METEOROLOGY
Local Knowledge
Knowledge of what to expect from the weather is important to all sailors. In the early stages of your sailing career, it is necessary to recognize your own limitations and sail within them.
Effectively, this means getting a good forecast before you go afloat and suiting your plans to the expected weather. During your AY courses, it is possible that you will experience fresh winds and rather than miss some good sailing, you will reef your sails and continue.
When your course is over, however, don't forget that you sailed in those conditions with an experienced AY Instructor at hand and possibly a safety boat standing by. Don't be tempted to set out alone in strong winds, particularly on exposed coastal sites, until you have gained more experience and confidence in moderate winds.
Onshore and Offshore Winds
The most important part of any forecast for the sailor is the wind strength and direction. Until you gain more experience of reefing stay ashore if the wind is predicted to be above Force 3 and remember those offshore winds can be deceptive.
When the wind is blowing offshore, there will be a patch of flat water close to the beach which may lead you to believe that conditions aren't as strong as forecast. It is only when you get further out that you find the full strength of wind and waves; then you may find it difficult to return. At least with an onshore wind the most difficult thing is simply getting off the beach.
Sources
of Weather Information
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to Introduction to
Sailing Syllabus
The classic source of weather information for British yachtsman is the Shipping Forecast broadcast on BBC Radio 4 (ISO or 200kHz) at 0033, 0555,1355 and 1750 GMT daily. This will give you a general synopsis of the weather over the whole of Britain, followed by detailed forecasts for each area and reports from coastal stations around the British Isles.
There are several other forecasts, which are also useful, including the Inshore Waters forecasts broadcast by the BBC on Radio 4 and Radio 3. Many local radio and TV stations give detailed forecasts intended for small craft users and windsurfers.
Wherever you are in the UK, the Marine call recorded telephone service provides regularly updated forecasts at premium rates for coastal areas.
In the South
East Asian Regions
Bangkok Meteorology Service broadcast
a regional weather forecast hourly in English and Thai on 6765.1 kHz.
Singapore Radio also broadcast a regional
weather forecast on their calling channels 804, 821 and 1219 throughout
the day and can be telephoned in Singapore on 4813668 during business
hours for further Information.
If you are heading for Indonesia and Micronesia, Darwin
Radio VID have daily High Seas Forecasts
covering these regions on all their working frequencies
Click on the above
banner for a updated forcast
of
the region via the internet