How do you find out the forecast when on board?

[Zagato]

If you don't have a computer on board is there a number you can call to get the days sailing forecast or do you have to rely on the radio? - which doesn't seem very accurate. If you are anchored, moored off somewhere it seems a PITA to have to get the dinghy out to visit the harbour office and they may not be open or have updated info...

 

[sailorman]

nasa navtex + smart cell phone

 

[capnsensible]

Is the coastguard forecast on the vhf radio that poor these days? UK I mean.

I listen to the one where I sail all the time, usually spot on. Every 2 hours as well.

 

[sailor211]

Radio4 draw the synoptic chart

 

[prv]

Personally I use my iPhone. If signal is poor (ie, Internet is slow) I have a saved link direct to the printable copy of the current Inshore Waters, which requires the minimum amount of download and can trickle through the weakest connection.

Before iPhones we used to listen to the Coastguard on VHF. Have also used Radio 4 on occasions.

By next year I will have navtex, though it's not really necessary for coastal sailing.

Pete

 

[awol]

1st way is to look at the sky, then there is a barometer, Coastguard broadcast on vhf and will repeat it if you ask nicely, a smart phone can reach the web, NAVTEX gives a written version of the CG forecast, you can ask the boat next to you, phone home and ask the wife, ......

Of all these I recommend the looking at the sky.

 

[dylanwinter]

never lost phone signal for the laptop dongle yet

D

 

[Zagato]

Is the coastguard forecast on the vhf radio that poor these days?

What channel is this on, is it a recorded message? Thnaks.

 

[awol]

What channel is this on, is it a recorded message? Thnaks.

In the civilised parts of the UK the broadcast is announced on Ch16 and gives the channel on which the actual broadcast will be made. What they do in the Solent area, I have no idea - are there any time gaps between the radio check calls?

 

[mainsail1]

Navtex when away from cellphone cover, otherwise iPad with a data card in it.

 

[l'escargot]

What channel is this on, is it a recorded message? Thnaks.

Repeated at various times throughout the day:

http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Hm-Coastguard-Vhf-Schedules

 

[lustyd]

What channel is this on, is it a recorded message? Thnaks.

All in the Almanac but you will get a broadcast on 16. If you have a VHF on board you should have it on and tuned to 16 all the time anyway so you'd find this out one way or another. As I said though, the Almanac has a map with the base stations, times and channels. If you're coming to Poole and don't have an Almanac remind me and I'll bring an old one for you - I think it's 2010 but still contains all the useful bits at the front.

 

[Seajet]

Zagato,

in reality unless you have a laptop it's tricky getting a forecast, I find I'm always doing something just when it's broadcast.

One has to rely on an armoury of techniques and devices including the good old barometer; I had a nasa navtex and it was total rubbish, couldn't find it's own arse with both hands let alone get a decent signal; when I took it straight back the chandlery seemed to be expecting it !

Now the good bit; Force 4 sell a small Roberts radio/cassette which has a timer, one can set it to record the morning ( or any other ) forecast.

About £40, I have one; it's quite fiddly to set up, in reality I just set it for the early morning Radio 4 forecast, but it's small and neat, and in my book one can never have too many radios !

 

[Zagato]

Thanks I have an Almanac and will look into a cheap radio, a wind up one would be good but someone put a link to a very cheap Tesco's one a long time ago... Think it has to receive the world service for the sailing forecast!?

 

[lustyd]

Thanks I have an Almanac and will look into a cheap radio, a wind up one would be good but someone put a link to a very cheap Tesco's one a long time ago... Think it has to receive the world service for the sailing forecast!?

Needs to be a longwave to get the "proper" Radio 4 with 4 forecasts a day. Again, this is in the Almanac so I strongly recommend reading the section at the front and familiarising yourself with it. I should add that this is only in the full Almanac, not the cut down channel one. I do realise that this is what the forum is for, but knowing your way around an Almanac will be much more useful at sea than any radio or other technology you find to get weather reports. Incidentally, it also contains a section on how to predict the weather!

 

[lustyd]

Zagato,

in reality unless you have a laptop it's tricky getting a forecast, I find I'm always doing something just when it's broadcast.

One has to rely on an armoury of techniques and devices including the good old barometer; I had a nasa navtex and it was total rubbish, couldn't find it's own arse with both hands let alone get a decent signal; when I took it straight back the chandlery seemed to be expecting it !

Now the good bit; Force 4 sell a small Roberts radio/cassette which has a timer, one can set it to record the morning ( or any other ) forecast.

About £40, I have one; it's quite fiddly to set up, in reality I just set it for the early morning Radio 4 forecast, but it's small and neat, and in my book one can never have too many radios !

Or, for £0 you can call up the coastguard (using their MMSI from the Almanac, or the calling channel 67 in the Solent) and say you missed the forecast. He/she will then happily read you the entire forecast over the VHF as well as relaying any actual observations from CG, ships etc. Naturally this will only work when there isn't an emergency going on but it's rare even in the Solent for them to be so busy to be unable to help, and they will be even more happy if you do it during a radio check storm so they have a nice excuse to ignore them

 

[Seajet]

The Roberts job I suggested has Long Wave.

However I use it on FM, Radio 4 being 92.9 -93.5 FM.

Full Shipping weather forecasts, sea areas plus inshore areas at 00:48, 05:20, 17:54

I record the 05:20

One used to be able to ask Solent CG the forecast, and they used to broadcast it frequently, but they decided this was beneath them; I wonder why the CG got lots of redundancies and closed stations with an attitude like that ?

 

[Koeketiene]

If you don't have a computer on board is there a number you can call to get the days sailing forecast or do you have to rely on the radio?

1. VHF
2. NAVTEX

Once outside NAVTEX coverage, I don't really thing it matters much as 1. I'm too farout to find shelter anywhere and 2. the forecast is bound to be vague and/or inaccurate anyway.

3. SSB: one is on the shopping list for when we go further offshore. Might be useful to talk to other boats going the same direction as I am.

 

[lustyd]

The Roberts job I suggested has Long Wave.

However I use it on FM, Radio 4 being 92.9 -93.5 FM.

Full Shipping weather forecasts, sea areas plus inshore areas at 00:48, 05:20, 17:54

I record the 05:20

The people doing the broadcast would disagree. FM only gets 0048 and 0520.

Weather bulletins for shipping are broadcast daily on BBC Radio 4 at the following times:

0048 and 0520 (long wave and FM)
1201 and 1754 (normally long wave only)

 

[lustyd]

The people doing the broadcast would disagree. FM only gets 0048 and 0520.

Looking in the Almanac it seems 1754 is also on FM at weekends so I wouldn't rely on that for a trip.