Witherby Publishing Group

21/12/2023

Today was a very exciting day in our office…the famous Witherby Christmas Challenge returned after 3 years!
The challenge was to ‘Create an advent calendar with a theme or clues to who you are'!
And as you can see, the entries did not disappoint.

Which one is your favourite?

19/12/2023

To celebrate the festive season, we are looking back at our ’12 Days of Christmas’ Witherbys Arts Festival from 2020. Emerging musicians from Scottish Opera, Live Music Now Scotland Nevis Ensemble and more adapted festive classics across 12 days of music videos.

Watch below for highlights from Live Music Now Scotland musicians Hannah Rarity and Luc McNally, a fantastic brass quintet from the Nevis Ensemble, musicians from the Scottish Freelancers Ensemble and Heron Valley, a six-piece traditional Scottish band 🎄

01/09/2023

Yesterday Witherbys staff, clients and industry friends took some time off to enjoy a day at the Musselburgh Racecourse

Congratulations to ‘Blue Moon Baby’, winner of the Witherbys Race and to ‘Rock Lodge’ for being judged ‘Best Turned Out’ by our very own MD Gillian Macrosson and Technical Director Johan Machtelinckx

A huge thanks to all who joined us for the day.

04/08/2023

We are excited to reveal the new cover of the upcoming 'Passage Planning Guide: English Channel, Dover Strait and Southern North Sea'.

The winning entry was chosen from a number of shortlisted entries submitted to the UK Chamber of Shipping photo competition held in June. The competition encouraged photographers to submit photos that they have taken that capture ships sailing across the Channel for a chance to win £1,000 and have their photo used on the cover of the new edition.

Congratulations to Gary Davies from Maritime Photographic whose photo from the cliffs above the Eastern Docks at Dover will be the new cover. Thank you to everyone who submitted their entries to this year’s competition.

'Passage Planning Guide: English Channel, Dover Strait and Southern North Sea' is due November 2023.

31/07/2023

Out Now: Passage Planning Guide: Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait (2023-24 Edition)

This publication has been revised to incorporate the latest guidance and practical advice for ships transiting the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait. All the data contained within this Guide has been reviewed and validated by Auriga Group Pty Ltd drawing on their considerable experience in all areas of the Marine Park and beyond.

A companion publication 'Passage Planning Notes – South of Cairns, Whitsundays and Hydrographers Passage' has been made freely available to download.

Order your copy today: https://lnkd.in/et6WrPnE

21/07/2023

We have had a busy week hosting a 3 day working group at Navigation House, where our colleagues were joined by 6 deep sea pilots to review the upcoming Passage Planning Guide – English Channel, Dover Strait and Southern North Sea.

17/07/2023

Last week, as part of our update to Witherbys' 'Passage Planning Guide - English Channel, Dover Strait and Southern North Sea', our colleague Harry Harris joined the 'Olympic Trophy', a VLCC of Springfield Shipping. Accompanying an expert deep sea pilot from Redwise a thorough review of the route was conducted. The passage enabled us to conduct first hand research of the TSS and traffic conditions, as well as provide the opportunity to photograph navigational marks and other buoyage. It is this level of research that makes our guides so definitive for passage planning.

10/07/2023

On Saturday, our head of Technical publications, Harry Harris, met with Captain Chauvigne and his chief officer on the Brittanny Ferries 'Barfleur' to present the ship with a copy of our English Channel Passage Planning Guide and discuss our forthcoming update to the title.

06/07/2023

Free download available now.

‘Passage Planning Notes – South of Cairns, Whitsundays and Hydrographers Passage’ is a FREE PDF containing waypoints, tabulated passage info and charts for these routes.

This free publication is a companion guide to the main passage guide for this region: ‘Passage Planning Guide – Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait’, which is available for pre-order.

‘Passage Planning Guide – Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait’ contains in-depth descriptive narrative and pilot’s guidance for ships navigating through the Torres Strait, the Great North East Channel or the Inner Route to Cairns, using the routes defined in the AMSA QCPP.

Available direct at https://tinyurl.com/45ubpe3b or from all Admiralty Chart Agents.

05/07/2023

The Witherby Publishing Group Charitable Trust are proud to sponsor the festival this summer.

The Eden Court Theatre and Cinema flagship outdoor festival kicks off today with 39 days of live music and performance.

This year’s line up features Scottish traditional music, DJ sets and great local food and drink. More information available at: eden-court.co.uk/under-canvas

25/06/2023

Today is where we recognise and appreciate the hard work of all seafarers which are key to our industry. This year’s theme is MARPOL at 50 – Our commitment goes on. International Maritime Organization - IMO are encouraging seafarers to share images of the marine environment they see on their journeys, highlighting that it is worth protecting. How do you help protect the marine environment whilst at sea?

07/06/2023

The International Chamber of Shipping warns that the criminalisation of seafarers who uncover contraband on their vessels is hampering the fight against organised drug smuggling.

The new edition of 'Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse On Board Ship' details the measures owners and operators can take to make their vessels less susceptible.

Read the full TradeWinds story below:

The criminalisation of seafarers who raise the alarm about drug discoveries is counterproductive and unacceptable, says senior security official

06/06/2023

Don’t forget to enter our photo competition for your chance to win £1,000 and feature your photo on the cover of new ‘Passage Planning Guide, English Channel, Dover Strait, and Southern North Sea’.

