Book Reviews

Publisher: Weidenfield & Nicolson; £16.99
Publication Date: 2008

Most circumnavigations are illustrated: Europe to Good Hope; along the bottom of the map; Cape Horn to port; north for home. This one was different and I used an orange to visualise the quest to sail alone from England around the globe 'vertically'. It would include westbound around Cape Horn and eventual passage along the Russian Arctic coast.

The author pays frequent tribute to the great circumnavigators, and in particular those few who have made single-handed westward passage around the Horn. His description of a knock-down there while dealing with a blocked toilet (". . . in a bloody washing machine with four gallons of sewage!") is as compelling as any.

Together with the normal hazards of ocean sailing – including going over the side while still in the Channel – the author faces an unusual and obstinate obstacle. Having departed without permission to pass through Russian waters, constant electronic contact is required – much of it quoted verbatim – with his extraordinary ex-wife who successfully takes on bureaucratic confusion, becomes increasingly committed to the expedition and mothers two young sons. Flanagan was obliged to overwinter in Nome, Alaska and later, when persistent ice prevented westwards progress, he shipped the yacht to Murmansk. Did this invalidate his 'solo vertical' claim? I think not, but the delay took him into another Northern winter when he left the boat at Mehamn, Norway thus extending the expedition into a third year.

The book is a robustly-bound 'brick' of a volume, clearly printed with good colour illustration and a chartlet to open each chapter. The whole is a fine tribute to Adrian Flanagan's achievement. - Edward Cartner

Publisher: Adlard Coles Nautical; 12th ed.; £19.99
Publication Date: 2009

France has over 8,000 km of canals and rivers. The latest edition of this popular book is the ideal planning tool for the French waterways, whether for a route through France from the Channel to the Mediterranean or for the many potential inland cruises. There is a mass of information, arranged in a user-friendly format, about each canal and river.

A newcomer to the French waterways will find almost 50 pages of basic information which will assist in preparing for a passage in France, including the equipment that will be required and the various formalities that can be expected.

The bulk of the book is taken up with a brief description of each of the waterways. Essential planning data is set out in a standard format; this includes lock operating hours and speed restrictions as well as the four maximum acceptable boat dimensions - length, beam, water draught and air draught. The latter is particularly important on certain canals and can influence the choice of route for larger power boats. The location and kilometre point of each port de plaisance and halte are also listed as well as the number of locks between each.

Fuelling points can sometimes be a concern when cruising in France. A very welcome improvement in this 12th edition is that all bankside fuelling points are clearly marked, as are sources of fuel reasonably close to the water, albeit that carrying cans may be entailed. The book is profusely illustrated with excellent colour photographs.

Readers need to recognise that, like all information about French waterways, the data is constantly changing. Although this book alone will not see a boat safely through the waterways, it is without equal as an initial planning tool. Nevertheless it will need to be supplemented by appropriate charts and up-to-date information, some of which can be derived from the French VNF website and the CA’s own publications – IPAS

Publisher: Wiley Nautical; 19th Edition; £24.99.
Publication Date:

This pilot book needs no introduction having been produced by Jack Coote since the first 1956 edition and his daughters since 1993. Little need to be said about the sailing instructions or their love of this muddy bit of England. The tone is sensible, unlike some pilot books, which are so cautious that they make you a nervous wreck before you leave harbour. This book is nicely produced and makes you want to point your vessel to the East, which might be a good idea, as the Introduction paints a rather gloomy picture of its wharfs and quays being rapidly converted into flats and supermarkets.

Certainly, when I sailed the London River, I felt the eradication of history described at the end of “Fatherland” had nothing on the loss of the historical buildings from the Medway to the City. My only advice for the next edition would be to re-do the photographs. Too many show buoys without context, empty pontoons, bits of marinas and restaurants. The family archives, more shots of the barges that defined this area and pictures showing the beauty of this region would improve this book, which is part of yachting’s heritage, still further. - Mike Bender