The Gold Standard for Bahamas Cruising
THE VOYAGE OF EXPLORER CHARTS CELEBRATING 30 YEARS!
Many people ask Monty and Sara Lewis how they began the process that evolved into the Explorer Chartbooks. Monty puts it very simply: “I found the best routes and the best way in to our favorite places and shared them.”
2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the publication of the Explorer Chartbook series of navigational charts and cruising guide information for the Bahamas.
Back in 1991 in their cruising “retirement,” Monty and Sara soon wanted to go to more remote places where there were no detailed charts with soundings, routes, anchorage, and shoreside facilities. They were pleasantly forced to sit down with more salty-seasoned cruising friends and local fishermen who were willing to give some guidance where there were no magenta lines. Before GPS, their first tools were a depth sounder, a compass, and a Radio Direction Finder. They even still had a sextant and Loran on the boat! Weather reports were from Charlie’s Locker in Florida and ZNS in Nassau. Radar and SSB were soon added to the tools, and the charts evolved from tissue paper tracings to topographical map templates to the drawing board to digital versions--the continuum of their cartography. Land facilities where they cruised became the Need-to-Know Info. In their 30th year of publication, the Explorer Chartbooks follow the breadcrumbs from Columbus to today’s amazing technology and open a beautiful world of crystal waters and swaying palms to the delight of many cruisers.
The new editions of Explorer Chartbooks--Near Bahamas, Exumas, and Far Bahamas--will be available September 15, 2025. As always, the Gold Standard for all of the Bahamas, you can expect updated hydrographic and geographic data, plus the latest in facilities and services for the islands you love to visit.
​The Explorer Team consistently provides the best navigational charts and cruising guide information with more research, more data, and more accuracy
than any other source for cruising in the Bahamas.
To provide for your navigational needs, Explorer Chartbooks include:
Chart features
ACCURACY
Precise navigational charts
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SCALE
Small-scale overview and planning, medium-scale, large-scale; from 1:1750,000 to 1:10,000
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ACU-GRID™
One-minute grid on small-scale and 1/10-minute on large-scale charts for fast position finding
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METRICS
All soundings in meters; conversion scales throughout the book
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TRUE COURSES
All courses in TRUE, not magnetic for greater accuracy in calculating
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COMPASS ROSE
Magnetic variation updated with each edition
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TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES
Land elevations, facilities, etc., on the charts; actual "road map" of most settlements
cruising
guide
ARTICLES
Essential information for boaters:
-- Crossing the Gulf Stream
-- Customs and Immigration
-- History of the Bahamas
-- Weather
-- Anchoring
-- Use of GPS
-- Communications
-- Piloting and Navigating
-- Reading the Water
-- Snorkeling and Dinghy Safety
-- General Help
And more!
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NEED-TO-KNOW INFO
Alphabetized categories of shoreside facilities and services for each settlement; Near Bahamas chartbook features a detailed
Help Menu
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TIDE TABLES
Harmonic station for Nassau Harbour with offsets for other areas, sidebars on Tides & Currents, Tide Differences from Nassau, Effect of Moon, Rule of 12ths
TABLE OF MARINAS
Detailed information on participating marinas
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additional features
FORMAT
Easy-to-use cross references and notations on charts
SIZE
Cruiser-friendly 12" x 18" dimensions for use at a small navigation station, in the cockpit, or on the bridge
JOINS CHART
Notations flowing from chart to chart
WATER-RESISTANT PAGES
Not 100% waterproof;
Pages must be dried immediately if wet and stored in a cool, shady place; avoid heat and direct sunlight
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SPIRAL BINDING
Easy to use while underway
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INTUITIVE COLORS
Chart color scheme:
Darker shade = Deeper water
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“I found the best routes and the best way in to our favorite places and shared them.”
--Monty Lewis, cartographer