A Cruising Guide to the ABC Islands

The Cruising Guide to the ABC Islands (2015) covers cruising Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. The guide reviews approaches to the ABC Islands as well as what the three islands have to offer. Virgintino shows how the ABC Islands are unique and distinct from other parts of the Caribbean. He describes the shopping, beaches, and cultural highlights of the islands. Included in the guide are charts that cover harbors and anchorages. It covers entrance requirements, provisioning stops and other services for cruisers. There are many color photos as well that provide good insight into what the cruiser can expect to see when visiting this extraordinary area.

The 2nd edition has been updated to account for changes in immigration procedures as well as items relevant to the islands themselves.


The ABC Islands are located in the Leeward Antilles which lie west of the Lesser Antilles Chain. The author, Frank Virgintino states, “my hope is that this guide will encourage cruising sailors intent on exploring the Caribbean to include the ABCs and plan time to thoroughly explore them.”


Duncan Gould, in an article he wrote for the April 2014 issue of Cruising World, is quoted as follows:


"Frank Virgintino’s new A Cruising Guide to the ABC Islands will clearly appeal to any yachtsman cruising Aruba, Bonaire or Curaçao because of its detailed charts and pilotage suggestions. He has been to every place he mentions, and this authority, combined with his favorite-uncle voice, is irresistible. The big bonus, though, is that this book would also be a real asset to any land-based visitor, so comprehensive is Virgintino in his touristic and cultural overviews of each island. It’s a great gift for anyone heading this way."

Duncan and Irene Gould completed their circumnavigation, spent a winter in Canada, then moved back to the tropics to rent a vacation apartment in Bonaire.