BoatU.S. - August/September 2010

Learning To Read — The Skies, That Is

Take a course, read a book, or just observe. Mastering weather will keep you and your crew safer — By Michael Vatalaro

Last February, I participated in the Cruiser’s Winter Workshop put on by the Annapolis School of Seamanship. One of the seminars was a two-hour mini-course taught by marine-weather expert Lee Chesneau titled “Understanding Weather Maps And Symbols.” That two-hour primer gave me a serious desire to gain a more sophisticated grasp of weather and of interpreting forecasts. As boaters, we have no excuse for having a poor understanding of weather; it’s too important. Weather workshops are put on by schools around the country. Books and websites on weather abound. To get you started, here’s a list of weather education resources.

Annapolis School of Seamanship (MD) “Understanding Marine Weather”

Two-day courses www.AnnapolisSchoolofSeamanship.com 866 369-2248

COURSES:

Lee Chesneau Weather Workshops
Two-day workshops available
at Trawlerfest and Strictly Sail
events around the country
www.marineweatherbylee.com
Star Path online courses
“Marine Weather”
Approximately 30 hours of course work
www.StarPath.com
United States Power Squadrons
“Onboard Weather Forecasting”
North Pacific Fishing Vessel Owners’
Association (professional mariner organi-
zation based in Seattle, but open to non-
members, inquire ahead on availability)
“Marine Weather Workshop”
www.npfvoa.org
North U.

(Two hours, open to the public) “Wx2008” ( 10 sessions, must be a member) www.usps.org

QuickNav Boating School
“Global and Marine Weather”
Two-night course in The School
of Sailing and Seamanship
Orange Coast College (CA)
“Marine Weather I and

RECOMMENDED BOOKS:

Coastal and Offshore Weather, The
Essential Handbook, By Chris Parker
Essentials of Meteorology
By C. Donald Ahrens
Heavy Weather Avoidance
and Route Design, By Ma-Li
Chen and Lee S. Chesneau
Reeds Maritime Meteorology,
By Cornish and Ives
Modern Marine Weather,
By David Burch
The Sailor’s Weather
Guide, By Jeff Markel
The Ultimate Guide to
America’s Weather

PHOTO
FORECAST:
An approachin
warm front...
“red sky in the
morning, sailor
take warning”

integrated into our chartplotter. By using the cursor, we selected specific weather buoys and got the information for that buoy. A glitch occurred when a large front moved through, engulfing the chart; you couldn’t tell where you were without turning off the weather info. This is a display issue perhaps not found on other units.

We also tested a portable GPS from Bushnell, the Onix 400. This unit used XM weather, but wasn’t capable of displaying the “master mariner” package, which is what would be needed for use on the water. This interesting product, capable of also being a satellite radio receiver, is more suited to hunting or hiking than boating. The weather service coupled with down-loadable topographical maps is a unique and useful package. The Onix is the only portable device we could find. Surprisingly, we found that the XM “Skywatch” service only provided radar detail covering up to about eight miles offshore.

The Human Factor

The other way that these technologies come into play is by allowing you access to weather information and forecasts generated by professional weather routers. Marine Weather & Communications, run by Chris Parker, is a popular choice for cruisers in the Bahamas, for instance. His subscription-based, personalized forecasts are accessible by SSB, e-mail, or phone.

We were impressed with the variety of weather products available, particularly those accessible by phone. The more we looked, the more we found — and by the time you read this, there will be more apps on the market than were available at testing time in early spring. Marine-specific applications, while not quite as numerous, could be quite useful for specific boating activities, such as fishing or sailing. The big caveat is that you should fully understand what you need, and whether or not you can dependably use the application where you’re boating. Inland boaters might have very different needs than coastal boaters, so having certain features might not be important, or even available.

The key is to always have a backup. Your VHF (portable or installed) is your gold standard; all these other cool options only enhance your ability to forecast and plan for the weather. For more info on the specific platforms and apps, including a chart of all 30 applications and services tested, visit www.BoatUS.com/ Foundation/findings.