Which pilotage books should you get for the Channel Islands Cruise?  

The minimum requirement for safe navigation of the Channel Islands, as most skippers will know, is the current Reeds Nautical Almanac and an up to date set of charts such as the Admiralty Small Craft Folio "The Channel Islands" SC 5604. 

In addition it is useful to also have some pilotage information not generally available in Reeds for those that do not know the area well.

Two pilots are available:  Either the Peter Cumberlidge "North Brittany and Channel Islands Cruising Companion" (2008) or the Peter Carnegie "North Brittany: Cherbourg to Ouessant and the Channel Islands" (2015) from the Royal Cruising Cub Pilotage Foundation.  It is not necessary to have both as they have essentially the same coverage.  Carnegie's is a more recent edition but Cumberlidge has more anecdotes and interesting port guides with places to eat, etc.  Both also cover the cruise area of the optional second week, but the Pilotage Foundation has 4 pages on Cherbourg which is not covered in the Cruising Companion. 

Updates are available online, and should be checked before departure: here for the Cruising Companion, and here for the RCC

For more local pilotage, John Frankland's Guernsey Pilot is recommended.

Cherbourg is of course well covered in Reeds, but without the pictures. Check out the statue of Napoleon on horseback pointing towards England!

As in all things and particularly with the sea it is important that the information is accurate and up to date.  Revisions/updates are available on line or by post; it is staggering how many there are even with the recent editions, although not all navigation related.