Frank Singleton's Weather and Sailing Pages

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Introduction to Frank's Weather Site

Weather determines where we sail to, when we sail there and if we sail at all. The multiplicity of forecasts bemuses many sailors. This site is a guide to weather forecasts and how to use them. Understanding marine weather forecasts and about weather at sea are both essential to safety of vessels and their crews, especially those of sailing yachts and leisure motor boats.

Frank's Pages - Overview

This page is a general guide to my site which arose from a wish to use my long and wide experience in meteorology and sailing to help others to whom weather and weather forecasting are mysteries. If you find this site useful then remember that it seeks to contribute to safety at sea. You might like to send a donation to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, or your national equivalent, mentioning this site of course.

Forecasts available under the GMDSS

The links below refer to GMDSS services for Europe, the eastern North Atlantic, the Baltic and Mediterranean. Depending on the area and forecast type these broadcasts may be by VHF, NAVTEX, INMARSAT and HF/SSB radio.

Forecasts available over the Internet

The Internet provides an alternative way of getting most marine weather forecasts. It can also provide information not covered by GMDSS weather broadcasts. However, it always has to be borne in mind that the Internet is not an operational service. It will not always be available or it might cost too much just for the communications.

GRIB Files and Services

GRIB information is purely objective; there is no human assessment. quality control nor any guarantee that the data are correct. For short term use it is essential to view GRIBs in the context of GMDSS forecasts that benefit from expert assessment of the computer predictions. GRIB forecasts are particularly useful for planning purposes for the next few days ahead.

There are finer scale, meso-scale, forecasts that can add value in the form of more localised, short term detail but, again, these should be used with care and in the light of hard won experience.

Information for specific areas

Although there are many similarities between weather services in different parts of the world, there are often significant differences. Based on experience, I have acquired much information that I hope will be a starter for those going to these areas. The page on Biscay was written because I realised that there was considerable fear, largely unfounded, regarding Biscay.

Understanding forecasts

Getting weather forecasts is only the start; understanding and knowing the terminology and how best to use forecasts are the real problems. What forecasts are available and appropriate for your purposes? Why not carry on using Single Observer forecasting, as has been done for thousands of years? What is numerical weather prediction? What limits are there to the accuracy of forecasts?

Understanding weather

Much of our weather, particulrly weather that really affects sailors, is often rather small scale. It may be predicted in general terms but rarely in detail. Read about some very local effects that are not always well explained in text books or the sailing ,magazines. Some pages challenge conventional wisdom.

Communications

For many, the BBC Radio 4 shipping forecast is all they ever use. This site tells you much about many of the other forecasts that can be used. These next pages will help you to gain a better idea of how to use the many communications media to get the weather data that you really should have.

Other Information

A miscellany of pages that I find interesting (and hope that you may do also) about meteorology.

NOTE. These are "heavy" page to download over a cell phone.

General Weather and Sailing Links