Cruising Books for the Great Lakes

In addition to Bill's recommendation for Bonnie Dahl's "The Superior Way", may I recommend PORTS cruising guides.  They have good photography and are worthwhile companions to the GLCC's far more detailed and accurate Harbour Reports.  PORTS cruising guidebooks are available for Lake Huron (Including Georgian Bay and The North Channel), Lake Ontario (including the Thousand Islands), The Trent Severn Waterway and The Rideau Canal.  The PORTS booth is directly across the hall from the GLCC booth at the Toronto International Boat Show and based on my discussions with them at the 2026 show, it sounds like they are working on a version for Lake Erie.  These guidebooks are widely available in Canada with a limited number of American retailers listed on their website.  https://www.portsbooks.com

Dave Spencer

s/v Good Idea

It doesn't sound like you've as yet spent much time exploring the GLCC's harbor reports. Those reports constitute the best cruising guide available for our Great Lakes cruising areas ... by far!  Plus they're crowd sourced with the GLCC's cadres of active cruising members providing updates in real time, and with a paid harbor report committee and others engaged in constantly validating and updating those reports. If they're printed like they used to be, they would totally fill 3 or 4 three to four-inch 8 1/2 X11" binders double sided including hundreds of photographs and illustrations.  No other cruising guides come close. And for those who prefer paper to on- line access, one can print the areas of interest either yourself or pay to have the club print those reports for you.  One can also download sections of harbor reports and access them via your laptop when "off the grid".  I wouldn't want to cruise the Great Lakes without the GLCC harbor reports.

Beyond the GLCC harbor reports, I might add that if you're cruising Lake Superior. I would highly recommend also purchasing a copy of Bonnie Dahl's "Superior Way".  Bonnie is a GLCC member herself who was responsible for much of the basic Lake Superior information in the GLCC Harbor Reports. She initially wrote her book years ago in collaboration with her husband Ron.  As of about a year ago it's now in it's 5th edition. Beware - people are listing copies of the 4th edition for enormous prices ... buy Bonnie's 5th edition new for much less.  Of course with her book you won't get the real time updates available to GLCC Harbor Report users.

Have fun on your loop!  Remember that as a GLCC member while in the Great Lakes you also have the ability to contact the myriad of  GLCC Port captains around the lakes for first-hand cruising advice or even help if need be. Enjoy your loop!