[marvout]

What is the best way to record and process radio weather forecasts? I'm sailing on Lake Winnipeg and expect to be in range of nothing but the weather radio for part of the summer. What's the best system for recording forecasts so that you keep the information of a few days ahead recorded, but overwrite it with closer more accurate info as the days arrive?

I'm also wondering about keeping a ships log, that's a separate question, but do you keep your weather forecast info in there?

Marvin

 

[MedSailor]

What is the best way to record and process radio weather forecasts? I'm sailing on Lake Winnipeg and expect to be in range of nothing but the weather radio for part of the summer. What's the best system for recording forecasts so that you keep the information of a few days ahead recorded, but overwrite it with closer more accurate info as the days arrive?

I'm also wondering about keeping a ships log, that's a separate question, but do you keep your weather forecast info in there?

Marvin

There is a product which does exactly what you seek. My new boat came with one, though the antenna was cut and I haven't spliced in a new one yet, so I have yet to try it. Looks handy.

Another way is if you have a smartphone and 4G access you can go to the NOAA weather website for your area. That's what I usually do now. Before I would sit by the radio with a pen and paper, though a cheap handheld voice recorder designed for dictation would work for recording and playing back the radio.

MedSailor

 

[chuck5499]

Depending on where we are we have to use a variety of forecasts from radio, to internet, to wx router, to gribs from the hf radio. We keep a small notebook and write the forecasts down and track them over a period to see if changes are coming. We record wind, seas, and barometer.

 

[CapnChuck]

Marvin, While cruising we set up an Excel spread sheet with 24, 48 and 72 hour forecasts. We also record actual conditions so we can compare how often the forecast is off. To our surprise, or maybe not so much, even the 24 hour forecast was off considerably almost 85% of the time. We use a rule of thumb that adds 5 knots to the forecast wind speed, and we double the forecast wave height and we are usually closer than the actual forecast. Of course this is for the Atlantic and Gulf coasts so may or may not apply on your lake. Chuck

 

[marvout]

Chuck, Do you bother recording forecasts for other local areas as well - to track what might be headed your way?

Marvin

 

[SVAuspicious]

What is the best way to record and process radio weather forecasts? I'm sailing on Lake Winnipeg and expect to be in range of nothing but the weather radio for part of the summer. What's the best system for recording forecasts so that you keep the information of a few days ahead recorded, but overwrite it with closer more accurate info as the days arrive?

I'm also wondering about keeping a ships log, that's a separate question, but do you keep your weather forecast info in there?

For VHF weather reports (what's happening now) and forecasts (what's coming) your best bet is a recording unless you are prepared to sit through the cycle several times or write a lot faster than I do. *grin* Most smart phones have a recorder function that works just fine.

You have a number of alternatives on Lake Winnipeg. Cell phone coverage is reasonable and if you have a smartphone or a data plane you can get anything that is on the Internet. In that case I strongly recommend synoptic charts. You can also get the regional and local text forecasts and save them to compare day to day. Anything you can get at home on the Internet you can get aboard.

You might explore HF weatherfax - I don't think the Canada stations will help but Boston covers Lake Winnipeg on most graphics.

Navtex is a great product but forecast coverage in North America isn't complete. I wouldn't count on it.

 

[CapnChuck]

Chuck, Do you bother recording forecasts for other local areas as well - to track what might be headed your way?

Marvin

Marvin, While we don't record these things, we do monitor weatherfax, grib files, local radar and other sources for a week out when on a passage. We keep track of the locations and movements of high and low pressure systems and fronts and how they might affect the weather in our area. You almost need to be your own weather forecaster and have a working knowledge of how the relationship of these features can affect the weather in your location. While we don't record the information we often keep copies of the weatherfax and grib files to compare them for sudden changes. Chuck

 

[marvout]

While cell maps show a lot of Lake Winnipeg has coverage, where I'm tucked in a little bay usually doesn't have coverage. Normally I find that by the time I'm where I get service, I'm already out in the deep stuff. So relying on cell is not a good idea. Nice when I can get it, but not consistent.

Where does a person learn to read weather data? Is there a reasonable starting place or book that someone could recommend? I've poked around the web and learned a bit, but it seems so hit & miss. Most often I feel like I can't understand A because I don't know B, which is dependent on C which requires an understanding of A...

Appreciating the wisdom,
Marvin

 

[SVAuspicious]

My three big recommendations are, in no particular order:

Lee Chesneau at Seven Seas U

Frank Singleton at Iridium & Inmarsat Satellite Phones with Backup & Support - MailASail

 

[CapnChuck]

Marvin, Frank Singleton's website is an excellent starting point, Frank Singleton's Weather and Sailing Pages / Franks-Weather | The Weather Window . Chuck

 

[jackdale]

Where does a person learn to read weather data? Is there a reasonable starting place or book that someone could recommend? I've poked around the web and learned a bit, but it seems so hit & miss. Most often I feel like I can't understand A because I don't know B, which is dependent on C which requires an understanding of A...

Appreciating the wisdom,
Marvin

For understand weather this is a great device.

AMS Educational Materials

 

[jackdale]

The Environment Canada web site has marine forecasts for Lake Winnipeg and other Manitoba lakes

Prairies - Manitoba Lakes - Marine Weather - Environment Canada

You can get current conditions as well

http://weather.gc.ca/marine/forecast_e.html?mapID=04&siteID=16300

 

[aeventyr60]

In the olden days, I had a Furuno paper fax receiver. Ripped off paper from the machine and stuck it on a clipboard...wrote the voice forecast on that page as well. Used to use a tape recorder too, then when to a digital recorder. I liked the. at a glance ability to quickly scan several days forecast and then to see what the weather did....

 

[MedSailor]

In the olden days, I had a Furuno paper fax receiver. Ripped off paper from the machine and stuck it on a clipboard...wrote the voice forecast on that page as well. Used to use a tape recorder too, then when to a digital recorder. I liked the. at a glance ability to quickly scan several days forecast and then to see what the weather did....

Such luxury! When I was a boy we couldn't afford paper, let alone a fax computer! No, my dad would have me walk in the snow for miles and we'd gauge the barometric pressure from the pain in my knees after the walk. :laugher

MedSailor

 

[newhaul]

Such luxury! When I was a boy we couldn't afford paper, let alone a fax computer! No, my dad would have me walk in the snow for miles and we'd gauge the barometric pressure from the pain in my knees after the walk. :laugher

MedSailor

Uphill both ways I assume :laugher:laugher:laugher

 

[aeventyr60]

Such luxury! When I was a boy we couldn't afford paper, let alone a fax computer! No, my dad would have me walk in the snow for miles and we'd gauge the barometric pressure from the pain in my knees after the walk. :laugher

MedSailor

I bet you didn't wear shoes either?

Some interesting shorthand going on in my notes too. Crap weather, turning to more crap, continued crap easing to less then crap next week. The crap your seeing is nothing like the crap coming up. More large swells crapping up from the SW. Barometer is crapping out too as the deep crap low continues to strengthen, bringing more crap from the SW. It's a real crap shoot out here with all this crappy wx info. And those crappy WX forecasters, crap on them. You paid good crap for bad crap advice?Crap on you.