One day: 8 hours
Course Overview
The course covers the characteristics and understanding of both favorable boating weather (e.g. afternoon winds and sea-breezes) and potentially dangerous weather (e.g., squall lines and tropical cyclones). Participants will be taught the basics of these weather systems and their impacts.
Topics
Basic Marine Weather (4 hours)
Prerequisites: none
- Causes of weather: the atmosphere and principles of how clouds form; observing cloud types and what they mean to a mariner
- Basic review of atmospheric pressure and wind concepts (local and large-scale)
- Surface weather maps: an overview of weather systems including lows, fronts, and troughs; highs and ridges; surface chart symbols as depicted on Ocean Prediciton Center (OPC) and Tropical Prediction Center (TPC) surface weather maps
- Navigating for your weather information; where to access weather information.
Intermediate Marine Weather (4 hours)
Prerequisites: Basic Marine Weather or a thorough understanding of OPC/TPC surface weather maps covered in Basic Marine Weather
- Scales of weather: global weather patterns; local weather phenomenon, i.e. Gulf Stream North Wall, coastal winds, and squall lines
- Introduction to upper air charts; integration with surface weather maps for forecasting and introductory routing and heavy weather avoidance
- Introduction to sea and swell wave formation, propagation, and decay; overview of OPC and TPC wind and wave analyses and forecast charts
- Tropcial cyclone basics and the rules for avoidance
Facilitator:Dr. Ward Hindman
Logistics:
Tuition: $295. Tuition for companion (crew, mate, family): $275.
Certification: Upon course completion you will receive a Landfall Navigation Marine Training Center certificate of completion in Marine Meteorology.
Notes: The following suggested reference material are available for purchase at Landfall or at your preferred book store:
Reeds Maritime Meteorology 3rd edition, Cornish & Ives (ISBN: 0713676353)
Weather At Sea 4th edition, Houghton (ISBN: 1904475167)
Weather for Sailors 1st edition, Biewenga (ISBN: 0972436197)
