Barometers ?

GHA said:
Was it Blondie Hasler who threw his barometer over the side finding it made no difference other than a day or so worry waiting for the storm to hit? I certainly wouldn't like to sail without one, plotting the pressure data is miles better and fascinating, but thinking it makes much of a difference is kidding yourself imho.
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When you're still 500 miles out and you see the weather planes flying over to measure and track the tropical storm that’s turning into a hurricane and forming behind you it’s very worrying NOT to be able to monitor the pressure. Been there and got the tea shirt. And I did have time to divert and secure the boat in the mangroves before the hurricane arrived. It was only a little Cat 2 hurricane but the deck was clean afterwards! I think taking action to avoid the dangerous sector is often possible if you know what’s happening.

All this is irrelevant for European and home waters coastal stuff where excellent forecasts are invariably available.
 
john_morris_uk said:
When you're still 500 miles out and you see the weather planes flying over to measure and track the tropical storm that’s turning into a hurricane and forming behind you it’s very worrying NOT to be able to monitor the pressure. Been there and got the tea shirt. And I did have time to divert and secure the boat in the mangroves before the hurricane arrived. It was only a little Cat 2 hurricane but the deck was clean afterwards! I think taking action to avoid the dangerous sector is often possible if you know what’s happening.
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You went out in hurricane season? These days forecasts will flag up potentials in plenty of time even if the zone of uncertainty is huge in a few more days . The past is gone..... it's simple put your ssb receiver in a ziplok bag, really not difficult to keep tech working, there are much better options than a barometer these days, go with the times.
 
Buck Turgidson said:
For day sailing it's not necessary but for longer trips it's an essential part of situational awareness.
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I more than suspect 'Buck T.' and I both grew up with a very sharp - and frequent - appreciation of the indications on an altimeter. It thus became quite easy to keep a sharp eye on what one's barometer was up - er, down - to.
 
I used to sail a little 16' 3" centre-border.

(The boat was very basic - a dinghy with a lid. There was no 'furniture' inside the 'cabin' (more like a cuddy) - you slept on the bottom boards either side of the centre board case (though this did mean the berths were over 7' long and easily accommodate my 6'8" pal). When you sailed, you chucked all the gear in the 'cabin', and when you slept you chucked it all out into the cockpit again, and put the cockpit tent up to keep it dry.)

There was a dainty little vertical wooden post on the front of the centre-board case, supporting the mast above, on which was a dainty little brass barometer, less than 3" in diameter.

I will admit that I can't remember its readings ever informing my passage plans (I'd always have checked the weather in advance), but it gave me inordinate pleasure to see that little piece of sophistication and glinting brass in my humble craft, to adjust the register needle to the current pressure when I came aboard, and have my attention drawn to that aspect of the weather.
 
Everyone who could afford it used to have a barometer, or 'aneroid' as it was called, in the front hall (pre-radio) and consult it daily, so most people had an idea how to use one to predict the weather.
I like them anyway and have a few kicking about. There are some lovely old ornate ones cheap on ebay.
 
GHA said:
You went out in hurricane season? These days forecasts will flag up potentials in plenty of time even if the zone of uncertainty is huge in a few more days . The past is gone..... it's simple put your ssb receiver in a ziplok bag, really not difficult to keep tech working, there are much better options than a barometer these days, go with the times.
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I hadn’t just ‘gone out’. I’d been at sea for more than three weeks and come from well S of the equator.
It was November. Not hurricane season, but sadly the hurricane didn’t know that.
I did have that quaint old technology SSB and very useful it was too.
I’m very happy to go with modern technology. It’s brilliant to have navigation systems that tell me exactly where I am (even when the chart isn’t accurate; I’ll know within a few metres where the rock or coral was that I’ve just nearly hit) but your argument for a high tech barometer or no barometer as being the better option is as persuasive as an argument telling me that I must give up my magnetic compass because a high tech version is available. A KISS device that’s informative and helpful. I’m struggling to see a downside on ocean passages.
 
john_morris_uk said:
I hadn’t just ‘gone out’. I’d been at sea for more than three weeks and come from well S of the equator.
It was November. Not hurricane season, but sadly the hurricane didn’t know that.
I did have that quaint old technology SSB and very useful it was too.
I’m very happy to go with modern technology. It’s brilliant to have navigation systems that tell me exactly where I am (even when the chart isn’t accurate; I’ll know within a few metres where the rock or coral was that I’ve just nearly hit) but your argument for a high tech barometer or no barometer as being the better option is as persuasive as an argument telling me that I must give up my magnetic compass because a high tech version is available. A KISS device that’s informative and helpful. I’m struggling to see a downside on ocean passages.
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Wouldn't put ssb/ham as quaint old tech, still very much alive and well and a valuable source of up to date info - why on earth weren't you listening to the nets???? They would have been awash with info about a named storm.

Think you're missing the point, never said once not to have a barometer of any kind , just that there are far far better sources of info around, and don't overestimate the usefulness of the info it gives.
 
GHA said:
Wouldn't put ssb/ham as quaint old tech, still very much alive and well and a valuable source of up to date info - why on earth weren't you listening to the nets???? They would have been awash with info about a named storm.

Think you're missing the point, never said once not to have a barometer of any kind , just that there are far far better sources of info around, and don't overestimate the usefulness of the info it gives.
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Who said I wasn’t listening to the nets. I was in daily contact with Herb (of blessed memory).

My reference to ssb being quaint old technology was me echoing lots of people who describe it thus and in a similar way to your description of mechanical barographs etc. It was my attempt at a bit of reverse sarcasm.
 
Same old, same old. Lots of people sail lots of different boats in lots of different places. And are more than content with the benefit of good training and experience to go with what they have got. Loading your own boat up with your personal specs is great. But not flapping if you don't have your favourite kit is quite ok too.
 
capnsensible said:
Same old, same old. Lots of people sail lots of different boats in lots of different places. And are more than content with the benefit of good training and experience to go with what they have got. Loading your own boat up with your personal specs is great. But not flapping if you don't have your favourite kit is quite ok too.
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On your next delivery, if you have both GHA and JM as crew, I suggest that you cover all bases :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Hand%20Barometers.jpg
 
capnsensible said:
Same old, same old. Lots of people sail lots of different boats in lots of different places. And are more than content with the benefit of good training and experience to go with what they have got. Loading your own boat up with your personal specs is great. But not flapping if you don't have your favourite kit is quite ok too.
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Quite!
 
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