Publisher: Imray Laurie Norie and Wilson Ltd
Publication Date: 5th Ed., 2006
CA Library Reference: 16802
When this pilot was first published in the 1980s it filled the final gap between Robin Brandon's Biscay pilots and the series of pilots by Brandon and others covering the waters extending east from Gibraltar. Until then yachts on passage between the UK and the Med had to rely on the Admiralty Sailing Directions from Northwest Spain down to Gib, an area, at that time, with few ports of refuge, once south of the Spanish rias, and fewer facilities for small craft. It has since become the standard work on the subject and is essential for yachts cruising in this area or, indeed, on passage between the UK and the Med.
This fifth edition is updated to March 2006 and considerably improved, with increased pictorial content, all in colour, and reports on some locations, like Santiago de Compostela, which are not ports but are probably of interest to yachtsmen visiting the area. On a personal note, the comment above should not be taken as implying an unfavourable view of the Admiralty publication. The latter includes reference to a refuge anchorage in strong easterlies for small craft close under the lee of Punta Gracia, West of Tarifa, information for which the reviewer was once extremely grateful on the occasion of an incident involving a jammed halyard whilst beating up towards Tarifa in a rapidly rising levanter. This bolt hole has never been included in the volume under review, and it should be. - BMF