This year Reeds Nautical Almanac celebrates its 75th birthday. The 'yachtsman's bible' has come a long way since its first incarnation in 1932. As a salute to those early editions the publishers have reinstated, for the 75th edition, the much celebrated 'childbirth at sea' section.
From a small black and white volume Reeds has blossomed into a large format, full colour, highly illustrated paperback of a whopping 1050 pages — providing all the data required to navigate Atlantic coastal waters from the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands and the entire European coastline from the tip of Denmark right down to Gibraltar. It now contains over 7500 waypoints (unheard of in 1932) and more than 700 harbour charts.
The first compiler, editor and the moving light behind this venture was Captain O M Watts, one of the youngest Merchant Navy officers ever to hold a Master's certificate, at just 23. Oswald M Watts (Ossie to his friends) left the sea in 1927 and for a time delivered yachts and taught navigation. The publisher, Harold Brunton-Reed, and editor shook hands - 'the only agreement we ever made,' said Watts. The first edition was published on 1 January 1932 and cost 2/6 (half a crown, or 12•5 pence in today's money).
Reeds finest hour came in 1944, when the government ordered 3,000 extra copies of the Almanac for use in vessels involved in the D-Day Normandy landings. After the war, O M Watts continued to edit Reeds until his retirement in1981. He remained consultant editor until his death in 1985.
In the late 1980s Reeds was sold by the Brunton-Reed family to a new publisher, Thomas Reed Publications, with a new editorial team.
Coincidentally in 1981 Macmillan Publishers launched the first edition of the then Macmillan & Silk Cut Nautical Almanac. 2006 is also the 25th anniversary of the Macmillan Nautical Almanac., Within 10 years this new Almanac had overhauled Reeds, which in 1993 foundered over a copyright infringement and ceased publication in 1994.
In 1999 Nautical Data Ltd acquired the Almanac from Macmillan and re-named it Reeds Nautical Almanac. Since December 2003 Reeds has been owned by Adlard Coles Nautical.
Despite all the advances in electronic navigation, there is no sign yet of the trusty printed almanac becoming redundant. Each year there are a number of improvements and additions, and this year these include adding locations of Wi-fi hotspots and Internet cafes to harbour information.
The 2007 Reeds Nautical Almanac costs £34.99 and makes an ideal Christmas present for yachtsmen - but make sure they haven't already bought a copy!
For more information visit www.reedsalmanac.co.uk
