Offshore Navigation Weather Forecast Aids

[ilenart]

the Marine Weather Handbook is also a great resource. Best of all it is available free in a downloadable pdf

https://www.setsail.com/mwh.pdf

[Divevac]

Like most, I love electronics and rely on them as aids to navigation and weather. As a former military air navigator, when (not if) things go for a ***** you will truly appreciate your diligence in the hourly logging of a GPS position, course, speed and met info. Having a manual track plot of progress over the past day or week instills real confidence when you have an electrical failure or an EMP strikes...especially when crossing open oceans.

QUOTE: "Buy yourself a copy of:
Meteorology for Mariners (Met. O. ; 895)"
I got a copy from Abe Books for $US6.95 incl shipping from the UK!

Great info posted here...many thanks!

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by Scrimshaw4

You might want to take a look at the Delorme (Garmin) InReach Tracker. This is an Iridium based system that will provide: trip tracking, weather, text messaging and Rescue Beacon service all in one package. I have used in numerous time doing offshore deliveries. I won't leave home without it. JMHO

We used inReach and subscribed to OCENS weather forecast service transmitted thru the InReach.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

We used inReach and subscribed to OCENS weather forecast service transmitted thru the InReach.

Very happy with the service. I think it was $12 per month, for 72 hour forecasts in 4 hour in increments. Wind direction and speed, wave and swell direction and height, precipitation, barometric pressure, cloud cover, temp. Comes over in columns. For your location or any lay-long you send it. We Bluetooth'd to iPad to use keyboard and large screen.

[overthehorizon]

As some of the others have suggested, Predict Wind, but specifically "Offshore", coupled with Iridium Go. Not only do you get the best weather models, that other platforms don't offer, but you get current flow information. Here in the Indian Ocean, knowing how to play the currents has been as valuable as knowing the weather. Sailmail is pretty much nonexistent in the Indian Ocean due to lack of stations but the satellites are there 24 hours a day no matter what the weather and propagation is doing.

[Acadia426]

Does anyone have any experience with a product called "OCENS," which is a software that works along with an Iridium system?

[Symphony]

Originally Posted by Acadia426

Does anyone have any experience with a product called "OCENS," which is a software that works along with an Iridium system?

It is a weather service which can deliver point forecasts. Delivered many different ways, such as iridium phone, InReach, web. I use it in the Caribbean and Atlantic as a resource. One day costs $1 via InReach - which is a good price for not having to hassle a subscription

[sailjumanji]

I used them in Bahamas. Service thru InReach. Paid the $10 per month subscription fee for unlimited forecasts. Very happy with their forecasts.

[mdelatte]

Hello

With Iridimum GO, you can directly use SQUID Mobile on Tablet ...

With this app, you don't need to pre-load Grib files to compute a routing because the routing is carried out in the cloud ... it reduce the data volume transfered and so less time also to get a result

Even if you have an unlimited data account with Iridium GO, it will take less time because a routing request (and the best route as result) is less than 10 Kb for a ocean passage

regards

[fogmachine]

Just did San Francisco -> Oahu with Iridium GO and have previously done it (and other passages) w/ SSB+Pactor-III modem.

If you haven't yet, look for a Pactor-III modem for your SSB - it's much slower than Iridium GO! but gives SailMail / SailDocs access for free. If $150/mo is in the budget, the Iridium GO! unlimited data seems like a good deal.

Iridium access can be tricky - the ~60 satellites are in low-earth orbit meaning they sometimes are in view for only a few minutes, so connections don't last long. An external antenna is de rigeur - ours is mounted on a 8' pole off the transom, giving a clear view of the sky not blocked by the carbon-reinforced mainsail.

We have a PredictWind Offshore subscription but didn't use it as much as SailDocs due mostly to hide-boundness. PredictWind on a PC or Mac is convenient - it drives the GO! directly, no filesize limit and you can drop the GRIB into other viewers. It also works well on iPads and phones but I couldn't figure out how to export the GRIB.

PredictWind gives access to satellite images which are also great fun.

Depending on where you are the NOAA weatherfax charts like Radiofax Charts - Pt. Reyes, CA are great but larger than SailDocs 50k limit. They can be captured and decoded from the SSB with AirMail's viewfax (https://sailmail.com/airmail-and-viewfax-software/). There are also sites with marked-up satellite imagery such as http://squall.sfsu.edu/gif/sathts_pac_snd_00.gif

For approaching weather nothing beats the barometer and looking at changing sky and sea state. Radar can be good for tropical squalls.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Acadia426

Does anyone have any experience with a product called "OCENS," which is a software that works along with an Iridium system?

Yes I have used it. It is quite slick. It also works with inReach, which I am using for my next trip: Copenhagen to Gibraltar.

BTW - the barometers I like are simlar to this one.



The BP history is essential.

https://www.lacrossetechnology.com/p...&gan_data=true

[JeffBr]

do you get good weather from InReach? I have an Iridium go with Predictwind but the Go is $175.00/month Plus PWind

[Symphony]

Originally Posted by JeffBr

do you get good weather from InReach? I have an Iridium go with Predictwind but the Go is $175.00/month Plus PWind

I use the InReach for communicating and weather when offshore.
Besides reading the sky and the wind, when I want other opinions I use
OCENS - point forecast. $1. it will give me an hour by hour forecast for the point selected. I have found it to be quite accurate for 24 hours at a time which we used for planning for the night sail plan.

FAST SEAS - this is a web-based weather router. it uses WindyTy as its weather model. FastSeas.com has a feature where you can email or text a request for steering directions, and its nicely integrated with the InReach for this. FastSeas routing considers wind, swell, and currents, so I find it helpful for riding or avoiding the Gulf Stream. Along with bearings and times to change course the Fast Seas reply with report wind speed, gusts, and direction. So, even if you don't drive according to the Fast Seas route you still get wind forecasts. You can set the reporting interval, and the WindyTy model is a good predictor on the short term.

I also have PredictWind and PredictWind Offshore, but I know longer pay the Iridium rates to get this data. The Inreach is cheap, I can enable it for a month at a time, then get OCENS and FastSeas.

Then using the OCENS, FastSeas, eyes, and barometer - you can do a very good job of predicting at least 24 hours of weather at a time.

I have no financial interest in any of these things.
good luck with your offshore trip - and remember that your eyes and experience are the best weather predictor for the particular spot on the ocean where you are.