Roving Commissions 43: The Royal Cruising Club Journal 2002

Publisher: RCC, 2003 .

For readers not familiar with this series, these are the annual reports of cruises written by the members of the Royal Cruising Club each year, in this case 2002. It is a (surprisingly) entertaining and eclectic mix of reports, rarely more than ten pages long, each is supported by photographs and clear charts. There is also a generous number of spectacular colour plates which add substantially to the quality of the book.

The range of the reports is extensive, from gunk-holing in Brittany to exploring the coast of Labrador; a turn of a page can take you from the menace of ice off Greenland to the tree-lined calm of the Canal du Midi, or a humorous discourse on the indispensability of refrigeration can precede an atmospheric account of a cruise in a vintage boat from Crinan to Baltimore.

There are famous names too, Peter Snow, Annie Hill, and Bob Shepton. The characteristically warm account by Bill and Laurel Cooper of their Golden Wedding Anniversary cruise will feel like a reunion with old friends for anyone who has read their books.

Overall, this is a book to dip into and there will always something there of interest. There is really only one word of caution; this book is very bad for itchy feet. - JP

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