Is anyone willing to email me weather info during Atlantic crossing in May / June?

[franksingleton]

If you have the URLs of forecasts such as
http://weather.gmdss.org/navimail/GMDSS_METAREA2_INMARSAT and http://weather.gmdss.org/navimail/GMDSS_METAREA4_INMARSAT, then you can send an email to query@saildocs.com with text =

"send (whatever URL you want)".

Within a minute you will get an email reply with the text of whatever page or pages you asked for.

PS

I forgot to add the address to send the request to.

query@saildocs.com

It id the same as that for GRIB files when at sea. The Saildocs system is the most efficient way, un terms of download size, of getting GRIBs, See http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Saildocs-Free-Grib-Files.

 

[sebastiannr]

PS

I forgot to add the address to send the request to.

query@saildocs.com

It id the same as that for GRIB files when at sea. The Saildocs system is the most efficient way, un terms of download size, of getting GRIBs, See http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Saildocs-Free-Grib-Files.

Wow that's great! Thank you.

 

[franksingleton]

Wow that's great! Thank you.

Saildocs.com was set under SailMail.com by long distance sailors, Jim Coreneman and Stan Honey, around 2000. It was designed for those with limited bandwidth – primarily those using email over HF/SSB. There are tie-ups with Winlink.

However, it is freely available to all. Before 3G became widely available I used to use it over GPRS and do so from time to tine if I do not have a 3G dongle set up. Clearly, it is useful for anyone using email over a satellite phone.

The Saildocs GRIB system is crude by many standards and they make no allowance for error but it is still the most flexible way of getting GRIBs and, in terms of controlling file size, the most cost effective. A useful facility is the repeat request. One email can set up a GRIB forecast until I tell it to stop – end of a cruise or when I move on. I find it convenient still. The Saildocs GRIB viewer is crude but easy to use and commendably clear. But, I normally view GRIBs using the zyGrib viewer.I do not think the repeat request works with the text retrievals.

 

[sebastiannr]

Hiya,

So I've arrived safely at Horta. A huge thank you to Lenseman and my partner Becky for excellent weather info throughout the trip, I have no doubt that I avoided nasty weather because of it.

I've heard the news of Cheeki Rafiki, so my thoughts will be with the crew's families rather than thoughts of celebration.

Thank you everyone for all the great input and info you've given me on this thread.

Seb