need to know!”
Where You've Seen Us
Meet The Boat Galley Team
At The Boat Galley, we’re all cruisers. We know the joys—and the challenges—of boat life. The steep learning curve, costly mistakes, and hours spent searching for answers can be overwhelming. We’ve been there. That’s why we’ve created practical tools, trusted resources, and real-world guides to help you skip the frustrations and focus on enjoying your cruising life.
- Founder of The Boat Galley
- 17 years liveaboard cruiser
- US, Mexico, Bahamas, Central America, Virgin Islands, Turkey
- Cruisers University instructor
- Cruising Guide creator
- 6 years living aboard and cruising
- US East Coast from Florida Keys to Maine and Bahamas
- Ex-Air Force; singlehander
- Provisioning guru; podcaster
- On & off living aboard since 1992
- Atlantic crossing; US, Caribbean, and Bahamas
- Years of cruising with kids
- VHF pro and frugal cruiser
- Cruiser and delivery captain
- US East Coast, Bahamas, Haiti, and Caribbean
- Cruisers University instructor
- Creator of Cruising With Your Dog
- 7 years cruising with Honey
- US East Coast and ICW
- Part of the Go Pet Friendly team
- 15+ years writing about dogs
- Graphics designer
- 8 years living aboard
- US East Coast to SE Caribbean
- Design and layout for all printed products
- Social media coordinator
- Pacific Ocean: Seattle, WA to New Zealand, incl. French Polynesia
- Complete newbie to sailing prior to her 11,000 nm voyage
- Boatshow booth "mom"
- Sabbatical and part-year cruiser
- US, Bahamas, Caribbean
- Family cruising New England to southern Caribbean
Curious about our story and what drives us? Learn more about us here.
