Publishers John Wiley & Sons have announced the purchase from UK-based Nautical Data Limited of the highly regarded Yachting Monthly Cruising Companion series.

The Cruising Companion series currently includes nine titles offering a blend of practical pilotage, local port information and weather, and an introduction to the history, culture, cuisine and sights for British Isles and European waters from Belgium to Spain. Also included are Mark Fishwick’s West Country Cruising and Janet Harber’s East Coast Rivers, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

Wiley Nautical and Nautical Data will continue to work together to expand the series to cover most cruising waters around the world. A rolling programme of new editions is already underway. New titles that will publish under the Wiley Nautical imprint later this year will cover the popular charter areas of Croatia, the Ionian, and West Aegean with two Caribbean guides following in 2008.

Later this year, Wiley’s will be publishing the book of Gipsy Moth IV’s restoration and her second circumnavigation around the globe with under-privileged youngsters, edited by YM editor Paul Gelder.