The first thing to know is that “Weather 101, Basics” is a science course. It may be science, but that doesn’t mean that the principles of weather cannot be rendered using plain language. When veteran marine forecaster Chris Parker talks about the weight of atmosphere, he’ll ...read more
Our first encounter with a big squall was sailing from San Diego to Ensenada, Mexico. We left at 0200 to ensure we’d get into Ensenada before our 1300 haulout time. The National Weather Service had forecast consistent 15-20 knot winds from the northwest, which was perfect for ...read more
Jeremy Davis is one of the head forecasters at Weather Routing Inc. (WRI), based in Glens Falls, New York, where he’s worked for the past 17 years. We recently caught up with Davis to learn more about his passion for weather, climate change and more. How would you describe your ...read more
To begin, know the parts of your sailboat You don't need to know much about how a piston engine works in order to drive a car. You get in, turn on the engine, shift into gear, step on the gas, and off you go. In a sailboat, though, you play a far more active role in harnessing ...read more
In planning for the upcoming 2016 Pacific Cup—a race that takes sailors from San Francisco to Oahu, Hawaii—I was interested in tools for predicting the optimal route. Depending on the location of the Pacific high-pressure system and El Niño, sailing the rhumb line may not be ...read more
