Who can write the best AI prompt for passage research?

[GHA]

And another one >>

find and graph in kts the average monthly wind speeds with max gusts over a year for the faroe islands​

 

[requiem]

Had a little play with the app. It puts searching to a new level. I don't really know if it's a good thing for us or not. Time will tell. Relying on information without checking could be a problem

Yep, I will have to play with it a bit myself.

For me, I consider AI useful in sieving large amounts of data to spot potential items of interest, and in a way a finalised passage plan is the opposite of that. I can see it being useful to turn up items I might otherwise have missed in my initial planning, particularly "local knowledge" sorts of things, but less so for the final result.

For the plan itself, I prefer to keep it concise and I need to have reviewed every item in it. I don't want to find out the hard way that "867-5309" is not actually the telephone number of the marina at a contingency stop, or that the fuel dock closes an hour earlier than the plan lists.

 

[GHA]

Yep, I will have to play with it a bit myself.

For me, I consider AI useful in sieving large amounts of data to spot potential items of interest, and in a way a finalised passage plan is the opposite of that. I can see it being useful to turn up items I might otherwise have missed in my initial planning, particularly "local knowledge" sorts of things, but less so for the final result.

For the plan itself, I prefer to keep it concise and I need to have reviewed every item in it. I don't want to find out the hard way that "867-5309" is not actually the telephone number of the marina at a contingency stop, or that the fuel dock closes an hour earlier than the plan lists.

Agree, all this is research and just yet another source. The links are usually great just for a read or to check where the data came from. Cruising you don't know anything for sure until it happens.

https://www.noforeignland.com/ is another, possible best option for up to date info. For example Sines marina closed a while ago without notice & the info was in NFL the next morning. Noonsite says it's still closed but NFL has been updated to open & you can click to see who updated, someone was in there during the summer. You can message the boat to check. Fantastic app
"Update downloaded NFL areas for offline" is part of the passage planning checksheet now, along with google maps.

For long distance cruising these days cruising guides re no longer the only game in town but more of an expensive coffee table book with some pretty pictures, nice to have if you have spare cash but will be out of date & a limited viewpoint. Still nice if you have one, my spain/portugal is in pesetas

Latest template -

"I am an experienced offshore single-handed sailor planning a passage from <% start %> to <% end %> in <% when %> on a well-found 10m steel cutter sailing boat, averaging about 5 knots. Please provide a detailed analysis of the voyage, formatted in markdown for import into Obsidian. Break down the response into the following sections:

Route Overview​

• Provide a brief description of the route, including approximate distances and estimated sailing times.

Weather and Sea Conditions​

• Typical weather patterns for <% when %>
• Average temperatures (air and sea)
• Prevailing winds and their strength
• Potential hazards (e.g., fog, storms)
• Currents and tides that may affect the journey
• Daylight hours and any impact on navigation
• Are there sea areas along the way where I am likely to catch some fish trolling a lure behind the boat

Navigation and Traffic​

• Major shipping lanes and areas of heavy maritime traffic
• Any restricted areas or military zones to be aware of

Communications​

• Essential VHF channels to monitor (e.g., emergency, weather, harbor)
• Overview of any Vessel Traffic Systems near the route with vhf/telephone/address details
• Any specific radio reporting requirements for the countries en route

Safe Harbors and Anchorages​

• List of all-weather anchorages or ports that can be entered under sail
• Brief description of each, including approach considerations and facilities

Major Ports​

• List of major ports along the way
• Brief description of each, including approach considerations, facilities, provisioning possibilities & some local FM radio stations with frequencies

Emergency Preparedness​

• Nearest coast guard stations and their contact information
• Common types of emergencies in the area and how to prepare for them

Legal and Administrative​

• Entry requirements for <% end %> or possible coubntries visited along the way.
• Any customs or immigration procedures to be aware of for those with an EU passport

Additional Considerations​

• Fishing areas to be aware of
• Wildlife encounters (e.g., whales, seabirds) and any related regulations
• Any sailing blogs or youtubes mentioning any of these places which might be of interest
• Any other relevant information for a single-handed sailor on this route

Please provide sources or references for the information where possible.
Give links to source of each item as full ip address, not just hyperlink numbers"