By DariaBlackwell - 24 Mar 2012
Just about everyone I know uses Passage Weather http://passageweather.com/# and Wind Guru http://www.windguru.cz/int/ for shore based passage planning. We have found them to be highly accurate to 5 days out on both sides of the Atlantic and free works really well for me.
I am just wondering if anyone has experience with other free meteorological services that are even better on a regional or global level?
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By DariaBlackwell - 11 Sep 2012
Just found a new one. wunderground has just added a marine weather prediction capability.
http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/
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By DariaBlackwell - 7 Dec 2015
The NOAA NWS Ocean Prediction Center has some interesting products available free of charge. http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/index.php
[attachment=295]OPC_ATL.gif[/attachment]
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By pedb@cwgsy.net - 24 Dec 2015
Not sure if its "better" but metoffice.gov.gg is free and has good forecast charts.
Use "Marine Links".
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By Dick - 4 Jan 2016
Hi Daria,
Your query stipulates that the weather products be for shore based planning. This may have led, inadvertently, to a focus on internet based information sources. I would urge readers to base their passage planning on the weather resources that they will be using on passage. And then back that up with shore based internet resources.
But, better to back up a bit. My definition of a passage is those sails where the likelihood is you will be out longer than the 2-3 days (or so) where forecasts collected while on shore are likely still accurate. (I am not sure I agree that Passage Weather (or basically all grib product) can really be depended on out to 5 days and disagree that they are “highly accurate” out 5 days. This may depend on the region you are dealing with.) In other words, on a passage, one will need to collect weather product while underway. This differentiates (among other considerations) passage planning from coastal cruising planning. And for passages, I would recommend using the weather product you will use underway to do planning. This will familiarize one to the product and its quirks and make its use when tired, seasick etc. far easier and less prone to error. Then use other shore based weather resources to back up your planning.
Coastal cruising planning entails quite different planning to my mind.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
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