Secret Anchorages of Brittany, Peter Cumberlidge
This book is the one that turned me onto the possiblities of Brittany some six or seven years ago. The author sadly died a few years ago and this edition was a work in progress completed by his wife after his death. It isn’t simply a pilot book (and one that pretty much ignores marinas at that) but also a collection of essays about a place, and people, that he clearly loves.
Atlantic France, Nick Chervasse (RCCPF)
The Royal Cruising Club’s Pilotage Foundation has a close connection to Trouper. Nick, the previous owner was not only a member of the RCC (it’s an exclusive organisation, with a fixed maximum membership, and membership by invitation only) but also involved in the management of their Pilotage Foundation, the RCCPF. Whilst such an intentionally exclusive club might seem a little of an an anachronism in today’s inclusive world, I have to say the the RCCPF has done wonders for the whole sailing community, globally. Their pilot books catalogue and describe in fantastic detail most of the world, and certainly most of the places you’d want to take a sailing boat and frankly quite a few I’d think twice about. The coverage map at Publications Coverage Map is impressive.
Nick Chervasse’s book is built on the legacy of many previous volumes covering the the area from L’Aber Wrac’h to the Spanish Border. It’s a phenominaly dense source for all the factual information you need to make a choice about which port or anchorage to use when. It has broader descriptions at the start of each section and advice on passage making through the area. All the thing’s you’d need. A bedside read it isn’t, really. Our copy was signed by the author at the Cruising Association talk on exploring Biscay last autumn, where he was one of the speakers. It’s been our primary reference for every harbour and passage plan. `
Cruising West France, Peter Cumberlidge
Another Cumberlidge. Another lovely set of essays. This one does include all the marinas too, but not in an almanac style of facts and figures. The cover describes it as a ‘Yachting ‘Companion’, which is apt. It will give you the basics of how to get into a harbour, but it is so much better at why you might want to go there in the first place. It’s a great read for winter nights planning out your next summer, and the one after.
Cherbourg Peninsular, Channel Islands and North Brittany, Peter Carnegie revised by Annabel Feilding (RCCPF)
Another RCCPF volume and also essential reading, with seemingly every harbour and anchorage catalogued. Last summer it was our bible (alongside Cunliffe) for our cruise of the Baie de Seine. This time it got us from Cherbourg to L’Aber Wrac’h.
Cruising Association Almanac, 2025
For the baldest of facts and tidal data its just what you need. I used to use Reed’s Almanac but the reduced size (and to members cost) of the CA’s competitor caused me to try it, and to be honest it’s just as good, if not better, with monthly corrections and updates by email.
Channel Pilot, Tom Cunnliffe
The definitive pilot for the English Channel. Like a few here has roots in a pilot written by Aldard Coles. Cunliffe has recently passed the reigns on to a new compiler, and a woman to boot: Rachael Sprot, but a new edition has not yet been produced. The book is well written and full of entertaining asides, anecdote and observation. Whislt on the couple of occasions I’ve met him I’ve found the man to be rather opinionated and pompous, this is all left behind in his writing. Referred to on board as ‘Old Grumpy’, as in ‘what has Old Grumpy got to say about it?’….
Oyster River, George Millar
Sadly out of print. The lovely account of an extraordinary couple’s summer exploring the Morbihan on their 50′ wooden yawl (built by Moody’s in Hamble where Ingotism, an X-412 I used to be responsible for was kept). George was a journalist and farmer who had led an ‘interesting’ war. He’d been captured in North Africa, and after several escape attempts was imprisoned in the Italian equivalent of Colditz, together with, amongst many others, David Stirling, the founder of the SAS. He took the opportunity during the fall of Italy to escape and made it across France and Spain to Portugal and a boat back to the UK, where he promptly asked to join the SOE. Ultimately he ended up parachuted back into France, behind German lines training and supporting the resistance. He ended up with a Legion d’Honneur, as well a a DSO and Military Cross. Everything the book tells you about Isabel, his wife, makes you think she was every bit as extraordinary. There are two further books of his I mean to read: Maquis, that describes his time with the resistance, which he was apparently complimented on by De Gaulle; and Isabel and the Sea an account of sailing a Looe Lugger to Greece as an extended honeymoon with Isabel in 1947.
Nights out at Home, Jay Rayner
Aside from my sense of loss that Jay has moved his column to the FT from the Observer, I think I can fairly be described as a uncritical fan. Before we came away we heard his Sextet play really rather good jazz in Soho, and kitchen cabinet is always real pleasure too – often listened to driving to the boatyard. This book is born out of his attempts, during lockdown, to recreate some of his favourite restaurant dishes. Not only is it a catalogue of lovely food, but each recipe is accompanied by a lovely back story or digression. I’m left with the desire to equip a future, more spacious domestic kitchen, with a deep fat frier and rice cooker.
Wotan’s Cruises 2008-2015, Anthony Fawcet
A lovely account of Ant’s exploration of much of Northern Europe’s waters with Wotan, an S&S Swan 411 that he reluctantly sold in 2016. As the book has no ISBN I suspect it is not commercially available, I was gifted a copy by the author, who is a fellow member of Itchenor Sailing Club. He’s a lovely man, who has undertaken some impressive sailing exploits, and whom I hope to get to know better.