Noonsite Book Of The Month: North Africa

Created by doina. Last modified on 2006-11-13 14:23:00
Contributors:
Topic: Books,Charts and DVDs
Countries: Algeria, Gibraltar, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia

North Africa

3rd Edition 2005 By Graham Hutt

RCC Pilotage Foundation

ISBN 0 85288 840 6

In the fifteen years since the first edition of this excellent pilot was published, North Africa has changed beyond all imagination: Tunisia has become a popular cruising destination in the Mediterranean, with facilities to match, Malta has joined the European Union and is no longer a favourite place for non-EU boats, Algeria has gone through a traumatic period of widespread violence, which now seems to have finally burnt itself out, while Morocco has done almost nothing to improve its pitiful yachting facilities.

In this new, fully revised and updated edition, the author has wisely introduced three areas that do not strictly belong to North Africa, but fit logically into the remit of this guide: Gibraltar, the Atlantic coast of Morocco, and Pantelleria and the Pelagie Islands of Italy. Also included are the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Mellila, thus making this the most comprehensive cruising guide to a vast area that stretches from Malta all the way to the Canaries. The guide provides full descriptions of all ports, marinas and any significant anchorages, all backed up by a wide selection of colour photographs as well as detailed harbour plans and chartlets. Repair and shore facilities in every port are dealt with in a systematic way, providing the user with a comprehensive summary of everything that one needs to know if planning to stop at any of those places. As formalities in some of the countries covered by the guide are still both complicated and time-consuming, the author has made sure that all official requirements are spelt out quite clearly. This is particularly helpful to most cruising sailors who have very quickly become used to the ease of formalities in most European Union countries, and have forgotten just how frustrating dealing with officials can be.

This reviewer used the latest edition extensively during a cruise to Tunisia and Malta in the spring and summer of 2006, and found most information to be accurate. However, even in the span of only one year, some important changes have occurred and are worth mentioning:

The port of La Goulette, near the capital Tunis, is now administered by the Tunisian Navy and access by private yachts is no longer tolerated. The nearby marina of Sidi Bou Said can no longer be recommended as a place to spend the winter (or any long periods) as fees are based on daily rates, making it much more expensive than other similar establishments. The small port of Sidi Daoud, near Cape Bon, should only be used in emergencies as its approaches are dangerous and most of the time is full with local fishing boats. What the guide describes as the friendly Port de Plaisance at Bizerte is certainly not worth that description as the small marina is badly run and this reviewer witnessed the aftermath of a spring storm that had seriously damaged a number of yachts on the main pontoon. In the section on Malta, attention should be drawn to the rather chaotic situation at Mgarr marina in Gozo, where new arrivals are left to their own devices and access to any free berths is totally uncontrolled.

What makes this latest edition stand out is the perfect quality of the charts and plans, which in the previous edition were mostly monochrome, whereas now are all in full colour. North Africa is, in every respect, a valuable addition to the ever expanding range of cruising guides published by Imray Publishers in collaboration with the Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation.