Weather

For those that attended the excellent POA # 5, the materials are posted here.

BIG PICTURE WEATHER SITES

• Ocean Prediction Center (a biggie – you should know this site… drill down and save links to favored items such as surface chart – etc)

http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/Pac_tab.shtml

Lee's article on avoiding the worst of the weather from a tropical cyclone or hurricane is attached.

These systems have two important features: they move, and the wind circles around them like a wheel. Being away from the worst of it is good. With information about the system, you can position yourself either in an area where the movement of the system partly cancels the wind strength because they are opposite, or possibly avoid the main storm's effects.

For those attending the March 26 POA, Bill Erkelens' notes and sample map are attached.

Bill says:

Tactics- Start with an overall plan based on experience and advice.

Slides from Chris' talk.  Draws on prior material including articles on navigation and squalls.

Stan shares a chapter from an upcoming publication. A broad treatment of weather and sources of forecasting, with solid advice.

Key Concepts: Essentials of weather forecasting (OSR 6.02), sources, terms and definitions, logging local conditions, preparation for local anomalies.

Authoring Credits

                Part 1: Weather Forecasting and Waves, written by Stan Honey with input from Ken Campbell

Mike Dvorak has taken his PhD in wind energy and turned it into some very effective weather analysis.  He discusses the tools available to you and the likely conditions he will encounter.

Stan Honey’s

See the powerpoint!  We have added Stan's 2016 slides as well.  Updated, but without narration.

Agenda:

 Don’t screw up at the start

 Get to the Synoptic Wind before the glass-off the first night.

 Pick and race to your Ridge Waypoint.

 Carefully deal with Cutoff Lows

 Slot-cars to the shift, ideally on “Ocean DW” angles

 Squalls and Cloud Streets in the trades

 Pick the correct corner on the Run

 Approaching the Finish

Jim Antrim discusses coastal safety. Waves, created and driven by wind, heap up and break near land. Staying in water at least 2.5 times wave+swell height represents a start for prudent sailing as you come near open shores.Listen to the audio: