dunedin
Well-Known Member
I wonder if all these people who rely on the Internet, don't actually venture very far off the beaten track? Yes, I use Internet when I can, and it's brilliant for getting detailed, and longer looking forecasts, but I often have no Internet access. Maybe you all have Sat Phones.
Peoples' definitions of "off the beaten track" vary somewhat, so not quite sure what you mean by that.
Certainly these Coast Guard forecasts only cover UK waters - so not relevant elsewhere off the beaten track. (Though I certainly used entirely internet forecasts around Norway & Sweden, and via satphone cross the Atlantic).
Also relied almost entirely on internet based forecasts amongst the inner and outer Hebrides and Orkneys, if that is far enough off the beaten track.
XC Weather and the Inshore Waters "printed" format are very data efficient, and by having multiple phone networks (Vodaphone, EE and Three in our case), generally we picked these up by internet before any VHF forecast came round - even if sometimes when heading out of a remote rocky anchorage, as data reception at sea much better.
But for me the key thing about forecasts when off the (most heavily) beaten tracks is the need for a longer term forecast view to get warning of any bad weather coming - as may take 2 or 3 days, or more, to get to best strategic location and shelter ahead of bad weather. The Inshore Waters is useless for this, as too short term.
Many times we have seen strong winds heading our way (in some cases really serious F9/F10 stuff), accurately forecasted up to a week ahead via XC Weather, which has allowed us to change our cruise plans rapidly and therefore both remain safe / comfortable, and in the lesser winds keep cruising in more sheltered waters. Meanwhile the boats listening to Inshore Waters often were blissfully ignorant of the severe pasting heading their way until too late to safely get to strategic shelter.