Yachting World - July 2018

33

hether or not you’ve considered

paying for tailored forecasting

and routeing information on the

way out to the Caribbean, it’s a good

investment on the way back. In effect,

you’re gaining an extra crewmember,

someone with proper connectivity to put

the hours into obtaining weather data

including real time information from

satellites and weather buoys, to work out

your best options.

Weather experts can provide a

service as and when you need it – what

forecaster Simon Rowell calls ‘leaving

note for the milkman’ – or on a daily

basis. A good forecaster will ask you to

check in anyway and will be keeping an

eye out for anything untoward heading

your way.

They will help you decide how to shape

your route, and even adapt your sailing

to, say, slow down if necessary and track

south out of stronger winds.

Rowell estimates his costs for providing

this service to an average 40-footer

doing Atlantic crossing at around £500,

while Stephanie Ball at MeteoGib charges

around £70 for daily 24hr SMS-type

forecasts to a satphone or tracker. You

can sign up to more comprehensive

information and grib files, or request

forecasts every two or three days.

Some reputable forecasters

include:

 Rowell Yachting Services –

http://www.rowellyachtingservices.com

 MeteoGib – http://www.meteogib.com

 Chris Tibbs, Sailing Weather –

http://www.sailing-weather.com

 Chris Parker, Marine Weather

Center Services – mwxc.com

a weather eye

Right: careful and

comprehensive

rig checks are

essential for an

Atlantic crossing

in either direction

Carry spare fuel in case you have to motor more than you

expect, and find out from your boat manufacturer your vessel’s

most economical engine cruising revs

‘after a LAZy season

in the caribbean

everything needs to

be checked over’

W

Tor Johnson Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Tor Johnson