PXG yachties’

guide Is tops

ruising Papua New Guinea. By lan Lucas. Published by *reement with Universal opyright Co. and distributed v Horwitz Grahame Books ty Ltd, and Gordon & Gotch Vasia) Ltd. 5A17.95. ISBN 0 ?55 0786 I. lan Lucas is a well known ustralian yachtsman who has iblished many books on boat aiding, fitting out and cruis g. His latest work, Cruising ipua New Guinea, is the first mprehensive book devoted to Iping the boating visitor make e most of his or her cruise to pua New Guinea.

Cruising Papua New Guinea ll be sought by everyone ■iting our shores in small

craft, and all who use it will find their voyage a safer and more interesting adventure thanks to Alan Lucas’ lucid style, excel lent sketch maps, and a fasci nating variety of colour and half-tone photographs.

The first part of the book is devoted to general information on the country, topics ranging from the history and politics of PNG to customs and entry formalities, tropical diseases, the fauna of land and water, and the fascination of volcanoes and earthquakes. Each of these sec tions is a gem of conciseness and will be of interest to the land based resident and tourist, as well as the visiting boatman.

The second half of the book describes in detail the anchor-

ages and ports visited by Alan Lucas during several cruises between 1966 and 1980. Those who know. Lucas’s Cruising the Coral Coast will not be disap pointed with the information provided in this book. Each place is described with respect to navigation, anchorages and facilities provided, with some localities earning a brief histori cal paragraph or two. Passages from one anchorage to another are also featured.

Alan Lucas has a special regard for PNG and in his introduction writes: ‘I think it is the most fascinating country in the world today and from the boatman’s point of view, it provides some of the finest anchorages, the greatest fishing, the calmest weather and the best cruising to be found any where. It is, to vastly understate the truth, worth a visit.’

Expensive at K 17.95 in PNG, the 224-page Cruising Papua New Guinea is worth every toea and will be compulsory reading for boating visitors, while pro viding many hours of enjoyable browsing for the armchair

sailor. -

Philip Spradbery

(*Dr Spradbery is a past.

Commodore of the Royal Papua Yacht Club.)

Alegrias, the yacht in which author Alan Lucas cruised Papua New Guinea, at one of the anchorages described by Lucas as ‘beautiful, calm, snug and commonplace’.