The Yachtsman's Pilot: The Isle of Mull and adjacent coasts

Publisher: ; Imray Laurie Norie Wilson; 3rd ed.; £27.50
Publication Date: 2008

Martin Lawrence will be known to many northern sailors, not only for his series of pilots to the west coast of Scotland, but also for his monthly column "Anchorages from the Air", in Yachting Life ("Britain's biggest sailing magazine north of the south"). A predecessor of this particular volume was Crinan to Canna, published in 1997.

I would recommend reading the Preface: I was particularly taken with the fact that Frank Cowper sued C C Lynam for libel, and was awarded a farthing damages. The Introduction contains much general advice about sailing these waters, and will be of particular help for CA members new to the area. To nitpick - the advice on ticks could be more specific, as the likelihood of picking up a tick on a walk ashore is high, although not every tick carries Borrelia. As biters are mentioned, what about including adders?

The anchorages and passages are described in a conventional and useable format, with plentiful chartlets and photographs (some from above sea level) in colour. Correctional supplements are to be found on www.imray.com - one entry so far, dated December 2008.

So, the book is well fit for purpose, but you might want to compare it with the Clyde Cruising Club's equivalent sailing directions, Kintyre to Ardnamurchan (2007 edition, currently with 9 pages of downloadable corrections; www.clyde.org). The survival of any pilot book in the unfavourable environment of your yacht's cockpit can only be assessed in real life. Welcome to the west coast - and make sure your charts have the Bono Rock buoy in its correct position! - Janet Trythall