Marine Weather 1

Marine Weather 1 is the first of three weekend courses that begins the learning process for blue water cruisers. It will help you become self-reliant in your own weather forecasting, routing, & prudent decision making, based on at sea-level surface pressure charts. This is a two day course. The topics covered on each day are outlined below:

Day-One

1. Introductions & overview of the two-day course that will cover marine weather analysis, forecasting & vessel routing decision making.
2. Important definitions; weather (WX), climate, & the atmosphere.
3. Different layers of the atmosphere, focusing on the layer where most weather occurs.
4. The role of the sun & radiation in generating the land & sea temperature difference, the primary cause of both sea &land breezes, both from large global scale to local or microscale.
5. Moisture in the atmosphere & its unique role in cloud formation & other visibility restricting conditions such as fog or precipitation.  The different cloud groups & types, & what they mean to a mariner.
6. Basic concepts of pressure & wind, & how they work to develop & deliver common low & high pressure systems at sea-level (surface pressure).
7. “Hands On” exercise in understanding graphical depiction of wind direction & speed (wind barbs).
8. WX systems from global, synoptic, meso, to micro scale; & how the cruising sailor needs to understand & prioritize them.
9. Climatology based pilot charts & how to interpret them for potential long range voyage planning.

Day-Two

After a reinforcement “Hands On” learning exercise based on topics discussed on the first day of the course, and with the “Basic WX 100” concepts under your belt, the course will move on to maritime at-sea level (surface) weather analysis & forecast charts.  The following topics will be covered:

1. The marine advisory & warning system of Environment Canada) for “Strong Wind Warnings” & the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) “Small Craft Advisories (SCA)”, respectively. Both agencies also issue “Gale”, “Storm”, & “Hurricane Force” Warnings.
2. Air masses & how do they relate to synoptic scale WX systems, especially the depiction of associated features on the surface at sea-level WX charts
3. Significant time will be spent discussing synoptic scale WX systems, specifically the dominant middle latitude (30N/S-60N/S) migratory low & high pressure systems & their associated features from cold, warm, occluded, & stationary fronts, to troughs & ridges.
4. Local marine weather of British Columbia (e.g. Strait of Georgia, & Juan de Fuca), especially noting the gap winds that enhance wind speed conditions between them.
5. “Hand On” exercise of understanding the important of documentation & verification of forecasts, in addition to logging specific local WX condition (e.g. clouds & visibility restricting weather such as rain & fog, true wind direction & speed, barometric pressure, sea state condions). This is a vital necessary cultural process to learn by comparing previous forecasts (e.g., 48-96-hour at sea-level surface pressure forecasts) to the most current analyses charts, having the same valid date & time.
6. The art of self-reliant WX forecasting by applying what we read on surface WX maps (e.g. identifying the various symbols on the charts just discussed), & how to build on this newly acquired knowledge & lean to better position your boat on a navigation plot so as to avoid the heaviest weather in time & space.
7. The last part of the afternoon session will be devoted to a live WX map discussion (focusing on surface pressure analyses & forecasts); the follow up to this will be a “Hands On” virtual voyage exercise which will help consolidate the learning process of the past two days & to use this as a road map for the attendees to follow up on the own forecasting & routing after the course.

About the Instructor

Lee Chesneau is a Senior Marine Meteorologist, formerly with NOAA/NWS’s Ocean Prediction Center, NOAA/NESDIS Satellite Service, US Navy Civilian Ship Router, Ocean routes Commercial Weather Router & Forecaster, US Naval Officer and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin with a BSc degree in Meteorology. Lee is a seasoned and highly experienced professional marine meteorologist and an accomplished instructor and lecturer with 40 years of experience. He uses this experience to train mariners throughout North America, both professional and recreational, on how to become self-reliant in marine weather knowledge and forecasting, strategic vessel routing and prudent decision making.

 Notes

• This is a two day course
• Doors open at 0900h
• Lunch is not included.  Please bring a lunch and snacks, there are limited facilities in the area.
• Course registration includes all handout notes
• There will be a $15 processing fee in the event of cancellation.

Cover Image: Public Domain

For More Information and to Register – Click Here