Imray Guide: Planning Navigation, Cruising and Stopovers

The Imray Guide is a reference in nautical documentation for recreational sailors, sailing and motorboat users, and navigators preparing coastal navigation, a cruise or a passage. Imray guides and pilot books cover numerous maritime regions in Europe and around the world, providing practical information on coastlines, ports, anchorages, channels, approaches and local conditions. Imray publishes an extensive collection of navigation guides and cruising guides covering Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and certain areas of the Pacific Ocean.

An Imray guide allows sailors to plan a route before departure, study stopovers and better understand the characteristics of a sailing area. It complements nautical charts and other nautical publications by providing a practical description of the maritime environment: harbour approaches, difficult passages, anchorages, currents, tides, lights, VHF information, services and local information.

What Is an Imray Guide?

An Imray guide generally covers a specific geographical area. It may focus on a coastline, archipelago, sea, sailing basin or cruising region.

The collection includes pilot books and cruising guides designed to provide information that can be directly used by sailors. Depending on the title, they may include information about ports, marinas, berths, anchorages, approaches, difficult passages, navigation aids, tides, currents and VHF frequencies.

An Imray guide is therefore not simply a tourist description of a destination. It is navigation documentation designed to help sailors prepare an actual route and the different stages of a cruise.

What Is a Nautical Imray Guide Used For?

The main benefit of an Imray guide is to provide information that complements cartographic data.

Before navigation, it can be used to:

• study an unfamiliar sailing area;

• identify accessible ports;

• prepare harbour approaches;

• locate anchorages;

• anticipate difficult passages;

• understand local wind and current conditions;

• plan stopovers;

• identify available services;

• check VHF information and navigation aids;

• organize coastal or offshore routes.

This approach makes Imray guides particularly suitable for cruise planning.

Imray Guide for the English Channel and British Coast

The English Channel and British coastline are historic areas of Imray navigation documentation.

Sailors can plan routes around ports such as Dover, Portsmouth, Southampton, Plymouth or the ports of south-west England. Tidal conditions, currents, channels and numerous passages between islands and coastlines make detailed pilot documentation particularly valuable.

Imray publishes publications covering areas such as the Solent, the south-west coast of England, the Isles of Scilly and various regions of Great Britain.

For navigation in this area, an Imray guide can be used with Admiralty charts from the UK Hydrographic Office, Imray charts available for the relevant areas and other hydrographic documents required for route planning.

Imray Guide for Brittany and the French Atlantic Coast

Imray also provides important documentation for navigation along the French Atlantic coast.

Guides covering France can support navigation between Brest, Lorient, Concarneau, La Rochelle, Royan, Bordeaux, Bayonne and other ports along the Atlantic coast.

Brittany presents highly varied navigation conditions: large tidal ranges, currents, archipelagos, channels, reefs, islands and numerous anchorages. Consulting a pilot book makes it easier to prepare approaches and compare different stopover options.

For navigation in France, Imray guides can be used with Shom nautical charts and, depending on international sailing areas, Admiralty or NV Charts publications.

Imray Guide for the North Sea and Baltic Sea

Imray guides also cover several Northern European sailing areas.

The North Sea requires careful planning because of tides, currents, shoals, sandbanks and sometimes rapidly changing weather conditions. Ports such as Rotterdam and Amsterdam, as well as ports along the Belgian and Dutch coasts, may require detailed study of approaches.

The Baltic Sea presents different characteristics: archipelagos, numerous islands, shallow waters in some areas and a wide variety of Scandinavian and European coastlines.

Imray publishes guides covering the Baltic Sea and its approaches as well as various Northern European sailing areas.

Imray Guide for the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean is one of the major cruising areas covered by Imray documentation.

Guides can support sailors in regions such as the western Mediterranean, Balearic Islands, Italy, Greece, the Adriatic and various Mediterranean islands and coastlines.

Stopovers may include ports such as Marseille, Toulon, Ajaccio, Bonifacio, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Genoa, Naples, Corfu or Dubrovnik.

Planning Mediterranean navigation requires consideration of local winds, terrain, swell, anchorages and approach conditions. A regional Imray guide provides much more precise information than a general description of a destination.

The Imray collection includes guides such as the Italian Waters Pilot, Greek Waters Pilot, West Aegean and Adriatic Pilot.

Imray Guide for the Greek Islands and Adriatic

Navigation through Mediterranean archipelagos requires particularly detailed documentation.

In Greece, Imray guides can support routes through the Cyclades, Dodecanese, Ionian Sea or along the Peloponnese coast. Information about anchorages, ports, winds and passages between islands helps sailors plan cruises more precisely.

In the Adriatic, the Croatian, Montenegrin and Italian coasts feature a succession of ports, islands and channels. The Adriatic Pilot is a specialist publication for this sailing area and is published in updated editions.

Imray Guide for the Atlantic and Ocean Passages

Imray guides are not limited to coastal navigation in Europe. Some publications support sailors planning ocean passages and long-distance routes.

For a route towards Lisbon, Madeira, the Canary Islands, the Azores or Cape Verde, the guides help sailors prepare stopovers and harbour approaches.

For an Atlantic crossing towards the Caribbean, documentation must also take into account major ocean routes, seasonal conditions and the different stopover options.

Ports such as Las Palmas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Mindelo and Fort-de-France can be important stages of a transatlantic voyage.

Imray Guides for the Caribbean

The Caribbean is another important area for long-distance sailors.

Specialist guides help sailors plan navigation between the islands of the West Indies and stopovers in ports such as Fort-de-France, Le Marin, Pointe-à-Pitre, Gustavia, Marigot or Roseau.

They provide information about anchorages, access, port infrastructure and local characteristics. Depending on the area covered, they can complement charts from Shom, Admiralty, NV Charts or other hydrographic chart publishers.

For a Caribbean cruise, selecting a guide that corresponds precisely to the archipelago or region being visited avoids relying on overly general information.

Imray Guides for the Indian and Pacific Oceans

The Imray collection also includes publications covering certain remote sailing areas, particularly in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.

For sailors planning a round-the-world voyage, these publications can support very different stages: the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand or the South Pacific.

Information about anchorages, harbour access, weather conditions, passages and available resources becomes particularly important in these areas.

How to Use an Imray Guide Before Navigation

The guide should ideally be studied before departure rather than only consulted when approaching a port.

An effective preparation process consists of:

• defining the areas to be crossed;

• identifying arrival and alternative ports;

• studying harbour approaches;

• locating possible anchorages;

• noting difficult passages;

• checking tide and current information;

• identifying navigation aids;

• noting useful VHF frequencies;

• checking available services;

• comparing several stopover options.

This method allows sailors to arrive in an unfamiliar area with a better understanding of the available options.

Imray Guide and Nautical Chart: Complementary Documentation

An Imray guide does not replace a nautical chart. It provides descriptive and practical information that must be interpreted together with appropriate cartography.

Depending on the sailing area, Shom, Admiralty and NV Charts, as well as Imray's own cartographic publications, provide information on position, depths, hazards, navigation marks and routes.

The guide provides additional information about local conditions and nautical practices.

This complementarity is particularly important during harbour approaches and difficult passages.

Paper Imray Guide and Digital Documentation

Imray guides are primarily published in printed form, while a significant amount of their content is also available digitally through Imray's digital solutions.

Explore with Imray provides information derived from the Imray pilot book library and gives access to data covering more than 17,000 locations.

Paper format nevertheless retains obvious value on board. It allows sailors to consult information without depending on electrical power, an internet connection or an electronic device.

For demanding navigation, paper and digital formats can therefore be used together.

Updating Imray Guides

Keeping navigation documentation updated is important.

Imray states that it publishes annual supplements for most of its guides and also provides corrections and update information.

These updates may concern changes to ports, channels, infrastructure, navigation marks, administrative information or other elements relevant to navigation.

Before a cruise, it is therefore recommended to check the edition of the guide being used and whether a supplement or correction is available.

How to Choose an Imray Guide

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

It is important to check:

• the exact area covered;

• the ports and islands included;

• the type of navigation planned;

• the language of the guide;

• the publication date;

• the level of detail;

• whether anchorage information is included;

• information concerning tides and currents;

• any available supplements.

For a Mediterranean cruise, a regional guide will generally be preferable to a publication covering the entire Mediterranean. For an ocean passage, several publications may be required to cover the different stopovers.

Conclusion

The Imray Guide is a reference in nautical documentation for planning a cruise, coastal navigation, a passage or a stopover. Its main value lies in the wealth of practical information concerning ports, anchorages, approaches, passages, currents, tides, navigation aids and local characteristics.

From the English Channel and North Sea to the Mediterranean, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean, and from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, the Imray collection covers a wide range of sailing destinations.

Used with nautical charts from Shom, Admiralty, NV Charts or other publishers appropriate to the sailing area, an Imray guide allows sailors to plan navigation more precisely and better anticipate the conditions encountered during approaches and stopovers.

It is therefore particularly useful both for recreational sailors preparing a coastal cruise and for offshore sailors organizing an ocean crossing or long-distance voyage.

FAQ – Imray Guide

What is an Imray guide?

An Imray guide is a nautical publication covering a specific geographical area. It provides practical information about ports, anchorages, approaches, passages, currents, tides, navigation aids and local characteristics.

What is an Imray guide used for?

It is used to plan navigation, including the study of coastlines, ports, anchorages, approaches and difficult passages. It also helps sailors prepare stopovers.

Can an Imray guide replace a nautical chart?

No. An Imray guide complements a nautical chart. The chart provides the cartographic information required for navigation, while the guide provides descriptive and practical information about the area.

Which Imray guide should I choose for the Mediterranean?

Choose a guide covering the specific region being navigated: western Mediterranean, Balearic Islands, Italy, Greece, Adriatic or another area. The Imray collection includes several specialist regional guides.

Is there an Imray guide for Greece?

Yes. The collection includes publications dedicated to Greek waters and different Greek sailing areas, including the Cyclades, Peloponnese and western Aegean.

Is there an Imray guide for the Adriatic?

Yes. The Adriatic Pilot covers this sailing area and is published in updated editions.

Which Imray guide should I use for sailing in Brittany?

Several Imray publications cover French and British coastlines near the English Channel and Atlantic. The choice should be based on the exact sailing area and ports concerned.

Is an Imray guide useful for an Atlantic crossing?

Yes. Some Imray guides cover major ocean routes and stopover areas. They can complement the regional publications required for the different stages of the crossing.

Do Imray guides cover the Caribbean?

Yes. The Imray collection includes publications dedicated to the Caribbean and various tropical sailing areas.

Are Imray guides available digitally?

Part of the Imray guide content is available digitally, particularly through Explore with Imray. The service provides access to information from the Imray pilot book library.

Are Imray guides regularly updated?

Yes. Imray states that it publishes annual supplements for most of its guides and provides corrections and updates. It is recommended to check the edition being used before navigation.

Which nautical charts can be used with an Imray guide?

Depending on the area, an Imray guide can be used with charts from Shom, Admiralty, NV Charts or other hydrographic offices and chart publishers appropriate to the sailing area.

Is an Imray guide suitable for beginners?

Yes. Practical information about ports, anchorages and approaches can be particularly useful for sailors discovering a new sailing area. Experienced sailors can also benefit from the detailed information available for planning more complex routes and stopovers.