Circumnavigating Britain - the best Pilot/Guide Book(s) .. ?

[Watson47]

Circumnavigating Britain - what is the best Pilot/Guide Book, or books .. ?

'Searches' have produced variable results, as criteria appears to differ, but I wondered if anyone can suggest a really good Pilot/Guide book, or books, as distinct from an authors records of their own trip ... ?

 

[Spuddy]

There's one by Roger Oliver which is a compilation of his articles in one of the comics. Good for strategies but the more regional pilots/guides would give more detail for local explorations. It all works out quite pricey for full coverage; I lent a couple to a forumite headed north and never got them back.

 

[catalac08]

The UK & Ireland Circumnavigator's Guide by Sam Steele is well worth a read. Not a pilot or her personal experiences but attempts to compile a wealth of information useful to those contemplating a trip around. Gives feedback on lots of different CN's experiences, interesting debate on clockwise or anti-clockwise route depending when you start and where, recommends suitable places to stop and has a summary of weather patterns around the coast.

All in all a good and interesting book(IMNSHO).

 

[Watson47]

Thank you for your replies - a real help ...

I decided to order both books mentioned, as I will no doubt learn from both - only to discover that both authors are bringing out revised editions ... !

Sam Steeles, 'UK and Ireland Circumnavigator's Guide' appearing the more significant with an additional 64 pages and Roger Oliver's 'Practical Boat Owner's Sailing Around the UK and Ireland' with an extra 16 pages. I am not certain as to the nature of the updates.

To wait, or not to wait ....

I will probably search for some 2nd hand copies of the current editions & hopefully get them at a fairly reasonable cost and perhaps update with the newer editions in 2011, if I feel they may be benefical to my task.

If anyone has any suggestions reagarding really good, local area Pilot Books/Companions, that would aid a circumnavigation of Britain, do please mention them - all contributions welcomed.

Somewhat in return, we have three really good Irish books & I can highly recomend all three; (Some may be already familiar with these publications, but highlighted for those thay may not be)

"South and West Coasts of Ireland Sailing Directions"

"East and North Coasts of Ireland Sailing Directions"

... both published by The Irish Cruising Club

http://www.irishcruisingclub.com/publications-and-updates-to-icc-sailing-directions/index.php

... and the ... "Southern Ireland Cruising Companion"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Southern-Ireland-Cruising-Companion-Nautical/dp/047071381X

 

[SAWDOC]

The UK & Ireland Circumnavigator's Guide by Sam Steele is well worth a read. Not a pilot or her personal experiences but attempts to compile a wealth of information useful to those contemplating a trip around. Gives feedback on lots of different CN's experiences, interesting debate on clockwise or anti-clockwise route depending when you start and where, recommends suitable places to stop and has a summary of weather patterns around the coast.

All in all a good and interesting book(IMNSHO).

Sorry I can't agree.
I though this book was far too skimpy to be of any real value as a cruising guide particularly in relation to areas familiar to me West coast Ireland and Scotland.

 

[Watson47]

My best solution appears to source regional Pilot/Guide books as mentioned by Spuddy and I will be grateful for recomendations for really good books and the approximate areas that they cover. Especially in your own area - what books do you feel really cover your area well .. ?

I have an historic ex RNLI Lifeboat and as plan to visit all the coastal Lifeboat Stations around the UK and especially those that my boat served at - 22 years at St. Davids, 3 years at Dunbar and 2 years at Shoreham. And the most important part of the mission - to locate & evaluate the best coastal Fisn'n'Chips in Britain ...

 

[1ndalo]

I sailed around Britain in 2005 and took a collection of pilots - W Country Cruising Companion, Lundy & Irish Sea (Imray), the 5 Martin Lawrence Scottish pilots (Imray), Forth, Tyne, Dogger & Humber (Imray), & E. Coast Rivers Cruising Companion, Shell Channel Pilot. Plus tidal atlases and a good collection of charts, and a new copy of Reed's Almanac. While the pilots were useful they weren't particularly essential and I could have got by without them. Having said that if you want to explore creeks and inlets, the Cruising Companion books really come into their own.

 

[Spuddy]

Well, the East Coast Pilot is pretty good for that patch. Cunliffe's Channel pilot book is also reliable and thorough enough. The rest I don't know about. In Scotland there are the Clyde Cruising Club Guides and also the Martin Lawrence books covering the same area but I've not used them so wouldn't know which to choose; for Scotland try asking on the Bluemoment forum - a separate operation from this YBW site.

 

[Gwylan]

Just take an up to date Almanac and good charts. We bought a load of Pilots and sold them when we got back for not very much. Oh and they loaded the boat up, but didn't get used that much - certainly not enough to justify the cost.

 

[bluedragon]

I bought both books (Sam Steele and Roger Oliver) a year or so back. Haven't done the trip yet, but Roger Oliver's is a better pilot and navigational guide. I also was bit disappointed by Same Steele's book, but I think it served a different purpose.

 

[ClydeBoy]

We completed the trip a couple of years back and pulled together a site; which was designed to provide practical advice. Details of the Charts and Pilots we used for the entire trip are listed along with some tips on buying cheaply. It's under the Equipment Section of the General Notes. The website was my first go so finding things maybe isn't as easy as I'd hoped! www.sailingroundbritain.co.uk

You can email me through the site if you want any more info. I'd be happy to help.

Here's an extract...
"As with the charts, after checking relative prices these were bought new. Some proved to be more useful than others. The Royal Northumberland Yacht Club's publication covering the Humber to Rattray Head was a firm favourite and The Shell Channel Pilot was the most disappointing primarily because of the scant passage detail. For this passage information Reeds Almanac was the surprising star and was hard to beat.

Pilots taken;

1. The Yachtsman's Pilot; Clyde to Colonsay Imray
2. Clyde Cruising Club Sailing Directions; The Firth of Clyde (incl. IOM)
3. Clyde Cruising Club Sailing Directions; Kintyre to Ardnamurchan
4. The Yachtsman's Pilot; Isle of Mull and Adjacent Coasts Imray
5. The Yachtsman's Pilot; Skye and Northwest Scotland Imray
6. The Yachtsman's Pilot; The Western Isles Imray (not used)
7. The Yachtsman's Pilot; North and East Scotland Imray
8. RNYC Sailing Directions; Humber to Rattray Head
9. Forth, Tyne, Dogger, Humber Imray
10. East Coast Pilot Lowestoft to Ramsgate Imray
11. Tom Cunliffe The Shell Channel Pilot
12. Lundy and the Irish Sea Pilot Imray
13. Irish Cruising Club; East & North Coasts of Ireland (not used)

 

[Watson47]

Thank you to everyone for your contributions - they are greatly appreciated and have contributed clarity to my task .. !

What a record of Clydeboy's trip .. ! - superb website indeed and thank you very much for your offer of help - much appreciated.

 

[Humblebee]

Reed's Almanac

This is the one essential and it will almost serve as pilot for the whole trip. Buying all the pilots you might need will be an expensive option. You might be able to borrow some from forumites, yacht club members etc. Or try ebay!