Pilot Books - Good, but not that good?

Richard10002

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Having cruised a bit of the med this summer, I have, on more than 1 occasion, been dissappointed at the contents of pilot books in relation to certain places:

just as a couple of examples from the Italian Waters Pilot:

1) Porto Levante, Vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Sicily

The plan shows only a small portion of the bay, (the South), and shows mooring buoys just North of the harbour. He also limits his comments on depths to the fact that they get a bit sporadic near the shore.

The fact is that the mooring buoys are at the West end of the bay, from about 10m and shallower. The bay shelves very steeply from 50m to 5m very quickly. You can anchor anywhere in the bay, but you need to get close to the shore if you want to anchor in 20m or less. many, (local), boats choose to anchor in 30m+. Dinghying ashore is best achieved by crossing the entrance to the harbour, taking care to avoid the many ferries, and landing on the beach between the marina and the ferry jetty.

In respect of this place, the pilot book gave me no idea of what to expect, and I wondered if the auther had actually been anywhere near the place.

2) Taormina Bay to Naxos Marina

In respect of Taormina Bay, little is said other than it can be very busy and you have to take your chances with swimmers, windsurfers, and so on. He also says it is unlit, (which is true in respect of official navigation lights).

The fact is that the whole of this bay, from Capo Taormina to Naxos Marina, is a fabulous anchorage, with mostly a sandy bottom, masses of space under 10m deep and, even at the height of August, loads of space even at its' most crowded. There is a bit of an irritating swell at most times, at its' worse in prolonged S'lys, but no big deal.

At night, the edge of the bay is well lit with shore lights and there would be no problem for a boat unfamiliar with the area to enter the bay and anchor - perhaps midway between naxos and Capo Taormina, and in 10m until daylight. After a long passage, this might be a welcome refuge which seems to be discouraged by the author.

These are only 2 examples of many,

needless to say, despite the Authors foreward, where he suggests that he has spent a year visiting all the ports and anchorages, and updating, (so not starting from scratch), them from his previous volume, I have to wonder how many he has actually visited, and how much time he has spent investigating them.

I agree that it is a big job, and that he welcomes information from boaters, and I also agree that pilot books are a must have, but I also wonder if they are all that they are made out to be by their publishers and authors.

Anybody else feel the same, or disagree vehemently.

Richard
 

Gypsy

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Richard
Since you are already in Malta so early before winter layup you obviously have a lot of time on your hands. Time to send those updates off to the publishers.
I used the Heikell Pilots for Italy, Greece and Turkey over a 5 season cruising period from 2002-6.
I started by thinking they were the bibles then found so much out of date that I began to treat them with disrespect, but in the end, specially after using a couple of other Med pilots from Imray (Adriatic and Tunisia) I retained a high level of respect for the books and Rod Heikell's work.
There are many changes going on in the areas he has covered as boating becomes more popular and they only update every 3-5 yrs so it is almost impossible to keep the entries correct. Forums like this are very good for new/revised info as are cockpit consulting sessions with other cruisers over a few drinks.

In the case of the Aeolies, we went there in 2002, 2004 and 2006. There were major changes in Lipari, Salina and in 2006 smaller changes at Volcano. I know that doesn't address the poor anchoring information relating to Porto Levante which you describe very well where the depths are unlikely to have changed over the years, but it is an example of such pace of change. Greece has changed too but more slowly. I seem to recall the Turkish pilot was more accurate but maybe I had altered my expectations by then.

We too anchored below Taormina and enjoyed it but we had thought we would use one of the bays commented on by Heikell only to find they were cordoned off for swimmers only in 2004. I was going to mention that to you when you were after E.Sicily info but wasn't sure it was permanent then later saw you mention it.

When in the Gulf of Corinth in 2002, after losing my faith in the "Heikell Bibles" a German cruiser showed me 1 of a set of pilots for Greece by a retired sea captain - Captain Elias, I think - which had loads of charts and port sketches with amazing detailed comments from local fishermen and even drawings of different types of cloud formations over nearby mountains to help forecast weather changes. I bought all 4 in the series and they were very informative but one had to read and re-read them in order to filter out the detail, let alone find the mountains in the sketches and read the English text below each Greek entry. But even though they were better in some respects than Heikell, they were not in others and I would not have liked to cruise with them as the only reference so I used both.

Overall I found the pilots to be indispensable because you need to at least know where to start, but as you have found, they cannot be totally relied upon. So join the mobile update family, mark-up/correct the pilot book entries as you go and share with others, particularly those coming from the opposite direction - then if you feel extra generous send the info on to Imray.
Ray
 

philfin

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In a world where we are increasingly spoon fed, wrapped in cotton wool and even subjected to traffic control schemes in super market car parks, it can be a pleasent experience to find things out for ourselves.

On the whole the various pilot books are pretty good and informative. It is unrealistic to expect them to be 100% up to date, 100% of the time. WRT to anchorages, there is quite a degree of subjectivity and personal preference. What might be a bit rolly to some would be untenable to others.

I think that forums like these serve a very useful purpose in passing on personnel experiences like Richard has been thoughtful enough to share. Those of us who are interested can take note of these observations and build them into our passage planning if we are heading that particular way at any time.

One of the most stunning anchorage I have "found" is in Linosa, in an extinct volcanic crater, simply amazing but only under the right weather conditions, there are a couple of dodgy rocks and the holding is awful so best when virtually no wind. Not in the pilot book but passed on to me by a french bloke who had happened upon it and learned the lie of the land from a local.
What little printed information about this place (if you can find any) tells you to give it a miss.

I'm sure there are many such examples of these hidden gems that get passed on by word of mouth and it is probably the best way or esle they could become over run and no longer "hidden"

So of course pilot books are indispensible as are all forms of aids to navigation but they are all just that, aids. Nothing is 100% and personally, I quite like it that way.

Just my opinion

Enjoy Malta and I hope you get sorted out with a berth.
 

orizaba

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we are using the imray/heikell med almanac 2005/6 and on the whole its not too bad the drawings do bear a relation to what you see,the only problem we had was finding the entrance to the marina in hamm amet, the waypoint given in the almanac turned out to be 3.5 miles out, but the sketch is accurate .when we said about it to the marina authorities they said they have been telling imray about this for over 3 years,i can appreciate thre being a time lapse between info being updated and being put in print but as far as i,m aware the latest almanac out still shows the wrong waypoint. out of intrest what does yours say

waypoint given in almanac 36-23-7N 10-36-9 E

actual waypoint,marina entrance 36-22-296 N 10-32-786 E,
 

jimbaerselman

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Richard,

I'll first make a couple of assumptions (1) that you have the most recent copy of the relevant pilot book, and (2) that you have downloaded the most recent corrections from the publisher's website.

Next, I'll ask two questions. (1) Would you travel without a pilot guide - using charts alone? (2) Have you informed the publisher of the errors you've found?

With GPS the importance of lights, beacons, leading marks and other transits have considerably diminished. Pilot books were invaluable in helping interpret these. Nowadays, the value of a pilot book seems to rest more on marina layouts and advice on 'nice places to visit' (or perhaps, places to avoid!).

Personally, I navigate (and pilot) mainly by chart, going where the chart says there's water, then poking around to see if anchoring is possible. This way I've found loads of lovely isolated little anchorages, not listed in pilot books. And for marina layouts, tha best way to check layout is to use Google earth . . . but even that's out of date by anything from a month to two years!

I'm glad pilot books contain errors and omissions. Makes life more exciting.
 

Amari

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I agree with the above sentiments. Heikell often uses the phrase ''reported to be....''. I'm sure this is info sailors have sent in to Imray. Some of my corrections sent to Imray last year appear in latest edition of Turkish pilot, together with personal acknowledgement in preface. Thanks Rod!
Wouldn't sail without them
 

Nico

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[ QUOTE ]


And for marina layouts, tha best way to check layout is to use Google earth . . . but even that's out of date by anything from a month to two years!



[/ QUOTE ]

A month to two years? If I look at my house on Google Earth I can see my car parked on the drive. Ah, I remember that car. Blue it was. I replaced it with a red car which lasted me many years before getting my current (silver) car. So that Google Earth photo must be around 7 to 10 years old.
 

