SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Best routing information

4K views 19 replies 9 participants last post by  jackdale 
#1 ·
What resources are available to assist as skipper in deciding on routes taking into account currents and normal weather patterns.
I'm not looking for a daily or weekly weather forecast. I'm looking for rules of thumb all put together in easily accessible form.

For example stay away from Bermuda from xx to xx months.
Most cruisers go from port xx to port xx in months xx,xx,xx as the trades and currents are typically favorable.

This stuff seems to e well known as every cruising log mentions this sort of thing.
Now with the internet there must be places where it can be easily found as opposed to just word-of-mouth.
I had thought that noonsite would be the place but it seems not.
 
#6 ·
Well I've downloaded it not trying to figure out how to get it big enough to read.
 
#8 ·
Pilot charts much easier to use in old fashioned paper version, then you can flip back and forth and look at the wind/current changes. Nice item to have on your boat when making your passage plan. Also as others have mentioned passage planning requires several sources of information. Looks like you'll be on your way with those listed above.
 
#9 ·
That sure makes sense as seeing them on the computer is tough at best.
 
#10 ·
This years Pilot Charts and Pub 136 Ocean passages for the World...
Would be the main data I would use for long distance passage planning.
Also I would include local weather reports.
Do not want to get underway as a T'storm bearing down on us.
 
#11 ·
For passage planning I use the following as well.

NOAA weather fax

GRIB files

Both are available from Internet, but offshore weatherfax can be accessed via SSB > Modem > laptop and GRIB files can be accessed via email either SSB or Sat Phone. GRIB readers run the whole gamut of cost from free (UGRIB) to expensive (Expedition)

Get familiar with them at home online.

I use the North East Pacific weather fax

Northeast Pacific WX Briefing Package

For Internet based GRIB files I use UGRIB

www.ugrib.us

For email based GRIB files see Requesting grib files from Saildocs (2010-07-08)

I also have a slew of Android apps that I use for weather.

Also if you are going to cross the Gulf Stream, you may wish to use a routing service.

There are also weather routing services both free and for fee available.
 
#12 ·
I use the MaxSea weather routing application. Grib files, polars of your boat, what the projected weather are are all used to produce a sailing route. The Gribs can be downloaded from their website enroute to update the routing underway. It has worked very well for me in passages to and from the Caribbean in the last 7 years. It is an expensive program, unfortunately, but works. It is also part of the Furuno Nav-net system.
 
#14 ·
Can someone explain how the Grib files are produced? I understand the files are all computer generated but what is the input? Do they use a satelite to get the input information? And what is the input information? If it is say Barometric pressure, how does a satelite measure barometric pressure?
Regards
 
#16 ·
All above are perfectly appropriate direction to get your answers - I can only add buoyweather.com (sign up for a trial) is a great single source for forecasting that combines information from the usual multitude of weather prediction and ocean activity sources and puts them together allowing you to get lat/long specific forecasts for any given location.
 
#17 ·
I use a software tool named Visual Passage Planner. VPP has the current pilot chart data by month. If you punch in the polars for your boat it will give quite reliable predicted passage duration estimates.

Jimmy Cornell has just announced a global package of updated pilot charts. See Noonsite for links.
 
#20 ·
Because?

I sense that that they are more usual offshore as they do not seem to factor in land and sea breezes especially well. I also like the weatherfax, but will use all tools available to me before heading out into bluewater.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top