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21-12-2015, 15:23
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Melbourne
Boat: Designer 46ft Cat
Posts: 20
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Need help to understand the weather
Hi All... am looking for info... website.... books.... tutorials.... on understanding the weather for sailing... but weather in general....
Would like to be able to look at synoptic charts, weather patterns, gribs, cloud formations... and understand them with a higher degree of confidence than I have.... I suppose just have a better "seamanship" understanding of the weather... at present... I think I know enough.... but there is always that nagging thought in the back of my brain box that says you need to know more.
I am like a lot of people.... time poor to be able to be on the water as much as I would like.... I know there is nothing like practical experience to learn.... but if someone could guide me towards some theoretical help now so I can put it to practical use... I would be greatful.
Am off to Thailand to sail around the East coast riviera islands of Koh Chang, Koh Mak, Koh Kood etc. in a weeks time.... never a bad place to sail due to lots of protected areas should the weather turn.... so as a safe haven to learn in... it is perfect.... and this where I would like to get the practical side of "Understanding the Weather class 101" done.
Thanks for any help I may receive... have a safe Xmas, a great New Year... and may all of your travels have smooth seas
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21-12-2015, 15:28
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 9,398
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Re: Need help to understand the weather
Good luck with that!
I don't think anyone in the BOM understands the weather.
__________________
"You CANNOT be serious!"
John McEnroe
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21-12-2015, 16:21
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: surprise
Boat: porta bote
Posts: 123
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Re: Need help to understand the weather
After all this years it will help you a whole bunch to look up in the sky.
Learn about the weather - Met Office
It doesn't mean you have to do this stuff with all the apps we have now
but it helps a bunch.
Fair winds
Martin
__________________
Water has no planks
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21-12-2015, 16:50
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#6
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: aboard, cruising in Australia
Boat: Sayer 46' Solent rig sloop
Posts: 28,400
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Re: Need help to understand the weather
Try googling on the Thailand Weather Bureau, then look at the predicitons for the next few days, and check them against the observations. Expect a lot of light air, and for it to be tan in color.
Ann
__________________
Who scorns the calm has forgotten the storm.
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21-12-2015, 17:18
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,829
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Re: Need help to understand the weather
Read Lee Chesneau and Mai Li Chen's book, http://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Weather-...esneau+weather
Taking a class from Lee is highly recommended but if the class is only a few hours, read up on weather first since he provides a fire hose of information in the class. It would be hard to keep up if one did not have a bit of knowledge before hand.
Then download for free the Dashew's books on weather from their website, SetSail » Free Books
There is some overlap in the two Dashew books but read the Mariners Weather Handbook followed by Surviving the Storm.
Also download a GRIB viewer and start watching the weather. I use Viewfax for better or worse.
Later,
Dan
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21-12-2015, 17:20
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: between the devil and the deep blue sea
Boat: a sailing boat
Posts: 20,420
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Re: Need help to understand the weather
I would actually start with Wikipedia: read the basics of how the air circulates in the high and in the low: both seen horizontally and vertically. Then I would read on to understand the exchange of air between the high and an adjacent low. At this point I would move on to read about global air masses circulation - to get the view of why and where we get the ITCZ, the passats, the horse latitudes, the gales, the lulls and the hurricanes.
Make sure to get the role of the Sun early on. Also try to see the important differences btw the continental weather and the ocean weather and the finer things that happen on the boundary (coasts).
You will also have to get a clear vision of what happens to the air and to the moisture in it as it gets colder/warmer (and higher/lower, which are related to an extent).
Once thru with these basic basics, you can reach for any good wx book and I would recommend one that is written BY SAILING PEOPLE and for sailing people. Say Steve and Linda's book. (Mariner's Weather Handbook, S&L Dashew). If this one is too difficult at places, mind you do not have to understand everything at the first pass - get what you can, mark up the not so clear parts and read up on the web (because there are all levels of detailed wx info on the web and so you WILL find something that matches your level, at any point), then return and re-read the book again after a time.
Then keep on rolling. Read books, look at the sky and ponder.
Do not fool yourself into thinking one can understand any complex matter in a week. And nothing gets done without being done. It is all about passion, time and dedication. In a couple of years you will look back with nostalgia at the days where you did not understand the weather and you believed one day you would. ;-)
Have fun learning, otherwise its not worth taking up!
Cheers,
barnakiel
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21-12-2015, 17:28
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,604
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Re: Need help to understand the weather
earth :: a global map of wind, weather, and ocean conditions
To get you started here's the Mean Sea Level Pressure overlay on the Earth Wind Map. Look at this every day after you have a look at your local weather forecast on the TV nooz. It'll start to make sense after a while. The center of the low pressure is on your left when the wind is at your back in the northern hemisphere. It's on your other left when down south.
