South China Sea

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.

Praise for South China Sea

"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. A truly impressive book."
— Yachting Monthly

About Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation

Imray has worked with the Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation since 1985. The Foundation is a charity which collects and researches written, photographic and chart information relating to small boat pilotage, navigation and operation, climate and weather conditions, including information from remote areas of the world where other sources of information are scarce or non-existent.

The authors who work with the Foundation are respected and experienced cruising sailors, with thousands of nautical miles of cruising under their belts.

Once the Pilotage Foundation has researched and edited the material about a particular cruising area, Imray shapes it into a book, creating the cartography (often where there is very little official survey data as a source) and combining this with the manuscript and photos to create a new cruising guide.

About Imray

Imray has been publishing nautical information for recreational and professional mariners since the mid-18th century. Originally a family business, the company retains continuity through generations of maritime knowledge. Today, Imray is part of FB Imray, a joint venture with freytag & berndt (Austrian cartographic specialists). This has allowed them to combine traditional expertise with modern production methods.

Imray is recognised by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency as a chart producer. Their portfolio extends beyond paper charts to include pilot books, cruising guides, almanacs, and navigation handbooks.