It’s the Equinox...

[Gitane]

Well, got back to Essex easily enough. Little or no wind, lots of rain and motoring all the way.

I was in an armada of sail boats, also, I suspect, taking advantage of the Saturday weather window to get back having been stuck in Kent for the week.

How come we either get F7/F8 or no wind? What has happened to F3, F4 and F5, do these still exist on the Beaufort scale?

 

[LittleSister]

How come we either get F7/F8 or no wind? What has happened to F3, F4 and F5, do these still exist on the Beaufort scale?

They do exist, but they're reserved for when one's boat is ashore, or the skipper and crew have to be at work or elsewhere.

 

[Athene V30]

How come we either get F7/F8 or no wind? What has happened to F3, F4 and F5, do these still exist on the Beaufort scale?

Actually there are three types of wind:
Too much, too little and of course wrong direction!

 

[johnalison]

Actually there are three types of wind:
Too much, too little and of course wrong direction!

Some years ago I considered why so much sailing was in the wrong wind and reviewed my logs for the year. Given that my definition of a free wind was 45 degrees from either headwind or tailwind, that should have given a 50% chance of a favourable wind but the real figure was only about 30%. Sod's law of the sea, I think.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Some years ago I considered why so much sailing was in the wrong wind and reviewed my logs for the year. Given that my definition of a free wind was 45 degrees from either headwind or tailwind, that should have given a 50% chance of a favourable wind but the real figure was only about 30%. Sod's law of the sea, I think.

But the statistics willl be skewed because we sail to the apparent wind, not the true wind. As the apparent wind is always forward of the true wind (unless there's a tremendous cross current!) then in winds below (say) 15-20 knots, there is a substantial effect.

 

[johnalison]

But the statistics willl be skewed because we sail to the apparent wind, not the true wind. As the apparent wind is always forward of the true wind (unless there's a tremendous cross current!) then in winds below (say) 15-20 knots, there is a substantial effect.

Not really. It was many years ago but my log would have recorded my estimate of the true wind direction in broad terms, as in 'NE'.