Going to windward obsession!

[franksingleton]

I can imagine the conversation back at work
"Did you not check our forcast?"
"No boss, we used Meto"
Bet that would have buggared up the promotion for a while

Not really. I was a Divisional Director by then. My boss, Director of Services was younger than I was.
This was before GRIB files. My principle was always to look first at the local national Met service. For inshore waters, nowadays, I still always want to know what the local service is saying. Only fools do otherwise. For me, that has been Meteo France and Jersey Met ever since we got back from the Med in 2013. For our occasional South coast passages, first port of call is the Met Office. For passage making decisions, GRIB rules OK.

 

[johnalison]

Not really. I was a Divisional Director by then. My boss, Director of Services was younger than I was.
This was before GRIB files. My principle was always to look first at the local national Met service. For inshore waters, nowadays, I still always want to know what the local service is saying. Only fools do otherwise. For me, that has been Meteo France and Jersey Met ever since we got back from the Med in 2013. For our occasional South coast passages, first port of call is the Met Office. For passage making decisions, GRIB rules OK.

Since we did most of our cruising pre-internet, for me at least, the local forecasts were often the only ones available. Before setting out, the thing we really wanted to know what "What's it like out there?". Reports on the national forecast were a bit helpful but not always, and only some local stations were really useful Jersey Radio was always exceptionally good, giving everything from wave height to barometric readings from a wide area. The Swedish VHF ones were good too, and, being preceded by the same in Swedish, gave one a chance to try and learn a little of their gobbledigook.

 

[franksingleton]

‘

Since we did most of our cruising pre-internet, for me at least, the local forecasts were often the only ones available. Before setting out, the thing we really wanted to know what "What's it like out there?". Reports on the national forecast were a bit helpful but not always, and only some local stations were really useful Jersey Radio was always exceptionally good, giving everything from wave height to barometric readings from a wide area. The Swedish VHF ones were good too, and, being preceded by the same in Swedish, gave one a chance to try and learn a little of their gobbledigook.

We have certainly come a long way since those days. The technique of using data in the shipping forecast to draw a mini-synoptic chart was always pretty hairy. Better than nothing - just. Few remember the RYA training manual that I wrote in the 70s.
GRIB data have certainly made a big difference. They still have to be used with care. The atmosphere can still surprise us.

 

[johnalison]

‘

We have certainly come a long way since those days. The technique of using data in the shipping forecast to draw a mini-synoptic chart was always pretty hairy. Better than nothing - just. Few remember the RYA training manual that I wrote in the 70s.
GRIB data have certainly made a big difference. They still have to be used with care. The atmosphere can still surprise us.

Yes, modern charts have made a great difference and we could set off for Channel or N Sea crossings with some confidence. I used to try and draw synoptic charts from the data given and I think still have the ones I drew during the Morning Cloud gale which was supposed to be my week sailing but left us stuck in Brightlingsea until the Friday when we escaped. The report from the Varne that morning was F10 and Sandettie F6 but we did a 2hr trip that morning in Essex in millpond calm. The advantage of drawing even my primitive charts was that you could see if the weather or front was moving at the speed expected.

 

[Muddy32]

Like this one that passed me while I was at anchor?

We had similar one at Moray Sea school 1970s. Good for team building.

 

[Blueboatman]

Since we did most of our cruising pre-internet, for me at least, the local forecasts were often the only ones available. Before setting out, the thing we really wanted to know what "What's it like out there?". Reports on the national forecast were a bit helpful but not always, and only some local stations were really useful Jersey Radio was always exceptionally good, giving everything from wave height to barometric readings from a wide area. The Swedish VHF ones were good too, and, being preceded by the same in Swedish, gave one a chance to try and learn a little of their gobbledigook.

There was a useful visual for determining crossing the Gulf Stream between the Bahamas and the States:
What’s it look like?
If you can see what look like blocks of flats sitting on the horizon, then don’t! It was correct too. Wind over current and all that, so even if you can handle say 20knots of wind plus boat speed on the nose no problem, add in the square short waves and you may not in reality.

 

[MisterBaxter]

There was a useful visual for determining crossing the Gulf Stream between the Bahamas and the States:
What’s it look like?
If you can see what look like blocks of flats sitting on the horizon, then don’t! It was correct too. Wind over current and all that, so even if you can handle say 20knots of wind plus boat speed on the nose no problem, add in the square short waves and you may not in reality.

On a much smaller scale, that's the problem with the upper Bristol Channel - Bridgewater Bay, the Holms, that kind of area. When both wind and tide are against you, you're not going to get anywhere to speak of with 3 knots + tide in places. But when you're going to windward with 3 knots + of tide behind you you've got wind against tide by definition, and very short, steep, messy waves.

 

[Blueboatman]

Since so much UK sailing involves just such wind-over-tide passsge making, “ gotta go” scenarios , I’m disappointed that so few boat tests actually involve doing this!

 

[Wansworth]

Since so much UK sailing involves just such wind-over-tide passsge making, “ gotta go” scenarios , I’m disappointed that so few boat tests actually involve doing this!

They never seem to out when it’s raining either

 

[Chiara’s slave]

On a much smaller scale, that's the problem with the upper Bristol Channel - Bridgewater Bay, the Holms, that kind of area. When both wind and tide are against you, you're not going to get anywhere to speak of with 3 knots + tide in places. But when you're going to windward with 3 knots + of tide behind you you've got wind against tide by definition, and very short, steep, messy waves.

This is also like the western solent. And why VMG is golden. We can beat against the tide if we’ve got 8 kn of wind. But an odd thing is noticeable when racing. For the sake of argument, lets say there’s a beat against the tide of 2 miles. Our VMG might be 5kn. Much of the rest of the fleet, when ours is 5, will be making about 3.5, 4 if they’re fast, good and lucky. Tide 3kn, leaves making 2kn over the ground. The others, 1 or less. This is borne out on the water. Us, and a Reflex 38, will win any race with a long beat against the tide. It can be even more pronounced as we draw less water anyway, and can creep into the shallows to avoid the worst of the tide, plus, a touch and go is of no consequence to us, we just pull the centreboard up for a moment. So we can be quite daring.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

They never seem to out when it’s raining either

If it’s wind against tide, it makes no difference to us if it’s raining or not. The spray is just a bit saltier than the rain.

 

[Wansworth]

If it’s wind against tide, it makes no difference to us if it’s raining or not. The spray is just a bit saltier than the rain.

No one made you choose one of those fast boats!

 

[Chiara’s slave]

No one made you choose one of those fast boats!

No one can make us un choose her either. She’s very practical in an area with high tidal streams, we can sail when others have resorted to motoring, or even anchoring.