Weather or not.

We endlessly debate and complain about the weather and the forecasts. Sometimes they are spot-on and at other times we wonder if the forecasters looked out the window. No matter where you get your forecasts (radio or TV, VHF radio, Internet, NAVTEX, weatherfax, or from a custom weather forecaster) you need some basic forecasting abilities yourself to make the predictions more useful. Take a basic weather course and study one or more marine weather text books. Remember that many forecasts cover an area larger or smaller than you may be interested in, and that conditions may change rapidly after the forecast time.

Analyze the weather yourself.

• What’s the current weather at your location and what does the current weather map or text forecast show?

• What did the previous forecasts show over a two-day period?

• What’s the trend: is it getting worse, getting better, staying the same?

• Where is the weather coming from in relation to where you are and where you’re going?

• Are there weather observations and/or buoy reports for areas you’ll pass through?

• Will the trip be near shore, offshore, or through areas where the expected weather may make conditions better or worse? Unless stated otherwise, marine wind and wave predictions are for the open sea.
  

• Will wind against tide conditions be an important consideration? (The waves in the photo at the top of the page are from a wind against tide situation near shore.)
  

• Are there safe harbors along the way if the weather deteriorates? Can you get into these harbors with the expected wind and sea conditions?
  
  

These are some of the basic things to think about; the more you know about weather (an interesting subject in itself) the better you’ll be able to use the forecasts you receive.