Hi all, I would add a caveat to all use of routing programs. This service is now available to individual and groups of yachts as part of the PredictWind weather tracking and routing service. PredictWind provided a fleet tracker for the group. During the summer of 2020, PredictWind worked closely with the OCC where Daria Blackwell had assembled a list of boats intending to cross the Atlantic ( See Flying Fish 2020-2). PredictWind offer a 20% discount (rebate) on Forecast subscriptions to OCC members. PredictWind provide methods to add positions to any of their tracking maps using Iridium Go, YB, Inreach, email, or via the PredictWind Offshore App on any connection type, including land based internet. They have made significant changes to their tracking map too. PredictWind does it for us and they have recently become sellers of IridiumGo airtime which makes it easier to save money on Iridium costs if only using it part time. The above suggestion is akin to knowing traditional navigation techniques (dividers, parallel rules, paper charts etc.) as the under-pinning for knowledgeable and safe use of electronic charting. In this way, you will be far better prepared to adjust to changing conditions, especially if the electronic routing is hard to duplicate underway. Try to learn from the discrepancies as it is far from a given that the algorithms are wrong. Then, and only then, run your routing program and compare the results of the computer’s algorithms with your routing results, paying especial attention to discrepancies. All the while weave in your knowledge of the likely daily runs (using ship’s polars if available and proven accurate to you and your ship over previous passages: too many polars are based on a boat’s numbers when racing). I would suggest the skipper work the route on one’s own using wind & wave wxfx forecast charts, gribs, recent current charts (including meanders in the Gulf Stream), with particular attention to where the forecast wx/winds might be different from those forecast (say a low traveling a few hundred miles different south of forecast 3 days hence, a not uncommon occurrence which could change things dramatically). Say, one is leaving New York for Bermuda (a usual 4-7 day trip). ![]() ![]()
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