Cheers!
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21-12-2015, 20:07
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Minnesota / Florida
Boat: Westerly Fulmar 32
Posts: 475
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Re: Need help to understand the weather
KD
Good question it's something I've been trying to get to grips with, glad you asked the question its given me a kick start.
Dannc
I like the link, nothing makes a Yorkshire man happier than free stuff (even if he doesn't need it).
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22-12-2015, 06:47
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: between the devil and the deep blue sea
Boat: a sailing boat
Posts: 20,420
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Re: Need help to understand the weather
There is no Thai NOAA and no Russian NOAA. Never will.
Most state agencies simply abuse the freebies developed by NOAA (and by some other stage weather agencies, but only the NOAA is so 'generous').
NOAA is a huge undertaking with satellites, brains and will to drive a huge portion of what we believe we know about the weather.
There are decent BOM in the UK, France, Japan and Australia. There is also some input from NZ (e.g. Victoria) and in Europe (e.g. Germany - alas this is mostly land wetter).
Maybe the Ruskis have something over Asia too (this seems very likely given their geographical span) BUT few of us speak cyrilic and those who do claim their wx sources are not public.
Cheers,
b.
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22-12-2015, 07:00
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada
Posts: 6,252
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Re: Need help to understand the weather
__________________
CRYA Yachtmaster Ocean Instructor Evaluator, Sail
IYT Yachtmaster Coastal Instructor
As I sail, I praise God, and care not. (Luke Foxe)
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22-12-2015, 08:58
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Guilford, CT
Boat: Bristol 35.5 1978
Posts: 742
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Re: Need help to understand the weather
A few more potential books to read enroute to Thailand on weather in general, Instant Weather Forecasting by A Watts (altho limited utility in Africa and Caribbean), Weather at Sea by D Houghton, and The Boater's Weather Guide by M Williams. All paperbacks, small, and light.
Dave
1978 Bristol 35.5
Connecticut, USofA
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22-12-2015, 09:01
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Meandering about the Gulf of Alaska coast [NNE Pacific]— where the internet doesn't always shine... [Even Elon's...] Homeport: Wrangell Island
Boat: Nauticat 43 [S&S Staysail Ketch]
Posts: 1,662
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Re: Need help to understand the weather
Quote:
Originally Posted by KD on Tropic
Hi All... am looking for info... website.... books.... tutorials.... on understanding the weather for sailing... but weather in general....
Would like to be able to look at synoptic charts, weather patterns, gribs, cloud formations... and understand them with a higher degree of confidence than I have.... I suppose just have a better "seamanship" understanding of the weather... at present... I think I know enough.... but there is always that nagging thought in the back of my brain box that says you need to know more.
I am like a lot of people.... time poor to be able to be on the water as much as I would like.... I know there is nothing like practical experience to learn.... but if someone could guide me towards some theoretical help now so I can put it to practical use... I would be greatful.
Am off to Thailand to sail around the East coast riviera islands of Koh Chang, Koh Mak, Koh Kood etc. in a weeks time.... never a bad place to sail due to lots of protected areas should the weather turn.... so as a safe haven to learn in... it is perfect.... and this where I would like to get the practical side of "Understanding the Weather class 101" done...
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Hi KD,
In direct response to your topic title I can say [at least speaking for myself...] "... don't we all..."
I break the topic of weather [Wx] into two distinct areas: understanding Wx and separately understanding Wx forecasting products. [e.g., WxFax charts, Grib files, satellite images, forecasts, etc.]
On our blog Wx page [which contains everything I want to look at daily...] we include WindyTy. It is very useful for visualizing current Wx and Grib forecasts anywhere on earth...
Our weather library and resource recommendations include [in order of consumption as one is the pre-requisite for the next...]:
Modern Marine Weather [David Birch] and the StarPath website
Mariner's Wx Handbook [Steve and Linda Dashew; Generously donated to the public domain. Somewhat dated but still excellent; and free...]
Attend Lee Chesnau's Professional Mariner's Course [We took it online through our SSCA membership.]
Before going to sea, and after assimilating and understanding the above, absorb:
Heavy Weather Avoidance and Route Design [Excellent book by Chen and Chesneau]
The above gave us the foundation required to begin to understand the weather and related products provided around the world to help prognosticate it...
We find that the study never ends for such a complex topic...
In hopes this may be helpful.
Cheers!
Bill
__________________
SV Denali Rose
Learning every day- and sharing if I can.
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