Best Cruising Guide for the Med?

[RobMinton]

Can anyone recommend a good cruising guide (book/chart book) for the Mediterranean? Looking for recently updated information in hardcopy. Does anyone do something like Explorer Chart Books (Bahamas) for the Med?

[Palarran]

Well, there are three Explorer books for the Bahamas. In comparison, I have about 7 Imray pilot books for the Med. They are the best IMO. You can find them here:
https://www.imray.com/Publications/I...Mediterranean/

[chuckr]

Do you have any idea how big the Med is?? it is almost the size of the USA - I found this map and laughed a bit but it is huge - we have sailed most of it and all the Black Sea -
https://brilliantmaps.com/mediterranean-sea-america/

[RobMinton]

Originally Posted by chuckr

Do you have any idea how big the Med is?? it is almost the size of the USA - I found this map and laughed a bit but it is huge - we have sailed most of it and all the Black Sea -
https://brilliantmaps.com/mediterranean-sea-america/

So this is the chart you used? Thanks for the helpful info.

[SkipMark]

We use the Rod and Lucinda Heikell series. Our experience so far has been only in the Aegean, both Turkish and Greek coasts, and we find these guides to be very helpful. Recent updates available.

[sailcrazy]

We cruised from Turkey, north and south from Marmaris, Greece, the Adriatic (including across to Venice), and Italy over a period of 3 seasons. We used the Heikell guides and found them to be super. They give you all kinds of tips, where not to go, as well as what to see and what to look out for. I also downloaded several guides I found online, printed them and then filed them (in travel order) in binders.....they also helped alot.

[kish]

Originally Posted by SkipMark

We use the Rod and Lucinda Heikell series. Our experience so far has been only in the Aegean, both Turkish and Greek coasts, and we find these guides to be very helpful. Recent updates available.

In Mediterranean waters, it is more reliable to use a pilot book that is produced in the region and republished each year. The sales will be larger in that region and more up to date than a non local publication, which are usually at best 18 months to two years out of date at the date of publication.

A possible disadvantage is that it may be written in French or Spanish.
This need not be a show-stopping limitation as the chartlets, port approaches, photographs etc. are highly visual and language neutral.

I have used
BLOC MARINE - regional guide Mediterranean Sea / french
EAN 9782916175812

ISBN 9-782916-175850





This is bilingual with French and English text adjacent to the excellent visual material.
I have seen an edition also in Spanish with English.

It is excellent value at Euro 30.

https://www.svb24.com/en/bloc-marine...ing-guide.html

[Chalifour]

We’ve been sailing the Med since 2005 we use Imray Pilot. Useful and pertinent information on all landing sites wether anchorages, ports including ports of entry or marinas. We combine with Navionics downloaded on our iPad. Bingo perfect!

[De.windhoos]

Originally Posted by RobMinton

So this is the chart you used? Thanks for the helpful info.

No it's a direct response on how silly your question is

[sand6000]

See if you can get a copy of "Letters from the Med" by Ian Trealeven

[RobMinton]

Originally Posted by De.windhoos

No it's a direct response on how silly your question is

Cool. Also appreciate your helpful info and the passive aggressive emoji.

[Palarran]

FWIW I don't think the question was silly - though some of the answers have been. For those that say to read Rod Heikell guides, I hope you realize these are Imray Pilots.

It's great to get more local guides but seldom are they readily available where the OP is, the US. And most local guides don't really give me any additional info I can't find in the Imray guides. I collect pilot books for many parts of the world I may not get to - thousands of dollars worth of pilot books, and the Imray are the best I've come across.

[De.windhoos]

Originally Posted by RobMinton

Cool. Also appreciate your helpful info and the passive aggressive emoji.

You are welcome.
But have you looked at a map? there are 21!! countries bordering the Med.

The Heinkel pilots are a great set to start looking at. However in some areas there are better pilots, and sometimes the info regarding marinas or services, even in the latest versions, are out of date.
The nice thing about the Med in general is that there are not a lot of currents, nor big tidal differences or sandbanks, so the shape and depth stays pretty much the same. the same for the general weather patterns.

My advice would be to buy Heinkel for Gibraltar/Portugal/Spain area and when you are there ask cruisers about what they recommend for your next area.

If you just want to plan a bit, use Navionics and sites like Cruiserwiki and lonely planet.

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by RobMinton

So this is the chart you used? Thanks for the helpful info.

You are looking for something nice and easy like the Explorer charts; we know the charts as we sailed the Bahamas 3 times. The Bahamas are small when compared to the Med. We sailed across in 2013 and now spending our 6th winter here. 2 in Tunisia, 3 in Turkey and this winter in Israel.

We have more cruising guides than we care to count. They are all Heikell and cover various regions. Unlike the Explorer charts they are general and show ports and harbors and a bit of comment on each. If you do the Black Sea the cruising guide is not complete as the authors did not sail to Russia and you can not sail Crimea any more.

The cruising guides do not even come close to the Explorer charts in detail and it does require a bit of work and planning as you move around. You will accumulate a library of guides and you can see the cost in our 9 years of cost data that we published last year.

As the name implies they are guides only and we treat them with respect but understand that they may not be totally accurate vs the Explorer charts that are updated and quite detailed. We are not sure if they will ever be unless like us sailors send updates to the publishers.

Be prepared to spend a lot of money.

[mikedefieslife]

The Imray books for specific regions are good especially the Balearic one, but the best source is online.

The one for the Ionian is poor though.

p.s. Don't bother looking at Navionics community edits, they are mostly rubbish, or placed by people in small motor boats.