Gypsy

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Jim, most of your post is worthy but suggesting cruisers use Google Earth is a bit far fetched. How many cruisers have internet capability when they are sailing along and looking for an anchorage or port for the night? Yes they might have done a plan the night/morning before they left their last anchorage but surely cruising as you described in your earlier pars is about following the chart and mooching around if something looks nice.
Ray
 

Gypsy

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Richard, if you plan to cruise around Gozo think about anchoring overnight in Dwejra Bay 36deg02.82N 14deg11.45E. The area around there is fantastic including the famous "window" to the sea. I have forgotten what Heikell says about the bay but I have anchored there twice with a line to the wall for a bit of stability (there are a few places where people have left rope loops to tie to). It seems a bit strange surrounded by the steep walls but we found it safe and beautiful. Depending on the season you may be entertained?? by the calls of the baby Corey's Sheerwaters as their parents return with a feed at night.
We loved it.
Ray
 

Richard10002

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Dwerja - sounds good. Heikell - NW winds bit of a surge, uncomfortable rather than dangerous. Strong NW-SW winds, not a place you would want to be.

Thanks for that - If I dont take a look on this trip, we'll definitely go when we get settled.

Richard
 

Richard10002

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[ QUOTE ]
Richard,

I'll first make a couple of assumptions (1) that you have the most recent copy of the relevant pilot book, and (2) that you have downloaded the most recent corrections from the publisher's website.

Next, I'll ask two questions. (1) Would you travel without a pilot guide - using charts alone? (2) Have you informed the publisher of the errors you've found?

With GPS the importance of lights, beacons, leading marks and other transits have considerably diminished. Pilot books were invaluable in helping interpret these. Nowadays, the value of a pilot book seems to rest more on marina layouts and advice on 'nice places to visit' (or perhaps, places to avoid!).

[/ QUOTE ]

Assumptions 1) yes 2 hadnt, but have now, and make no difference.

Questions 1) No - as I said "Good, but not that good"

The almanac provides lights, plans, and passages where appropriate. The pilot book should be something more - not necessarily how nice a place is, but certainly some accurate detail of mooring, berthing or anchoring.

My gripe is that, if Heikell has been to all these places, (anchorages in particular), I would have expected more. If I were writing about Vulcano, I wouldnt be able to leave any of what I have said out, and would probably say more. Ditto Taormina Bay and probably Stromboli, and Amalfi, and Positano ... all the places we've been in Italy I guess - It might be a thicker volume, but i dont believe that would add much to the price.

Perhaps there is a niche for a more detailed pilot book for those that want one.
 

jimbaerselman

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I agree your point about Google Earth not being generally available to a cruising yachtsman.

I use it while ashore to search for marinas/port changes/new quays not documented in the pilot books. Obviously I don't find all such cases, since, as rightly pointed out, some areas (the 'out of focus' ones) can be wildly out of date. It was invaluable in N Spain - I found loads of undocumented new marinas and extensions compared to the RCC pilot books.

It's just another brick in the wall . . .
 

jimbaerselman

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[ QUOTE ]
some accurate detail of mooring, berthing or anchoring.

[/ QUOTE ] While many harbours and anchorages change very little over the years, when change does occur it's very quick, and happens with very little warning.

So, last month's anchorage turns into a mooring field. A dredged concrete quay replaces a rocky jetty within a couple of months. In six months a whole harbour appears. Pontoons replace a mooring field, pontoons are turned to matchwood by a storm (glad I wasn't there!), tailed lines replace own anchor quays.

The pilot book corrections were only the result of last year's inputs, and only a few people write in about errors or send corrections. So, pilot books will not be up to date. All this said with feeling, since I've assisted with, and edited, sections of pilot books.

Your Naxos bay point is a slightly different one - more a question of values; what to emphasise and what to skip lightly over. One could say that the chart says it all in Naxos, so little enlightenment is needed. Further into values, some like history (Heikell does), some like bright lights, some like scenery, others like good food . . . pilot books will never get that style of content right for everyone.

So, your thesis: "Good, but not that good"

Perhaps we can answer that by asking: "Can pilot books get better?"

