For this episode, marine podcaster Ceri Hurford-Jones meets two heavyweights of the yachting world to talk about perhaps the best known pilot book of them all, The Shell Channel Pilot. The sailing legend that is Tom Cunliffe is handing over editorship of this long-lived and authoritative tome to its first woman compiler, Rachael Sprot, herself a rising star in the world of sailing writing and from a family of well-respected sailors and authors.   To many, Tom needs little introduction.  A celebrated career as a broadcaster, writer and Yachtmaster Examiner began when he was sent off ..read more

In this episode Marine Podcaster Ceri Hurford-Jones meets up with Annabel Finding to talk about the Imray pilot book she is newly responsible for……. The Channel Islands, Cherbourg Peninsula & North Brittany. We had a lot of fun whilst chatting, as I’m sure you’ll be able to tell…but we did have all sorts of technical issues whilst recording….NOT anyone’s fault….such are the challenges of us both being on boats with Annabel’s located currently in Turkey!! So please excuse some of the variations in sound!! The Channel Islands, Normandy and Brittany coasts can seem a daunting sailing area for ..read more

It’s my pleasure to welcome you to another edition in our series Explore with Imray. As I get to talk with more of the editors behind the wonderful pilot books Imray produce. I hope you’ll enjoy hearing more about their passion for the water along with some of their favourite anchorages and of course discovering more about the cruising grounds they cover which hopefully will provide you with some inspiration for your next cruise. In this episode I met up with Jane Cumberlidge to talk about the pilot book she is now responsible for……..The Bristol Channel and River Severn Cruising Guide includin ..read more

For this episode marine podcaster Ceri Hurford-Jones had the great pleasure to hook up with Chris Howes the editor of 2 pilot books - the Fenland Waterways and The River Great Ouse and its tributaries.  Chris had kindly moved his barge ‘Lily May’ upstream on the Great Ouse for our chat in order to get a decent Wi Fi signal (which also necessitated him temporally putting up an 8ft ariel pole) such are the challenges of communications in some of the far-flung outer reaches of the UK!! An Amazon customer said ‘5 stars - quite simply, if you use the river Nene, then you need this book. It tel ..read more

In this episode marine podcaster Ceri Hurford-Jones was delighted to meet up with Norman Kean the editor of South & West Coasts of Ireland Sailing Directions, East & North Coasts of Ireland Sailing Directions and (co-editor) of Cruising Ireland.  Norman is a fascinating guest who has a huge passion for the Emerald Isle, making it an absolutely fascinating conversation that covered everything from his favourite anchorages to some of the issues involved in taking your pets across to Ireland. Relied upon for over 80 years as the standard text on small-craft pilotage of the Irish coas ..read more

In this Explore more with Imray podcast Marine Podcaster Ceri Hurford-Jones talks to David Edwards-May about his pilot book The Inland Waterways of France. David shares his own boating history along with his personal favourite stretches of canal. He also covers how the canals themselves are operated, licensed and managed, together with some fascinating insights into the uniquely French way of operating the actual system! He has some really useful practical advice for both the new and returning inland waterways cruiser. The Inland Waterways of France pilot book was first published over 65 years ..read more

In this Imray podcast together with The Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation, Jo Winter talks with Marine Podcaster Ceri Hurford-Jones about her favourite area, together with some words of advice for both the new and returning cruiser. The South China Sea pilot books cover Singapore to Hong Kong via the Gulf of Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan. Jo first visited Southeast Asia in 1976 as an impoverished backpacker just two years after the end of the Vietnam War, She found then, as now, the people friendly, helpful but undemanding, often reserved or shy, but always respo ..read more

Steve Pickard is the Pilot book editor for Mediterranean Spain, including the Straits of Gibraltar all the way to the French border In this Imray podcast (together with The Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation). Steve Pickard brings to life, with Podcaster Ceri, some of his favourite Med Spain areas together with some words of wisdom for both the new and returning cruiser. Steve first came to the Mediterranean region in the winter of 1978 on a delivery trip from the Hamble to Greece. In Gibraltar he took over a Nicolson 39 that had spent Christmas hove to off NW Spain. Almost certainly as a ..read more

For this edition of Explore More with Imray, together with The Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation, podcaster Ceri meets up with Linda Lane Thornton to talk about the pilot book she co writes with Anne Hammick FRIN and Hilary Keatinge.......The Atlantic Islands. This amazing book covers; Bermuda, Azores, Madeira Group, Canary Islands and Cape Verdethe. Linda started off sailing a little Wayfarer dingy, before progressing to completing an Atlantic circuit including a visit to the Azores. She then married Andy, who was at that time a complete Novice sailor, so they went off chartering in the ..read more

Welcome to another edition in our series Explore More with Imray as Ceri Hurford-Jones talks to more of the contributors that work with Imray. Today’s guests are Rod and Lu Heikell, editors of the Greek Waters Pilot and Ionian   Growing up in the west country Lu gained a love of cruising and dinghy sailing from her father, Peter. Then met up with her husband Rod in 1999 when she joined him as crew on a trip from the Azores to Gibraltar….. Born in New Zealand, Rod Heikell, abandoned academic life in the UK, and sailed a 1950s, 20 foot plywood yacht down to the Mediterranean where he worked ..read more