Section 6: Meteorology and Forecasting
A knowledge of the weather is crucial to seagoing. The wind is your motive power if you are sailing and too much of it one the main hazards you face at sea. There is not time for an in depth study of the science of marine meteorology, you’ll need the yachtmaster syllabus for that (extent of weather coverage is the main difference between the Day Skipper and Yachtmaster syllabi) but we look here at the three Ws that affect the sailor. - Wind, Weather and Waves.
What is required at Day Skipper level however is a good working knowledge of marine forecasting - sources of forecast, meaning of the terms used, and so on
This section comprises the following:
Pressure and wind; high and low pressure
systems
Meteorology of a frontal depression
Types of and conditions for the occurrence of fog
Wind and waves; the Beaufort scale
The BBC shipping forecast - times, frequencies etc
Terms used in marine forecasting
Other sources of marine forecast -internet,
coastguard,
NAVTEX etc