My opinion is "Yes, but . . .". Two things are needed. (1) Far more feedback of errors and omissions to the publishers (2) Much quicker publication.

I'm working on (2) - an online resource which doesn't use too much bandwidth. How about working on (1)?
 

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Yes, RodH is spot on there. Anything strong in the NW-SW quadrant would make the tight ly enclosed bay quite scary. Another solution to any small swell coming in is to anchor with a stern line to Fungus rock. Anyway, with light weather you will have a very nice, quiet and unique experience in there..

By the way, I am back from SE Asia and have pulled out my remaining "Elias". His full name is Nicholas D Elias and the book is "Greece, Sea Guide" There are 5 volumes.
This is the publishers web site "Eagle Ray Publishing. If/when you get over to Greece have a look in chandlers for them. They are not widely distributed but you should find them. Jim, have you seen them? If so what do you think?
Ray
 

jimbaerselman

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They're excellent, with slightly wider coverage than Rod's. However, update frequency will always be an issue with any pilot book, as noted in my last post. No one person can keep up to date with a cruising area as large as that offered in Greece. I claim to be the definitive source for the SW Peloponese - but then I live there!
 

Richard10002

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Jim,

Had a bit of a think about this:

It's all very well quoting changes and update frequency but, in my 2 examples:

There dont appear to have been any changes at Taormina/Naxos within the past few years - so fabulous, safe, spacious anchorage, with a bit of a swell, now and then. No navigation lights at night, but the Church in Naxos, the buildings on the cliffs of Taormina, and naxos Marina are all fairly outstanding, so not too difficult to identify.

At Vulcano, there is a vague chance that the positions of the mooring buoys have changed, (but I dont think so), everything else has been there for some years. My gripe was that the book merely suggested taking care when approaching the shore as the depths are sporadic. It didnt say that, unless you want to be anchored in 30m-50m, to get your anchor into 10m or less, you need to approach the shore, or the very edge of the mooring buoys, and he makes no mention of the possibility of anchoring to the North of the bay, nor being prepared to move if the wind shifts.

Now I am not a writer of pilot books, but it wouldnt be rocket science for me to believe that my reader would want the above info .. if I had actually experienced Puerto Levante in Vulcano.

I still wonder if the author actually visits all the places he talks about in the book - given his foreward, and the fact that it is a pilot book, and this one is a revision, rather than a first foray, I think I have a right to expect that he has, and if you're going to do a job, do it properly and, if it takes 3 years to cover Italy, rather than 1, so be it.

On your point about it being more fun if the pilot books arent that accurate or comprehensive - that's fine.... but I dont buy the pilot book for the challenge of finding what's not accurate - I can get that by nosying into places not covered by the book - I buy it on the basis that what it says is reasonably accurate, (given the potential for changes), and comprehensive.

I havent written to the publishers - there are lots of things that are on my to do list, that I probably wont get around to doing, before I email the publishers.

Dont meant to be obtuse, just some further thoughts.

Cheers

Richard
 

jimbaerselman

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We'll differ in our opinions on those two anchorages. I find the conditions in both are easily predictable from the chart. You've probably seen my website comments on the Aeolian.

So, you now treat pilot books with a certain cynicism: they supplied a little less information than you hoped. That's the right approach. Same with charts, though they are usually pretty good about bottoms. On balance though, essential to carry both aboard unless you're really adventurous. Think of those 15/16 century sailors . . .

Thinking a long way back - 'twas always thus. My first forays abroad, bible in hand, would leave me fuming as I searched for 'The Prominent Hotel' among twelve other indistiguishable buildings. And that was pre GPS - when it mattered.

Vulcano? I must admit I didn't bother with looking at the pilot book there either. Just studied the chart and looked for a spot to hang a weight on (rather than anchor!) and kept an eye on the wind while ashore ready to rush back. Volcanos all tend to drop steeply into the sea - sloping on down at the same angle - with nasty lumps en route to snag the anchor.

To my knowledge, Heikell has visited most of the places he describes, although necessarily not every time he does a circuit!

Welcome to the club of explorers!
 
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