We have used these tide and current guides in the past and especially with a 5 knot sailboat where planning around the currents can make travel so much faster and easier. Planning around currents helps you go with nature rather than fighting it. Though I am a proponent of having all the information that you can get and certainly a book on currents is useful information, we do not go out of our way to get this guide now with the Ranger 25 because she has the power to get through currents if needed. However, if you are planning to go further north, the currents are more powerful because the tidal swings are longer. In that case, you definitely need a book on currents.
Tidal data is another matter and is necessary for planning on anchoring. There are several resources, a low cost ($2) tidal book at marine and fishing stores and your chartplotter likely has that data built into it, our Raymarine C-80 does.
