Best guide to Crofu and the northern Ionian

[tudorsailor]

So planning to sail Corfu and the northern Ionian in September. Is the Rod Heikel guide the best guide or is there an alternative?

Thanks

TudorSailor

 

[Tranona]

Yes perfectly adequate. The smaller Ionian guide has more background material than the main Greek Waters pilot. Things will have calmed down by September and you will be spoilt for choice. Good idea to find out the flotilla routes and try and avoid the popular ports when they are in.

 

[nickf]

An alternative is The Ionian Sailing Pilot by Nairn http://ioniansailingpilot.com/the-bookshelf/ionian-sailing-pilot/
Not as professionally produced as Heikell and a poor binding but a good additional companion in my view.
If you really want to splash out try http://eagleray.gr/store/index.php/...ionian-sea-peloponnisos-except-e-coast-detail - the advantage of this is that whilst it is expensive you will not need to purchase any charts as they are included.

 

[Mad Pad]

Eagleray +1.Well worth the cost

 

[tudorsailor]

Could you expand to explain how the Eagle Ray is worth the cost?

FWIW I did find that the Ionian Pilot can be bought as a Kindle book

Thanks

TS

 

[nickf]

It covers a large area with detailed charts as well as good harbour/locality information.
If you are planning on buying paper charts don't - buy egaletray instead. If not and you ate not expecting to be be in the ionian for a couple of years probably not worth the expence . Go for Heikells Ionian guide instead.

 

[tudorsailor]

We are only going to be in the Ionian for 3 weeks before heading back to Dubrovnik

So we would need 2 charts @ £16 each and Heikell's Ionian Guide @£18. £40 Total vs €90 for the EagleRay.

TudorSailor

 

[nimbusgb]

The Elias guide ( eagleray ) has all the charts you need, local information, currents, weather and little hints and tips all through it.

Heikel is ok but Elias is the dogs *******s.

I'll bet you could get €70 back on ebay anyway after your couple of weeks.

Hell I'd offer you €50 as mine is now so dog eared after 8 years .........

 

[Mad Pad]

Ohh,ahh,yawn,Nimbusgb they won't listen.80 euros ,get a life.Elias guide has mega times more the info of Heinkell..and cost less than a bottle of good champagne(Crystal) or a dinner at a taverna for 6 people...Tudor Sailor what sort of yacht do you have that makes you so sensitive to buying an 80 euro pilot?(in the UK THAT WOULD GET YOU 4 CHARTS only).Enjoy the Ionian in any event,but don't bump into anything solid..you could just use a road map!

 

[Donheist]

I have all of these and would recommend elias. Heikell's good, and thorough in terms of pilot notes and info for navigators although he does seem to be a bit sniffy about places that i have found charming. trouble is, if everywhere is described as overdeveloped there's no way of figuring out where's best to go. Elias gives a really visual overview of options for tenable anchorages and ports for different wind directions and some excellent local knowledge on e.g. What the cloud above pantokrator means for weather to come. I find the descriptions give a bit more of an opinion/inspiration for visiting. E.g. Ammoudia on mainland. Heikell: there's a river. You can go up it a bit if you have a shallow draft. Elias: ammoudia is at the mouth of the river acheron, the famed river styx from the odyssey which can be explored in the dinghy where guides can take you to the oracle...not quotes cos the books are in corfu so i am paraphrasing from memory

50 quid difference is the cost of one meal out. Knowing where to spend the evening to eat the meal is worth it imho

Hope this helps

 

[Tranona]

Think you are being a bit harsh on Heikell as pp 91-2 of Ionian have far more than you have quoted there (including a quotation from Homer). The brief description you have used comes out of the main Greek Waters pilot, not the more focused Ionian publication.

 

[Donheist]

That's fair comment. I wouldn't be without heikell. It was just refreshing to find elias in amongst the charts that came with the boat and find a bit more opinion on places to go.