Imray Guide in English: Planning a Navigation, Cruise or Passage

An Imray guide in English is a reference source of nautical documentation for planning coastal navigation, a cruise, a passage or a long-distance voyage. Imray pilot books and cruising guides describe coastlines, ports, marinas, anchorages, channels, harbour approaches, difficult passages, currents, tides, lights, navigation aids and available facilities.

The Imray collection includes a wide range of titles covering many sailing areas around the world, from Northern Europe and the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, Caribbean and parts of Asia and the Pacific. The books are written by experienced authors and sailors and are designed to provide information that is directly useful to navigators.

An Imray guide in English is particularly useful for sailors looking for detailed international nautical documentation. It is also an important reference when planning routes in regions where equivalent documentation is less readily available in French.

What Is an Imray Guide in English?

An Imray guide in English is a pilot book or cruising guide dedicated to a specific sailing area. It is not simply a tourist guide: its primary purpose is to help sailors understand the navigation conditions of a region and plan their routes and stopovers.

Depending on the publication, an Imray guide may provide information about:

• ports and marinas;

• anchorages;

• channels and passages;

• harbour approaches;

• shoals and hazards;

• currents and tidal heights;

• lights and navigation aids;

• VHF frequencies;

• facilities available ashore;

• harbour infrastructure;

• local characteristics.

The Imray collection includes publications dedicated to coastal navigation, harbour pilotage and passage planning. The nautical and geographical information is organised to make practical consultation easier when preparing a voyage.

Why Use an Imray Guide in English?

English is the international language of maritime navigation. An Imray guide in English therefore provides access to specialist nautical terminology widely used by professional navigators and international cruising sailors.

It can be particularly useful for:

• planning a cruise in a foreign country;

• studying an itinerary before departure;

• preparing harbour approaches;

• identifying possible anchorages;

• understanding local conditions;

• planning a passage;

• checking facilities available in ports;

• supplementing information shown on a nautical chart;

• accessing information about sailing areas for which French-language documentation is more limited.

For a French sailor planning international navigation, familiarity with English nautical terminology also makes it easier to use charts, hydrographic publications and international port information.

Imray Guides in English for the English Channel and British Coast

The English Channel, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and British coast are major areas covered by Imray documentation.

The guides cover areas including the Solent, the south coast of England, Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Scotland, the Hebrides, Ireland, Orkney and Shetland. The collection includes publications such as Solent Harbours Cruising Guide, West Country Pilot, Isles of Scilly and Orkney & Shetland Cruising Guide.

These publications are particularly useful when planning navigation to Portsmouth, Southampton, Plymouth, Falmouth, Dover, the Isles of Scilly or Scottish ports.

In an area affected by strong tides and significant tidal streams, pilotage information complements Admiralty charts from the UK Hydrographic Office, as well as Shom publications for French waters.

Imray Guides in English for the North Sea and Baltic Sea

The North Sea is a demanding sailing area because of its banks, shoals, currents, tides and variable weather conditions.

Imray guides can support navigation towards Rotterdam, Amsterdam and the Belgian, Dutch, British or German coasts. The North Sea Passage Pilot is specifically dedicated to passage planning in this region.

The Baltic Sea has different characteristics, with numerous archipelagos, islands, passages and shallow-water areas. Imray documentation can help sailors plan routes in these regions alongside charts from national hydrographic services and, depending on the area, Admiralty or NV Charts publications.

Imray Guides in English for the French Atlantic Coast

Imray guides in English also cover the French Atlantic coast.

Atlantic France, published with the Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation, is an example of a guide intended for sailors navigating along the French Atlantic coast. It allows English-speaking sailors to prepare routes towards Brest, Lorient, Concarneau, La Rochelle and other ports depending on the area covered.

This documentation is particularly useful for British, Northern European and international sailors wishing to navigate along the French coast without relying exclusively on French-language publications.

The guides can be used alongside Shom nautical charts and, depending on the sailing area, Admiralty, Imray or NV Charts publications.

Imray Guides in English for Spain and Portugal

The Iberian Peninsula is another major area covered by Imray publications.

Atlantic Spain and Portugal is dedicated to the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal, from Galicia through Portugal and the Algarve towards Gibraltar. It can help sailors prepare stopovers in La Coruña, Vigo, Porto, Lisbon, Lagos and other ports along the Atlantic coast.

