We’ve all experienced a bad day on the water thanks to our planet’s atmosphere. Whether that is being rained out on a holiday, or getting ourselves in a dangerous situation in a thunderstorm, the weather is a sailor or boaters main concern on the water.
In this course, taught by a professional mariner, you will learn about the principles of marine weather and the resources available to you as you make sailing and boating decisions on the water.
First you will learn about weather fundamentals such as fronts, air masses, and hazards such as thunderstorms and tropical storms. Next you will learn about resources available both on the internet and at sea for weather data such as weather faxes and forecast models. Finally, you will practice weather routing with a few common sailing situations such as a daysail or a hypothetical trip from North Carolina to St. Thomas to help you make more informed choices regarding the weather.
This course is helpful for beginners or experienced sailors and boaters alike. It is all about being informed and being safe on the water. Happy navigating!
Your instructor is Captain Chris Nolan, an experienced military and civilian ship captain who has sailed in the Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean, and Polar regions.
In this lesson, we discuss how weather occurs when areas are heated at different rates.
In this lesson, we discuss the sea breeze, why it forms, and how it can be used for boating.
In this lesson, we discuss the land breeze, which is opposite of the sea breeze.
In this lesson we synthesize what we know so far about low pressure systems.
In this lesson we synthesize what we know so far about high pressure systems.
In this lesson, we discuss the Coriolis Effect and how it causes winds to deflect from their apparent path.
In this lesson, we put it all together. We discuss how differential heating and coriolis lead to the global wind patters on Earth.
In this lesson we discuss weather systems such as high and low pressure systems.
In this lesson we discuss how isobars can be used to determine the wind direction and speed.
In this lesson we discuss warm, cold, and occluded fronts.
In this lesson we discuss operating near squalls and thunderstorms, and what to expect nearby.
In this lesson we discuss common cloud types and how you can use them to determine approaching weather systems.
In this lesson we discuss how fog and humidity are related and why they impact us as humans and boaters.
In this lesson we discuss the importance of staying away from tropical revolving storms and how to determine the safer side of the storm if you are nearby.
There are a wide variety of websites which take unfiltered weather data such as the GFS model and translate it into visually appealing weather data. These are helpful when trying to get a sense of the wind and weather near you. However it is important to realize that not all websites have filtered data that has been analyzed by a human meteorologist. Attached to the lesson are a few of many websites that you can refer to.
In this lesson we discuss the clouds you might see as a cold front approaches your position.
In this lesson we are sailing from Florida to North Carolina and must determine what weather we will encounter using the surface forecasts.
In this scenario we are sailing on the west coast of the USA and must use the surface forecasts to estimate what weather we will experience.
In this scenario we are in the middle of the Atlantic, and use the surface analysis along with the 500mb forecast chart to determine the track of a low pressure system.
In this scenario we use windy.com to showcase the effect of land and islands on local wind fields.
In this scenario we discuss the formation of a low pressure system near the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.
In this scenario we discuss resources one might use to determine when to depart North Carolina for the Caribbean in November.
