Arctic and Northern Waters (2nd edition)

Andrew Wilkes

RCCPF / Imray

£65

This magnificent book begins with the usual section of detailed guidance (climate and weather, currents, equipment, communications) which soon becomes far from usual with the identification of different types of ice: blue ice, fast ice, nilas, shuga. Andrew Wilkes’s background in mobile telecommunications makes his technological advice particularly valuable but his suggestions for over-wintering include ‘Take plenty of books’. The geographical progression represents increasing levels of cruising challenge: Faroes, Iceland, Greenland (never yet circumnavigated), Arctic approaches and Baffin Island, the North West passage (navigability still widely variable, despite climate change) and the Northern Sea Route (the North East Passage) transited only by an average one yacht a year. Let us salute these heirs of Eric the Red and Leif the Lucky.