The UK Chamber of Shipping is calling on all budding photographers to submit shots that they have taken that capture ships sailing across the English Channel. The deadline is Friday 30th June 2023.

For entry details, please visit: https://lnkd.in/eVusXndf

17/05/2023

The Witherby Publishing Group Charitable Trust are proud to sponsor the festival this summer.

The Eden Court Theatre and Cinema flagship outdoor festival is back for 39 days of live music and performance from 5th July – 26th August.

This year’s line-up features Scottish traditional music, DJ sets, and great local food and drink.

More information available at: www.eden-court.co.uk/under-canvas

16/05/2023

Marking the one year anniversary of ASTRA’s world first circumnavigation, the incredible journey is documented by Iain G. Macneil in the new book ‘Circumnavigation & Ocean Passagemaking - (Astra's Voyage Around the Southern Oceans).’

The book offers a rare insight into preparations for and the completion of ASTRA’s unique circumnavigation via all of the Capes in the Southern Hemisphere.

Pre-order your copy now at: http://ow.ly/oweA50OpcGf

08/05/2023

This publication provides guidance on how to combat drug trafficking at sea and to recognise the signs of drug use and dependence among crew members. Considered the leading industry publication on the topic, this edition has been fully updated by industry experts to assist shipping companies, Masters and officers to prepare, prevent, protect and respond when faced with drug trafficking and drug abuse at sea.

Available here: https://tinyurl.com/mv9j6msm

27/04/2023

We are calling on all budding photographers to submit photos that they have taken that capture ships sailing across the Channel for a chance to win £1,000 and have their photo used on the cover of the new Passage Planning Guide, English Channel, Dover Strait, and Southern North Sea. For more info, visit

https://www.witherbys.com/media-and-news/2023-competition-is-now-open

03/03/2023

Passage Planning Guide: Great Barrier Reef & Torres Strait.

Auriga Pilots hosted a 3 day workgroup at their head office in Brisbane this week involving Witherby Publishing Group, Auriga Group Pty Ltd and Maritime Industry Australia Ltd, MIAL.

14/02/2023

New Zealand stepping up biofouling monitoring in 2023.

14th February 2023

1 in 3 cruise ships (12 out of 36 vessels) attempting to enter New Zealand in the first 7 weeks of 2023 were found to be non-compliant with New Zealand’s strict biosecurity rules.

While NZ implemented its hull cleaning rules in 2018, across the course of 2018/19 authorities focused on education and helping ship operators to meet the requirements. NZ only reopened to cruise ships (post Covid) in late 2022 and it is now experiencing its first high season. The extended periods of ship lay-up during Covid, combined with a shortage of commercial divers to perform hull cleaning, have led to unacceptable biofouling on some cruise ship hulls.

In December 2022, one cruise ship was reported in ‘The Maritime Executive’ as needing to spend two days some 17 NM drifting off the coast of Adelaide, Australia so that professional divers could clean the hull.

If you want to know more about Biofouling, Biosecurity and Hull Cleaning, you should refer to the following Guide, recently published by Witherbys, ICS & BIMCO.

https://shop.witherbys.com/biofouling-biosecurity-and-hull-cleaning/

30/01/2023

Our directors met with representatives from Suez Canal Authority during a transit through the Suez Canal on board Cunard Queen Mary 2 this week, to discuss the latest addition to our Passage Planning Guide series.

25/01/2023

Happy from everyone at Witherbys!

Today we are celebrating the anniversary of the birth of Scotland’s National Bard, Robert Burns, with a traditional haggis lunch.

30/12/2022

As 2022 draws to a close, we’re looking back on what Witherbys has accomplished this year. Here’s to 2023!

07/10/2022

Earlier this week we joined family, friends and colleagues from across the world to celebrate the homecoming of our CEO Captain Iain Macneil and his crew following their unique ‘World First’ circumnavigation via all of the Capes in the Southern Hemisphere on MV ASTRA. Here is their story https://youtu.be/3jzxcF6grrk

27/06/2022

A new addition to our Passage Planning Guides is released today! Baltic Sea: Skagen to Bornholm is out now. With BIMCO & DanPilot, the Witherbys team transited through the route recently on our own expedition ship ensuring the latest info and expert advice is included.

https://shop.witherbys.com/passage-planning-guide-baltic-sea-skagen-to-bornholm-ppg-baltic-2022-edition

19/05/2022

Read about our CEO Iain Macneil's record breaking circumnavigation and Early Day Motion from MP Angus MacNeil in today’s Times.

MV ASTRA

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sailors-epic-global-voyage-sets-record-2x02hb27c

A sailor from the Outer Hebrides has set a round-the-world sailing record.Iain Macneil, from Barra, navigated his way into the record books in the sub-24m motor yacht class when he took 166 days to circumvent the globe. Macneil and his four crew set off from the Canary Islands on December 1 aboard t

16/05/2022

Congratulations to MV Astra on completing a World First ‘Round the world circumnavigation via all the Capes in the Southern Hemisphere, on a full displacement motor vessel of less than 24 metres.’

Welcome back to Iain Macneil and the crew from everyone at Witherbys.