This Months Books

Afoot & Afloat: North Puget Sound & the Strait of Juan de Fuca (Third Edition)

by Marge & Ted Mueller

The Mountaineers Books, 2006

ISBN 0-89886-951-X

$16.94, 300 pp, b/w maps & photos, index

www. mountaineersbooks.org

Marge and Ted Mueller have lived in and explored the Puget Sound area for more than forty years, and have used information gathered in their personal explorations to write a series of Afoot & Afloat guide books. This latest version of their guide to North Puget Sound and another new edition covering South Puget Sound replace three previous guides to this region. Each volume details all manner of enjoyable exploration, including hiking, biking, beachcombing, paddling and boating. No matter what your focus or method of arriving in Puget Sound, your visit will be enriched by knowing about all the possibilities available for outdoor adventures. The guide includes the standard access and facilities information, detailed descriptions, and maps to put it all in perspective. Also included are historical and natural history notes. Really, everything you need to know to explore and enjoy North Puget Sound any time of the year is here in a compact, well organized format.

Gulf Islands Cruising Guide

by Peter Vassilopoulos

Pacific Marine Publishing, 2006

ISBN 0-919317-38-3

$46.95 Cdn, $41.95 US

248 pp, color photos & illustrations, index

www.marineguides.com

Primarily written for boaters, this book is a valuable tool for mothership kayakers who use their big boats to get to paddling destinations, and also for other paddlers who will find the aerial photos and info on marine facilities useful. The guide covers the southern and northern Gulf Islands and the adjacent coast of Vancouver Island, providing lots of up-to-date information about marinas, parks, anchorages and the waters between. Hundreds of color photos illustrate the many paddling opportunities in the Gulf Islands. Detailed instructions for approaching harbors are helpful for anyone inexperienced in these waters. Abundant photos and diagrams of the islands and their anchorages make this guide a great armchair read for planning your next excursion or reminiscing about past experiences. This is a must-have addition to your library if you love the Gulf Islands or want to become better acquainted with their charms.

The Willits Brothers and Their Canoes

by Patrick F. Chapman

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2006

ISBN 0-7864-2573-3

$45, 272 pp, b/w photos, bibliography, index

www.mcfarlandpub.com 800-253-2187

Here’s some great summer reading for history or canoe aficionados. Earl and Floyd Willits built canoes in Washington state during the first half of the 20th century. Meticulous craftsmen, they focussed on quality rather than quantity, creating about twenty canoes a year. Each boat was logged and numbered, and so beautifully built that the Willits gained a reputation for building some of the finest canoes in the world. This well researched book chronicles the brothers’ personal and business history, with family photographs, old catalogs, plans for individual canoes and information gathered from interviews with friends and relatives. Now collectors’ items, Willits canoes are no longer built so existing boats are treasured by people who value their link to the past and the fine workmanship they represent.

The Wild Side Guide to Vancouver Island’s Pacific Rim

by Jacqueline Windh

Harbour Publishing, 2006

ISBN 1-55017-398-7

$24.95, 192 pp, b/w & color photos, maps, index

www.harbourpublishing.com

Jacqueline Windh, a long-time Tofino resident, brings insider information to this guide to the Pacific Rim area of Vancouver Island’s west coast (Long Beach, Tofino, Ucluelet, Port Alberni, Nitinat and Bamfield). Details about accommodation, dining and recreational possibilities ensure that you won’t miss out on any of your favorite things to do through lack of knowledge.

The author is also a paddler, photographer and geologist, and uses her skills in these disciplines to add interest to the guide through comments about local human and natural history. Whether you are a first time visitor or a west coast addict, this guide will add to your enjoyment of your time spent on the wild side.

We recommend you look at the articles Jackie has written for WaveLength in the past. Just use the Search window on our site (www.WaveLengthMagazine.com) and type in her name. Her first book, The Wild Edge, is magnificent and we highly recommend it. Check out her website: www.windhphotos.com.