Solent Cruising Companion

The Solent is the spiritual home of sailing and one of Britain's most popular sailing spots, offering a varied and interesting cruising ground. In this, the only pilot guide focussing on the Solent, Derek Aslett provides an authoritative companion to this area that he has loved, lived and cruised for over 50 years. It will help you make the most of your time in these waters, whether as a resident, regular or occasional visitor.

Centred on Cowes and covering the area from Keyhaven and Yarmouth in the west to Chichester and Bembridge in the east, the Solent Cruising Companion provides comprehensive pilotage and nautical information, as well as historical details and suggestions of where to eat and what to do ashore. The book is enhanced with colour charts and detailed photography, including spectacular aerial shots of ports, harbours and anchorages.

This latest edition has been fully updated and includes over 100 new photographs and 40 updated charts. It now contains QR codes to take you quickly to the main harbour and marina websites. Updates are provided every Spring on the Fernhurst Books' website.

Praise for Solent Cruising Companion

"This very successful book has been re-issued in its third edition and is bang up to date. It goes methodically through all the harbours in the Solent which one could possibly enter and its factual information on the facilities in each harbour is second to none."
— Classic Sailor

"The Solent is probably the 'most sailed' water in the British Isles and this book covers the ports, harbours and anchorages from Keyhaven to Chichester. Aslett provides clear navigation and pilotage advice for each location and a separate panel of useful information (fuel, gas, showers, places to eat etc). A good companion and the photos and chartlets are excellent."
— Yachting Monthly

"The book is simply set out with text illustrated by many photographs that give not just the detail but also the flavour of the area. There is something for everyone, either the crew who think they know everything about the area, or the visitor sailing in for the first time. There is approach information well illustrated with chartlets and a good range of contact details from coastguard to dental helplines. There is a good selection of information on transport, supermarkets, pubs and restaurants. All round, a useful addition to the bookshelf of any Solent bound cruising craft."
— Royal Cruising Club

About the Author

Derek Aslett, a photographer and designer, has cruised the whole of the Channel extensively. He has spent much of his time over the past 45 years cruising the Solent or racing around the cans.

About Fernhurst Books

Fernhurst Books was founded in 1979, initially publishing books related to dinghy racing. The list soon expanded to include cruising and other watersports. In 2006 the business was sold to John Wiley, but in 2013 a group of sailing enthusiasts (including the original founder) bought the list and name back, once again creating an independent nautical publisher owned and run by sailors. Fernhurst continues to publish books that instruct, inform and inspire those with a passion on, in or under the water. Their 140+ titles range from how-to guides to narrative to coffee-table books, covering sailing, surfing, canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, swimming, diving and fishing.