Imray South China Sea Cruising Guide 1st Edition (2019)

This first edition of South China Sea is the successor to Stephen Davies and Elaine Morgan’s Cruising Guide to Southeast Asia, Volume I (Imray). Building on the earlier work, this new edition has been updated and expanded to include coverage of Cambodia and Taiwan.  For the past 12 years, Jo Winter has been cruising these waters in her 45’ Island Packet, Brother Wind, and she describes it as one of the most diverse, beautiful, unspoilt and undiscovered sailing areas in the world. The book covers thousands of miles of coastline, a multitude of islands and inland up many of the region’s navigable rivers.

Along with a comprehensive range of information to help with planning a cruise in this region, the introductory section details weather information, including coverage of typhoons, and also indicates piracy risk areas to be avoided. Sailing directions include small scale area plans to orientate the navigator and larger scale plans to show details of harbours and anchorages. Full colour throughout, the plans and numerous photographs illustrate key features and places.

Whether transiting the region or planning a more extended cruise along any of the coastlines bordering the South China Sea, this guide is an essential companion.

Jo Winter’s book offers passage-planning advice (including crossing the terrifyingly busy Far Eastern shipping lanes) with detailed cruising guidance from Singapore to Hong Kong via the Gulf of Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan. It’s an area with complex winds and tides- few dedicated yachting facilities, typhoons, crocodiles, poverty and piracy. Winter’s approach is informed by common-sense, experience and cultural sensitivity as well as her receptiveness to beauty and fascination with sea areas where one can cruise for months without seeing another yacht.