Which guides/books for South coast sailing?

[chockswahay]

We are hoping to return to sailing after a 10 year break and have an offer in on a vessel right now. Can anyone recommend which particular books and guides would be worth having on board please?

I'm thinking Reeds Small Craft Almanac would be a start. We would like to sail along the South Coast West of I.O.W, Brittany, Isles of Sciliy, and Sourthen Ireland. We prefer small harbours and anchorages whenever possible.

Any advice would be much appreciated, thank you.

 

[xeitosaphil]

We are hoping to return to sailing after a 10 year break and have an offer in on a vessel right now. Can anyone recommend which particular books and guides would be worth having on board please?

I'm thinking Reeds Small Craft Almanac would be a start. We would like to sail along the South Coast West of I.O.W, Brittany, Isles of Sciliy, and Sourthen Ireland. We prefer small harbours and anchorages whenever possible.

Any advice would be much appreciated, thank you.

Hi I personally prefer the spiral bound Reeds Channel Almanac as the pages lay flat when open. Nothing worse than finding the page you want then the book closed and you have to start again.
Also West Country Cruising by Mark Fishwick. Good start.
Fishwick is probably a bit dated now but still got a lot of useful info I think.

 

[johnalison]

I think that Reeds in one form or another is all that you need (or possibly the CA almanac for members, which I am not). I am against the idea that you must buy expensive pilot books full of coloured photos which do no more than show you want you are going to see anyway. A few charts are handy, but the tides are not unduly complicated and adequately covered in Reeds for anyone not doing Solent racing. Just charge along and try to keep England in your right.

 

[[70521]]

I've had the Shell Channel Guide on board for a few years but a crew member brought the Imray Guide to the West Country and I though it much, much better. I want decent information rather than old boys wittering on about the price of ice creams in 1955.

I buy Reeds every seven years, if they had a decent ring binder I'd go for that more often but they don't last any time.

 

[Gelfie]

Reeds/PBO Almanac for up to date info. Cruising Association Hanbook for useful info and Bloc for French coast. You don't need to be a member of CA to buy a handbook.

 

[Poignard]

I think that Reeds in one form or another is all that you need (or possibly the CA almanac for members, which I am not). I am against the idea that you must buy expensive pilot books full of coloured photos which do no more than show you want you are going to see anyway. A few charts are handy, but the tides are not unduly complicated and adequately covered in Reeds for anyone not doing Solent racing. Just charge along and try to keep England in your right.

I agree. I have been carting a load of old pilot books around for years and it dawned on me recently that I hardly ever look at them. The French Bloc Marine plus appropriate charts is all I need.

 

[Rocksteadee]

I often find that when you get into a harbour there is a local booklet telling you all the information you needed to get to where you are.

That and Reeds

 

[ashtead]

You might find a book of waypoints useful plus loose leaf reeds and some articles from yachting mags articles on places you might visit and some info collected in advance on bike hire car hire buses etc if you plan to tour around destination. When's I first started cross channel I copied and laminated a few key pages for leaving in cockpit on particular. Ports

 

[mattonthesea]

Books? Don't you know things have moved on a bit old chap

Loads available online or to print off from the web - both from Marinas and crowd-sourced info:

Visit My Harbour: http://www.visitmyharbour.com/harbours/channel-west/ with harbours, tide links and photos - even more for a one-off membership fee

eOceanic: https://eoceanic.com/sailing/routes...ew_for_the_needles_to_portland_bill?coastal=0 is more based on routes

Books

I would recommend that you try reading a sample of any book first. They tend to be subjective; no one would ever venture out in a yacht if they read Martin Lawrence's Scottish pilots - it's far too dangerous! If you like reading about Oysters then Tom Channel Pilot is for you. If you want to find anchorages and cheap alternatives then find a French pilot; the English seem to be marina-centric. The one* essential though IMHO is the RCC Scilly pilot. I may be biased as it was my first ever trip as skipper but I find the approx 57 transit lines very useful when cruising there.

*along with an Almanac

 

[johnalison]

I would make one exception in my strictures against pilots; Malcolm Robson's Channel Island pilot is brilliant if you want to stray from the straight and narrow. I believe that it is out of print but old copies can be found and the rocks haven't moved much. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Channel-Islands-Pilot-Malcolm-Robson/dp/0713657715

 

[Cactus Sailing]

The reeds almanac is pretty comprehensive and all you need they serve me well, and as others have mentioned the spiral bound ones are better as you can keep it open on the page.

for pictures of approaches and a little more detail the shell channel pilot is OK, its very dated in its writing (IMO) though and you don't need it, i do own one but it lives at home on the book shelf which is proof to how much i use it as its now offloaded from the boat.

 

[Jonny A]

If you fancy doing some coastal exploring, Inshore Along The Dorset Coast is a superb book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inshore-Along-Dorset-Coast-Bruce/dp/1871680417

 

[Oletimer]

I think that Reeds in one form or another is all that you need (or possibly the CA almanac for members, which I am not). I am against the idea that you must buy expensive pilot books full of coloured photos which do no more than show you want you are going to see anyway. A few charts are handy, but the tides are not unduly complicated and adequately covered in Reeds for anyone not doing Solent racing. Just charge along and try to keep England in your right.

A handy tip after a night to remember

 

[lw395]

If you fancy doing some coastal exploring, Inshore Along The Dorset Coast is a superb book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inshore-Along-Dorset-Coast-Bruce/dp/1871680417

As are Wight Hazards and Solent Hazards.

I quite like Mark Fishwick's West Country Cruising. Not sure if it's been updated?

 

[Lucky Duck]

This year's updates here

https://fernhurstbooks.com/_userfiles/pages/files/additional_rescorces/cruising_companion_updates/west_country_cruising_companion_update_no_5_may_2019.pdf

I guess a new edition is due soon.

For some reason his South Coast Cruising book which covered Weymouth & Portland to Ramsgate never made it to a second edition.

 

[Bobc]

Shell Channel guide and a copy of Reeve Foulkes.

 

[lw395]

This year's updates here

https://fernhurstbooks.com/_userfiles/pages/files/additional_rescorces/cruising_companion_updates/west_country_cruising_companion_update_no_5_may_2019.pdf

I guess a new edition is due soon.

For some reason his South Coast Cruising book which covered Weymouth & Portland to Ramsgate never made it to a second edition.

Probably the mention of Ramsgate is enough to make people cross the Channel?

 

[doug748]

.....

I quite like Mark Fishwick's West Country Cruising. Not sure if it's been updated?

Yes, a very nice readable book which is not just about how to get in and out of places but has a lot of background which is great for planning and daydreaming.
Also in the same mould, for France, is Peter Cumberlidge's - Secret Anchorages of Brittany also in a newish edition, make sure you get that one - 3rd Ed, 2016. Again lots of interesting local stuff for more out of the way places.

Another shout for Reeve-Foukes, lasts forever with a yearly set of Cherbourg tide tables.

 

[JohnGC]

https://rwyc.org/anchorage-guides/

 

[RIBW]

.....We would like to sail along the South Coast West of I.O.W, Brittany, Isles of Sciliy, and Sourthen Ireland. We prefer small harbours and anchorages whenever possible. Any advice would be much appreciated, thank you.

I would separate Pilot books from 'Cruising Companions'. If you know where you want to go then a looseleaf full Reeds decanted into separate 3-ring (i.e. US standard binders - buy online from UK supplier) binders for each area is all you need. But, if you are looking for advice on whether a destination is worth the effort then the Wiley/Ferndale books are your best option for the West Country and Southern Ireland.

Personally, I have always been disappointed by books covering the Channel Islands (except Robson's - you might find a copy in the Bookbarn at Paulton but that would be a long shot!). In the case of the CIs, arrive in St Peter Port and wander along to Boatworks for the 'Bloc Maritime'.

Cheers
Bob
(also Bristol)