On 17 Feb 2006 09:15:30 -0800, "Andy"
wrote:


Barometers are good if you are in areas where a dropping barometer can
predict a coming storm. Down south of California I never noticed any
reliable correlation between barometer and wind.

I would recommend electronic barometers that can record a history and
display it graphically. Speedtech makes a decent one that I've used
for a couple of years and it eats 4 AA batteries every nine months or
so. Here on the Great Lakes, I *do* notice a correlation between
advancing highs and lows, the rapidity of change and winds. For
instance, today an Arctic high is rapidly filling in and the
temperature has dropped 20 F from this morning and the winds are
blowing gale force (40-45 knots on the water earlier today with 10-12
foot "freezing spray"...yummy).

I do recommend getting a reliable shortwave receiver that can receive
SSB, which you can use to listen to the daily local cruiser's SSB nets.
These nets will usually have someone who keeps up to date on the
latest weather information and gives a daily weather report, and some
of them are quite good. This was how we got most of our weather
information when we were away from port.

Very good advice.

When you are in port you can download all the weatherfaxes, and all
kinds of other detailed weather info, over the internet at the local
cybercafe. When you are away from a developed port you can sometimes
get info from the latest weatherfaxes from other cruisers or cruise
ships using the VHF.

Equally good. The advantage of having onboard weather instruments,
however, is that you can frequently "barter" with amateur or semi-pro
weather providers like Herb H. to give him "spot" conditions that he
can turn into more reliable regional forecasts.

R.