why daily weather reports?

[svORCA]

does a sailor "really" need a weather fax or other weather reports on a regular basis? if i do my research, before i depart on a 21 day cruise to hawaii, do i need weather reports during that 21 days?

[Jeff_H]

At the risk of being seen as a wise guy, if you have to ask that question, then perhaps you are not ready to make that passage. Sailors have made many a safe passage in the years before radios and weather fax''s so while it is possible for you to make the trip without weather updates it is probably a really bad idea. When you think that major storm systems can move across the eastern Pacific in as little a week to 10 days from the time that they form, I would suggest that having a heads up on what is happening would be a good idea. While the local weather underway may not be terribly accurate or germane knowing what to expect should help you make decisions about routing, sleep rationing and sail choices. I don''t think that you need a weather fax but I would suggest that you should have a radio capable of recieving long distance weather transmissions on board.
Jeff