It is the middle of February. It is not too early to start planning for a season of boating fun in the Northeast. Here is the 2012 edition of the Hudson River Guide. It will probably be the last. Since the Mayan calendar predicts the world will end on December 21, 2012 there will be no need for a 2013 edition. Take that trip now. Remember, there may be no opportunity next year. A cruise on the Hudson River, one of the most beautiful waterways in the USA, is a great summer adventure. The Hudson is an essential component of a Great Loop or Triangle cruise. The river connects directly to the Erie Canal and the Champlain canal. Lock repairs from last season's storms have been completed and both canals will be fully open. If you are a gourmet or a wine aficionado you can walk to some of the finest restaurants and vineyards in the Northeast from a berth in a local Hudson River marina. Full details are given in the Guide. The 2012 edition of the Hudson River Guide reflects some recent changes. There is some new material. I have added a number of new URLs and verified that the older ones still work. URLs often have a way of vanishing without notice. NYS fishing laws have changed. The restaurant and anchorage sections have been updated. The Hudson River Guide is downloadable at no charge from Scribd (http://www.scribd.com/). In addition to the Guide, you will find a portfolio of NYS Hudson River charts, now long out of print, a collection of Hudson River School art, and illustrations of river scenes. The full package of the 2012 Guide, the illustrated 2008 Guide, Hudson River charts, and the collection of Hudson River art makes good reading for those rainy days of spring while you anticipate the joys of a summer cruise. Despite its inconvenience, I urge you to log on to Scribd to get the Guide. I will continue to supply a .PDF version of the Guide to anyone who requests it. The illustrations, however, are too big to send over most e-mail links. HUDSON RIVER GUIDE 2012 http://www.scribd.com/doc/81086151/Hudson-River-Guide-2012 HUDSON RIVER GUIDE COMPLETE (2008 Illustrated Guide, good but not quite current.) http://www.scribd.com/doc/18683012/Hudson-River-Guide-,Complete HUDSON RIVER CHARTS (NYS published enlarged portions of NOAA charts from a while back. Buoy numbers have changed but the coastline is the same.) http://www.scribd.com/doc/18651678/Hudson-River-Charts HUDSON RIVER ART (a collection of Hudson River School paintings.) http://www.scribd.com/doc/18645609/Hudson-River-School-Art OTHER RELATED MATERIAL http://www.scribd.com/search?cat=google_ajax&q=Lawrence+Zeitlin Larry Z