CRUISING WEST FRANCE by Peter Cumberlidge

Description

Set your course for the honey-coloured harbours and river-woven anchorages of France’s Atlantic seaboard with Peter Cumberlidge’s definitive Cruising West France. From the granite sentinels of North Brittany to the sun-kissed Basque Country, this meticulously updated guide distils decades of logbook knowledge into a single, hand-held skipper’s companion. Clear harbour plans, aerial photographs and chartlets walk you through every landfall, while tidal streams, pilotage notes and local quirks are explained in the calm, conversational style that has made Cumberlidge the voice of coastal escape.

But this isn’t just a book of waypoints; it’s an invitation to linger. Discover village markets where morning baguettes are still warm, tucked-away mouillage spots fringed with pine, and canal detours that land you in vineyards before dusk. Each chapter blends practical know-how—marina depths, fuel berths, VHF channels—with cultural snippets and gastronomic tips, helping UK crews turn passage plans into unforgettable holidays.

Printed on splash-resistant stock with a lie-flat binding, Cruising West France earns its place on a wet chart table, yet its vivid photography and lyrical introductions make it equally at home beside the saloon stove on a winter’s night of dreaming. Whether you helm a pocket cruiser or a blue-water yacht, you’ll find routes for weekend hops, family-friendly summer drifts, and bold Biscay crossings.

Cast off from the Solent or the Scillies and let Cumberlidge show you why west France remains Europe’s most beguiling cruising ground: approachable, affordable, and endlessly varied. One voyage and you’ll wonder why you ever hurried south.

This eighth edition also embraces modern navigation: QR codes link to real-time marina websites, while distance tables and waypoint lists download as GPX files straight to your plotter. Kindle and spiral-bound versions mean you can swot up on the flight or flip pages in the cockpit without cracking a spine. Get aboard today.