This documentation is particularly useful for boats heading towards Gibraltar, the Mediterranean or the Canary Islands, as well as sailors cruising along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts.

It complements nautical charts appropriate to the area, including Admiralty, Imray and relevant national hydrographic publications.

Imray Guides in English for the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean is one of the major sailing areas covered by Imray. The collection includes regional guides covering France, Spain, the Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Italy, Greece and the Adriatic. Imray's current collection includes numerous titles dedicated to the Mediterranean.

Sailors can therefore plan routes towards Marseille, Toulon, Ajaccio, Bonifacio, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Genoa, Naples, Corfu, Athens or Dubrovnik.

The collection includes titles such as Mediterranean France and Corsica Pilot, Balearic Islands, Corsica & North Sardinia, Italian Waters Pilot, Greek Waters Pilot and Adriatic Pilot.

Greek Waters Pilot and Sailing in Greece

Greece is a major destination for cruising in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Greek Waters Pilot helps sailors prepare navigation in Greek waters, including routes around the Aegean Sea, Cyclades, Peloponnese and Ionian Sea, depending on the area covered by the publication.

Information about ports, anchorages, approaches, winds and passages between islands is particularly useful in an environment where conditions can change quickly.

For charting, the guide can be used alongside Admiralty, Imray, NV Charts or relevant hydrographic publications for the sailing area.

Adriatic Pilot: Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Italy

Adriatic Pilot is one of Imray's key guides for the Adriatic Sea. It covers the Adriatic from Albania and southern Italy to Venice and Slovenia. A new 2026 edition was announced by Imray in June 2026.

The guide supports navigation towards Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar, Hvar, Kotor, Venice and the many ports and anchorages along the Croatian coast.

The large number of islands and sheltered anchorages in the Adriatic makes detailed pilotage information particularly valuable. It complements nautical charts appropriate to the region, including Admiralty, Imray and NV Charts.

Imray Guides in English for the Atlantic and Ocean Passages

Imray documentation is not limited to coastal navigation.

Some publications are dedicated to ocean passage planning, weather routes and the various stages of long-distance sailing.

The collection includes publications covering ocean passages and Atlantic sailing, allowing sailors to prepare long-distance routes between Europe, the Atlantic islands and the Caribbean.

For an itinerary linking Europe with the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and the Caribbean, Imray guides can therefore support the different stages of a transatlantic passage.

Ports such as Lisbon, Las Palmas, Mindelo, Fort-de-France or Bridgetown can become important stopovers depending on the route selected.

Imray Guides in English for the Caribbean

The Imray collection includes several publications dedicated to the Caribbean.

These guides can support navigation around Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, the Virgin Islands, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and other areas of the Caribbean Sea.

Some titles also cover less extensively documented areas, such as the north-western Caribbean, including Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, the Honduran coast, the Bay Islands, Guatemala and the Río Dulce.

For cruising in the West Indies, information about anchorages, harbour approaches, facilities and local characteristics is particularly important.

Imray Guides in English for the Indian Ocean and Asia

Imray also publishes guides dedicated to areas of the Indian Ocean and Asia.

The collection includes publications covering the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia, among other international sailing destinations.

These publications are particularly useful for sailors planning a long-distance voyage, a circumnavigation or a passage between Africa, India, Southeast Asia and Australia.

How to Use an Imray Guide in English

The guide should be studied before entering a new sailing area.

An effective method is to:

• define the exact area covered;

• identify arrival and alternative ports;

• study harbour approaches;

• identify possible anchorages;

• locate difficult passages;

• check tides and currents;

• record relevant VHF information;

• note local characteristics;

• plan several stopover alternatives;

• check the edition and any available supplements.

This preparation turns the pilot book into a practical navigation-planning tool.

Imray Guide in English and Nautical Charts

An Imray guide does not replace a nautical chart.

The chart is used to determine positions, depths, soundings, hazards, navigation marks, lights and channels. The pilot book, meanwhile, provides descriptive and practical information about local conditions.

This complementarity is essential when approaching a harbour, navigating between islands or sailing in an unfamiliar area.

Depending on the region, an Imray guide in English can be used with charts from Shom, Admiralty, Imray, NV Charts or the relevant national hydrographic service.

Updating Imray Guides in English

Keeping documentation up to date is an important part of navigation planning. Imray states that annual supplements are published for most of its pilot guides. These supplements incorporate verified corrections and new information published since the relevant edition.

