Best pilot/guide for belgium and N France coasts?

[DoubleEnder]

I'm not sure what is available, but would be grateful for suggestions. I have good books for the English side, but what would you recommend for the 'other' side?
Thank you

 

[johnalison]

You can get by perfectly well with Reed's. I don't like modern pilots with glossy coloured photos, so that you hardly need to go there to find out what it looks like.

 

[sailorman]

North Sea passages- Brian Navin
Classic passages - Yachting Monthly & RCC Pilotage Foundation
The Shell Channel Pilot- Cunliffe
North France & Belgium cruising companion - Neville Featherstone

 

[sailorman]

You can get by perfectly well with Reed's. I don't like modern pilots with glossy coloured photos, so that you hardly need to go there to find out what it looks like.

Ever since i was given Calais to Den Helder in 1978 i get a real thrill to actually see the real thing having only ever drooled over the photos previously. The people who gave me that book changed my life. ( and cost me 10s of thousands of £s, over the years since i met them in about 1970, i say thank you to them)

 

[Lucky Duck]

North France & Belgium cruising companion - Neville Featherstone

I'd be wary of relying on that publication, it is well overdue a second edition and felt rather out of date 10 years ago.

 

[Otter]

Cunliffe's Channel pilot is excellent. Nice balance between pilotage and his personal opinion on the best fish and chips; or moule et frites depending on the country.

 

[Gwylan]

I'm not sure what is available, but would be grateful for suggestions. I have good books for the English side, but what would you recommend for the 'other' side?
Thank you

Bloc marine, the best way to get the necessary. Also makes a change from some other publications and authors.

 

[sailorman]

I'd be wary of relying on that publication, it is well overdue a second edition and felt rather out of date 10 years ago.

My copy is 2001, just use it in conjunction with up to date charts

 

[Lucky Duck]

Thats the one, I retired my copy to the section of the bookcase at home which has last year's alamanc and previous editions of pilot books.

 

[johnalison]

Ever since i was given Calais to Den Helder in 1978 i get a real thrill to actually see the real thing having only ever drooled over the photos previously. The people who gave me that book changed my life. ( and cost me 10s of thousands of £s, over the years since i met them in about 1970, i say thank you to them)

I first went abroad with Delmar Morgan, down the Normandy Coast. There were photos, but if I remember, they were so dull and murky that they didn't help much. I still don't see the point of photos in a pilot, except to sell the book at an inflated price. I have oldish German pilot books for the Baltic which are superb, with harbour chartlets and a scattering of approach drawings and some delightful artwork. My German is flaky, but I can understand "idyllische" or "industriehaven". I also remember my first visit to Istanbul with only a Blue Guide and no photos, and the delight I took in seeing sights that I could never have imagined.

 

[DoubleEnder]

I too prefer drawings to photos.... I will check out the Bloc

Thank you

Graham

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Thats the one, I retired my copy to the section of the bookcase at home which has last year's alamanc and previous editions of pilot books.

Hang on to them.... i've got quite a few old pilots, that my father bequeathed to me.... its great fun reading a pilot book (or to be precise, loose leaf folder) for Northern Spain, dated 1962!

 

[sailorman]

I have some Dutch inland pilots ( cant remember the dates) but possibly late 60s early 70s all black n white plates

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

I have some Dutch inland pilots ( cant remember the dates) but possibly late 60s early 70s all black n white plates

They're great to read aren't they... my oldest one has fold out admiralty style chartlets... i've just got it out for a read, and some of the pictures are fascinating... not a marina in sight, so few buoys compared to nowadays, lots of transits and leading marks, and clearance bearings all over the place!

 

[Concerto]

Hang on to them.... i've got quite a few old pilots, that my father bequeathed to me.... its great fun reading a pilot book (or to be precise, loose leaf folder) for Northern Spain, dated 1962!

Thats nothing. I have been collecting old pilot books and have plenty from the 1950's, but my favourite is a loose leaf military book of ports on both sides of the Channel dated 1943 with small colour charlets. Reading the descriptions and seeing the charlets is very interesting. The entries for Stangate Creek shows it as being a military zone still in the 50's.

I also have a 1st edition of the 1893 Sailing Tours part covering The Nore to the Scilly Isles. Alas this does not have harbour plans, just small general charts (octavo in size!) and sailing instructions. Buoys seemed to be very sparse compared to today.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Thats nothing. I have been collecting old pilot books and have plenty from the 1950's, but my favourite is a loose leaf military book of ports on both sides of the Channel dated 1943 with small colour charlets. Reading the descriptions and seeing the charlets is very interesting. The entries for Stangate Creek shows it as being a military zone still in the 50's.

I also have a 1st edition of the 1893 Sailing Tours part covering The Nore to the Scilly Isles. Alas this does not have harbour plans, just small general charts (octavo in size!) and sailing instructions. Buoys seemed to be very sparse compared to today.

They sound fascinating!

 

[Concerto]

They are not difficult to find as there few collectors of them who visit antiquarian bookshops. Most came from Baggins in Rochester, but the military one came from a conversation in a chanderlry in St Peter Port. It is worth checking AbeBooks if you want to find more, but my bookshelves are overflowing.