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Nothing on this website or in direct communications received from us, or in our articles in the media, should be construed to mean or imply that offshore voyaging is anything other than potentially hazardous. Dangers such as, but not limited to, extreme weather, cold, ice, lack of help or assistance, gear failure, grounding, and falling overboard could injure or kill you and wreck your boat. Decisions such as, but not limited to, heading offshore, where you go, and how you equip your boat, are yours and yours alone. The information on this web site is based on what has worked for the authors in the past, but that does not mean it will work for you, or that it is the best, or even a good way for you to do things.
It’s posts like this that remind me that I’m nowhere near ready for offshore passages as a skipper. Thanks for the important reminder.
One day, though.
Hi C. Dan,
The situation described in this post, was a particularly complex one so don’t let it discourage you.
And the quickest way to get the kind of knowledge that will help you correctly sort out a situation like that described is to go offshore with an experienced skipper—books, and even this site, will only take you so far.
John, I have re-read this post in preparation for our Bermuda-NY crossing scheduled to start with the first weather window after June 1, and thank you for the insights.
Is there a router who you would recommend to advise on Gulf Stream entry and exit points? Also, may I ask where you captured that excellent colour graphic of the Stream in your post on the loss of Tao yesterday?
Kind regards,
Jan Waldin
Hi Jan-Paul,
The colour graphic was from http://rads.tudelft.nl/gulfstream/
As to a router to advise, I’m afraid you are asking the wrong person in that I feel quite strongly that it is not a good idea to have a weather person making routing decisions, that’s the skippers job and many routers that do offer that service don’t have enough offshore experience to fully understand the implications of their advice out on the water. There maybe exceptions, but I don’t know anyone I can personally endorse.
Having said that, it is well worth while going to an expert to actually find out what the stream is doing. I have always used Jenifer Clark in this regard and been happy.
Hi John,
the graphics on the website you mentioned in your post unfortunately don’t work anymore, the last successful image dates from March 6th, 2019, with increasingly degrading until no data within the 3-4 following days.
Have you got any other source like this?
Thanks, Ernest
Hi Ernest,
That’s sad to hear. Jenifer was an amazing source for over 40 years.
The good news is that there are many more sources of GS information available now than the were when I wrote the post, a lot of them in GRIB form. A bit of google searching will yield a bunch of options.
Thank you, John, much appreciated.
I think we are on the same page here. I agree entirely with your point on the skipper’s job, and that this responsibility is not delegable. And that certainly applies to routing decisions.
That said, seeking knowledgeable advice, and weighing it with other material factors — including the advisor’s abilities and limitations —knowledge of the capability of the vessel and its crew, etc. etc.,, is central to this process, as it is to all executive decision-making. Seeking advice is one thing, what one does with it is another.
As you have underscored in other posts, (e.g. The Best Weather Forecast You Never Heard Of) wx forecasts themselves are opinions to be considered, and it is invaluable to understand what goes behind them; the same applies to across the board.
Thanks for sharing your insights from your thirty and more years of Stream crossings. I can see another seminar in the making there, if you were so inclined . . .
Kind regards,
Jan
Hi Jan-Paul,
Very nicely put, better than I did, as you say, we agree completely.
Hi John.
I should be interested to know the science/mechanics behind the wind against current phenomenon. Googling the question was a limited success, with the only explanation which made sense referring to the effect of the wind on the elliptical movement of the water in waves. The deeper water continues pushing forward, while the higher water is pushed back by the wind, leading to steeper and breaking waves. Do you or any of your correspondents have a better explanation for the phenomenon? There are a number of shallow water examples around the British Isles, the Portland Race probably being the best known, but I have never had the misfortune to experience one of the major ocean currents.
Yours aye,
Bill
As an aside, and because I agree with the argument that skippers should learn to interpret weather data from the level of the deck, I have been learning a lot from this book written by a professional mariner: http://www.chesneaumarineweather.com/?p=214