The Sailing Cruising Lifestyle
It may be science, but that doesn’t mean that
the principles of weather cannot be rendered using plain language. When veteran
marine forecaster Chris Parker talks about the weight of atmosphere, he’ll let
you know that “air is pretty heavy.” Discussing energy transfer on a global
scale, Parker notes, “There’s more friction on land...so there is less wind.
”What is a front? “A front is simply a leading
edge between dissimilar air masses,” he answers. Parker has been
advising cruising boaters for more than 15 years, earning a reputation for
precision forecasting, initially in the Bahamas and Caribbean Sea. For example,
the Exumas are an archipelago in the Bahamas that is 130 miles long, yet
Parker’s forecasts divide these islands into northern, central and southern sectors
for localized predictions.
Nobody else cuts it so fine. Today his
weather routing is world-wide. In fact, while we were taping this course,
Parker was shepherding two boats across the Pacific. “Weather 101,
Basics” is a course for ambitious cruisers, who want the knowledge to perform
reality checks on forecasts received from afar and the ability to craft their
own when onboard technology goes dark. blue water sailing
In Ocean Sailing, Heiney sets out to
provide practical advice about the realities of ocean sailing. With many
anecdotes and stories from cruisers with extensive bluewater experience
(including members of the Royal Ocean Cruising Club, the Ocean Club and the
Cruising Club of America), he covers all the topics most sailors wonder or
worry about before a significant voyage.
The book opens with a review of the world’s
great ocean passages, with details and personal stories from cruisers who have
sailed them. Next, he discusses the pros and cons of various different boat
designs, at the same time sharing a number of sailors’ stories about what they
chose and why it was (or wasn’t) right for them in the end.
So, what does the future of “green” shipping
look like? It depends on who you ask. “It’s my job to sell the concept that
wind works and is a real solution for shipping. It’s our member’s job to sell
the technology they’ve created to make it happen,” says Gavin All wright of the
International Wind ships Association a group that advocates for wind-powered
shipping solutions.
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