North West Wales Pilot Book

[Shakemeister]

Good afternoon.

I understand that the definitive pilot book for NW Wales is 'Cruising Anglesey & Adjoining Waters - Liverpool To Porthmadog' by Ralph Morris.

This is currently in its eighth edition, though there are PDF addendums available for it and it seems a ninth edition is in the pipeline.

Does anyone know when the ninth edition will be available?

Alternatively, are there other pilot books out there vying for the title of definitive guide to NW Wales?

Many thanks.

 

[TSB240]

Good afternoon.

I understand that the definitive pilot book for NW Wales is 'Cruising Anglesey & Adjoining Waters - Liverpool To Porthmadog' by Ralph Morris.

This is currently in its eighth edition, though there are PDF addendums available for it and it seems a ninth edition is in the pipeline.

Does anyone know when the ninth edition will be available?

Alternatively, are there other pilot books out there vying for the title of definitive guide to NW Wales?

Many thanks.

I have not seen anything better......

 

[[3889]]

I have not seen anything better......

+1

 

[Searush]

The key point about it is that it cross references to all the previous pilots like Kemp and Glazebrook. As it happens, I was brought up on Kemp & still like its simplistic approach, but you would be lucky to find a copy today!

 

[savageseadog]

I don't think a pilot is essential. It's pretty obvious where the problems will be, there's charts of the swellies and caernarfon bar on the net. Use the tidal stream atlas on visistmyharbour charts and exercise caution

 

[Searush]

I don't think a pilot is essential. It's pretty obvious where the problems will be, there's charts of the swellies and caernarfon bar on the net. Use the tidal stream atlas on visistmyharbour charts and exercise caution

Caernarfon Harbour Trust has up to date Swellies chart & instructions on its web site plus a chart of the Bar & Conway entrance with buoy positions that can be downloaded. But access into many of the little drying bays and places like Llandywn, Abermenai, Red Wharf, Lynas, etc etc are greatly improved by the info in a pilot. It will also point out the inadvisability of fighting the tides around South Stack, Carmel Head, Puffin Sound etc in a displacement boat.

Would you really enter say the Skerries Lagoon without a decent pilot?

 

[Skylark]

I don't think a pilot is essential. It's pretty obvious where the problems will be, there's charts of the swellies and caernarfon bar on the net. Use the tidal stream atlas on visistmyharbour charts and exercise caution

My copy is falling apart at the seam (bindings) but I wouldn't want to put to sea without it.

 

[TSB240]

I am very proud that my family made a very small (unattributed) contribution to this highly regarded guide. My great uncle who lived at Glyn Garth and my Father put together a visual chart of what the tide is doing every hour and roughly every couple of miles up and down the Strait. I dont think you will find anything like that on any admiralty chart or visit my harbour. Both used the guide to great effect when racing and when boats had no reliable auxiliary power other than a single sweep oar.

 

[GrahamM376]

I don't think a pilot is essential. It's pretty obvious where the problems will be, there's charts of the swellies and caernarfon bar on the net. Use the tidal stream atlas on visistmyharbour charts and exercise caution

Have you extensively sailed the area? It isn't at all obvious where some of the problems around Anglesey lie and it covers the area in far more detail than any modern publication I've read, well worth the money.

 

[savageseadog]

Have you extensively sailed the area? It isn't at all obvious where some of the problems around Anglesey lie and it covers the area in far more detail than any modern publication I've read, well worth the money.

More than most probably. I don't rate the book I'm afraid.

 

[akyaka]

For someone new to Anglesey and as an aide memoir to the experienced it is excellent and full of useful information albeit not the easiest to navigate its pages . It suffers from a few errors which never seem to be corrected eg position of drying rocks off Pilots Cove and becoming increasingly obvious that the author no longer sails the waters, many photos of anchorages from landward rather than seaward for example.

 

[savageseadog]

It suffers from a few errors...................

.

 

[akyaka]

.

It isn't the errors that are the problem, I suspect most pilots suffer from this , but that the obvious ones do not get corrected. As Searush so eloquently explains its greatest attribute is the details of all of the tidal gates and many small coves around Anglesey which the information that you refer to does not have.