The information may concern ports, anchorages, channels, navigation marks, infrastructure or other characteristics of the sailing area.

Imray also accepts reports from sailors concerning changes or omissions so that they can be reviewed and, where appropriate, incorporated into future updates.

How to Choose an Imray Guide in English

The choice primarily depends on the geographical area and type of navigation.

It is useful to check:

• the exact area covered;

• the ports and islands included;

• the type of sailing planned;

• the level of detail;

• the edition date;

• anchorage information;

• tide and current information;

• available supplements;

• the language and terminology used.

For a Mediterranean cruise, a regional guide is generally more useful than a publication covering an excessively broad area. For an ocean passage, several guides may be required to cover the different stages and stopovers.

Conclusion

An Imray guide in English is an international reference for planning coastal navigation, cruises, passages and long-distance voyages. The breadth of the collection covers very different sailing areas, from the English Channel and North Sea to the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Caribbean, Indian Ocean and parts of the Pacific.

Information about ports, anchorages, approaches, channels, currents, tides, navigation aids and local conditions effectively complements charted information.

For French-speaking sailors, English-language documentation can also be an advantage when sailing internationally, particularly in Britain, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and along major ocean routes.

Used with nautical charts from Shom, Admiralty, NV Charts, Imray or the relevant hydrographic authorities, an Imray guide in English helps sailors prepare routes, harbour approaches and stopovers with international, detailed documentation suited to recreational cruising as well as long-distance voyages.

FAQ – Imray Guide in English

What is an Imray guide in English?

An Imray guide in English is a pilot book or cruising guide dedicated to a specific sailing area. It provides information about ports, anchorages, approaches, passages, currents, tides, navigation aids and local conditions.

What is an Imray guide in English used for?

It is used to plan navigation, cruises, passages and stopovers. It complements nautical charts by providing practical and descriptive information about the sailing area.

Why use an Imray nautical guide in English?

English is the international language of maritime navigation. An Imray guide in English provides access to specialist nautical documentation particularly suited to international sailing.

Which Imray guides in English are available for the Mediterranean?

The collection includes titles such as Mediterranean France and Corsica Pilot, Balearic Islands, Corsica & North Sardinia, Italian Waters Pilot, Greek Waters Pilot and Adriatic Pilot.

Which Imray guide should I use for Greece?

Greek Waters Pilot is dedicated to Greek waters and is a reference for planning navigation in the different regions of Greece covered by the publication.

Which Imray guide should I use for the Adriatic?

Adriatic Pilot covers the Adriatic Sea, including Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Albania and the eastern coast of Italy.

Are there Imray guides in English for the Caribbean?

Yes. The collection includes several cruising guides dedicated to the Caribbean and different areas of the West Indies and Caribbean Sea.

Is there an Imray guide for the Atlantic?

Yes. Imray publishes guides covering Atlantic European coasts as well as publications designed for ocean passage planning.

Which Imray guide should I use for Spain and Portugal?

Atlantic Spain and Portugal covers the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, including Galicia, Portugal, the Algarve and the route towards Gibraltar.

Does an Imray guide in English replace a nautical chart?

No. The guide complements the nautical chart. The chart provides the cartographic information required for navigation, while the pilot book provides practical information about ports, anchorages, approaches and local conditions.

Which nautical charts can be used with an Imray guide in English?

Depending on the area, it can be used with charts from Shom, Admiralty, Imray, NV Charts or the relevant national hydrographic service.

Are Imray guides in English updated?

Yes. Imray publishes annual supplements for most of its pilot guides. These supplements incorporate verified corrections and new information.

Is an Imray guide in English suitable for an Atlantic crossing?

Yes. Imray's collection includes publications designed for ocean passage planning and for the various stages of long-distance sailing, including routes between Europe, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and the Caribbean.

Are Imray guides useful for a circumnavigation?

Yes. The collection covers numerous international sailing areas, including the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Indian Ocean and parts of Asia and the Pacific.

Is an Imray guide in English suitable for French sailors?

Yes. It is particularly useful for French sailors planning international voyages and wishing to use English-language nautical documentation, the language most widely used in international maritime navigation.

Should I check updates before a cruise?

Yes. It is recommended to check the guide edition and any available supplement before an important cruise, passage or voyage in an unfamiliar area. The guide should also be supplemented by the latest official nautical and safety information.