Yachting magazines, which seem to be compiled almost entirely by unfortunate people who have to work in London, tell us that the coasts are becoming almost as crowded as the roads, so that only the building of large-scale marinas will make it possible for sailing to go on, in a few years time. This unhappy picture does not yet apply to coasts further afield than the Solent and the more easily accessible East Coast centres — for instance, to that described in this latest addition to the Yachting Monthly’s Pilots. This is a true dinghy-cruiser’s pilot — it is based on the work of Henry Glazehook in his 14 foot dinghy Mermaid. His sailing directions for the West Coast of Anglesey have unfortunately been out of print for many years, but now this more comprehensive work, with revisions by Norman Sheldrick, covers the whole Welsh Coast from the Point of Ayr to Porthmadog. It provides a careful guide to anyone cruising in the area — and it is an area which rewards those who venture into its waters. The dangers of this rocky coast with its strong tides are well described — and also how to overcome them safely. As a matter-of-fact and technical work, the book does not enlarge upon the beauty of the places described — that is, after all, best left for us to find for ourselves. Still, there may be many who have not yet thought of North Wales as a cruising ground who will discover with delight that the 3,000’ hills sweep down to the wooded shores of the Menai Straits, and that the rocky headlands and bays of Anglesey and of the Lleyn Peninsula are all there to be explored.

(The Anglesey & North Wales Coast Pilot published by Yachting Monthly 12/6d)