What's the best West coast cruising guide?

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dovekie

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What\'s the best West coast cruising guide?

Just got back from a short trip, and we've decided our ancient, much annotated CCC guides need replacing. Any recommendations for cruising guides to the Scottish West coast?
 
Re: What\'s the best West coast cruising guide?

Both the new CCC guides and the Martin Lawrence pilots have much to recommend them - it really depends on which style you prefer. Some people like to carry both.

- Nick
 
Re: What\'s the best West coast cruising guide?

The CCC still the best in my opinion.......I have a 1954 version and a 2003 version, the info contained is all good stuff, funily enough the 1954 version is as good as if not better than the latest editions!!!

Paul.
 
Re: What\'s the best West coast cruising guide?

Mark Fishwick is for me.

Brought up on the coast from living by the Exe and I believe spending most of his life when not sailing elsewhere delivering boats in Cornwall. easy to read and very good picture for pilotage.
IMHO
 
Re: What\'s the best West coast cruising guide?

Thank you all. It sounds lke personal preference is a strong factor as you say. I shall try and browse these three.
 
Re: What\'s the best West coast cruising guide?

Martin Lawrence does his best to put you off - with some of the descriptions he writes. The benefit to CCC ones is that they are regularly updated and just seem to get better.
 
Re: What\'s the best West coast cruising guide?

I tend to agree with Claymore. If you read Martin Lawrence you would probobly stay at home. Maybe the one to push if we want to keep the crowds away.
 
Martin Lawrence (Warning - anecdotal rambling ahead)

I remember a few years ago in a small charter boat abandoning the idea of rounding Ardnamurchan and heading for Arisaig in a rising wind.

I spent an hour reading the (Martin Lawrence) pilot, my heart sinking deeper with each sentence. Stuff about imminent death if you didn't turn right at the third cairn - which might not be there any more - then having to recognise the right white cottage and look out for a bent stick marking the ledge of certain doom.

Then just as we approached the entrance and tension was at its highest I rummaged in the chart table for something and found the supplement - which said the whole entrance channel was now buoyed.

I agree ML is a bit of a doom merchant, but better that way then the other way round. I well remember one particular optimist, the Kilmore Quay harbour master who, when I rang him and said we were about to cross St Patrick's Bridge in 30 knots of wind over tide at low water with 4m in the channel and would it be OK said 'Sure, it'll just be a little bit bumpy'

We surfed through in breaking waves at seven and eight knots (24ft waterline) with less than 1m showing under the keel in the troughs, with a broach certain disaster.

I bet if we had had a ML pilot we would have gone the long way round through the Saltees and stayed a lot calmer.
 
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