1. The surface marine weather map discussion

2. The atmosphere, its composition, properties, and behavior

3. The importance of moisture and the principles of how clouds form.

4. Observing cloud types and what they mean to a mariner.

5. Basic concepts of atmospheric pressure and wind.

6. Global pressure and wind patterns

7. Air masses

8. The surface marine weather map discussion

9. Homework assignment

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Day 2…8-8:30 to 4-4:30 PM

1. The surface marine weather map discussion

2. Review of key points from day 1, review homework assignment.

3. The surface weather map: An overview of surface weather systems (lows, fronts, and troughs; highs and ridges). Warning labels and wind barbs and other marine surface weather map chart symbols as depicted on Ocean Prediction Center (OPC) and the Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch (TAFB) of the Tropical Prediction Center (TPC).

4. The surface marine weather map discussion

5. Navigating for your weather information; where to access weather information while at sea from the public domain.

Reinforcement review questions and application exercises will be administered throughout the course to ensure that the objectives of understanding how weather works so as to reinforce proper interpretation and reading marine surface weather charts. Supplemental reading material and articles will be provided to compliment the student notes taking as well as complementary reinforcement exercises.

1. Marine weather map discussion

2. Review of essentials from Marine Weather Level 1: An overview of how weather works; the atmosphere and principles of how clouds form; Observing cloud types and what they mean to a mariner.

3. Basic review of pressure and wind concepts.

4. The surface weather map: An overview of surface weather systems (lows, fronts, and troughs; highs and ridges). Warning labels and wind barbs and other surface chart symbols as depicted on Ocean Prediction Center (OPC) and Tropical Prediction Center (TPC) marine surface weather maps.

5. Reinforcement exercise for Marine Weather Level 1

6. Introduction to sea & swell wave formation, propagation & decay concepts; An overview of OPC and TPC wind & wave analyses and forecast charts.

7. Map Discussion

8. Homework assignment

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Day 2… 8-8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

1. Marine weather map discussion

2. Local weather phenomenon. (Emphasizing the Gulf Stream North Wall episodes…east coast; Puget Sound Convergence Zone, Santa Anna Winds, & Tehuantepec episodes (for the west coast courses)).

3. Introduction to upper air weather charts & their uses; 500 Mb basics & their integration with surface weather maps for forecasting and introductory routing and heavy weather avoidance.

4. Tropical Cyclone basics and the 1-2-3 rule for avoidance.

5. Navigating for your weather information; where to access weather information while at sea from the public domain.

Reinforcement review questions and application exercises will be administered to ensure that the objectives of upper charts as they relate to surface marine weather charts are properly interpreted and read. Review handout material will be provided at the end of the session to compliment notes taken as well as reinforcement exercises.

There would be 4 exercises that would dominate the remainder the two day weekend program. There will be a teamwork approach for no less than 2 students per team in the class. Thus, the minimum attendance for this class to be conducted will be two students.

1. An Atlantic Ocean Exercise: (24 hour weather forecast (cloud types, precipitation, visibility, pressure, winds, & sea state (waves), based on reading a suite of charts for a fixed position…instructors discretion). This would be followed by a route design from the east coast (e.g. Newport RI, Mystic, CN, Annapolis, MD, or Ft Lauderdale, FL) to Bermuda, and then onward to the Azores, where along a student’s chosen “Dead Reckoning (or DR)” position track line for their vessel is a scheme for documenting & a forecast verification of 24-48-96 hours of winds and sea state conditions (significant wave height in feet/meters).

2. A Pacific Ocean Exercise: (24 hour weather forecast (cloud types, precipitation, visibility, pressure, winds, & sea state (waves), based on reading a suite of charts for a fixed position…instructor’s discretion). This would be followed by route design from Seattle, WA, to Eureka or San Francisco, CA ,then on to Hawaii, where along a student’s chosen “Dead Reckoning (or DR)” position track line for their vessel is a documented & forecast verification scheme of 24-48-96 hours of winds and sea state conditions (significant wave height in feet/meters).

3. Local Geographical Effects Exercise: For US east coast courses, Gulf Stream North Wall & weather forecasting exercise using with a case study of real world weather conditions and weather forecasting and routing decisions from a hind sight perspective. For the US west coast course: A gap wind event either from the St of Juan De Fuca (near Seattle WA), the Columbia River, OR basin, Santa Anna Winds of southern CA, the Mexican Riviera; Gulf of Tehuantepec, and the funnel of acceleration of winds within the coastal confines of northern CA (Point Saint George to a far south as Point Conception in southern CA)

4. Hurricane Avoidance Exercise: Applying the 1-2-3 Rule (34 knot wind radii).

5. Wrap up with weather website surfing.

Rich Boren
S/V THIRD DAY
1978 Pearson 365 Ketch Hull #192
Full Time Live-a-board Cruiser…we made it!!
Cruising the Sea of Cortez Summer ‘09
http://www.svthirdday.com
http://www.Pearson365.com

I came out feeling much better prepared than I did going in, and I thought I had a pretty good handle on it. Instead I found the seminar was a steady stream of “AHA!” moments, and many of my basic understandings were corrected. I can highly recommend it, and look forward to the advanced seminar Lee is developing. It’s 3 days with a lot more focus on self routing, although I feel at least reasonably prepared to self route with the body of information provided at this seminar.”

Lee Walker
S/V Bolero
Lagoon 37 TPI

I have taken two courses from him at Strictly Sail Pacific. The classes explain the basic dynamics that drive weather systems as well as how those forces are expressed in the NOAA weather products. This basic grounding in marine weather not only lets you look ahead a few days while on a passage, it gives you an understanding of why changes are occurring in data you see in GRIB files and buoy data.

Lee Chesneau’s Marine Weather is a free and very concise site that organizes the Atlantic and Pacific NOAA Ocean products. Using this site you can get a quick picture of the 96 hours of weather in a minute or two.”

Lee’s longer workshops are also offered through the Seven Seas Cruising Association.

S/V Maitreya – A blog detailing the adventures of the sailing vessel Maitreya.
http://www.sv-maitreya.net

Since you said you are a big fan of Benjamin Franklin, here’s an interesting quotation:

“If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing.” – Benjamin Franklin, 1738″

Best regards,
Alan Clendinen

Jim McHutchison

And based on your brief presentation, yesterday, we are very interested in learning more from you…”

Sincerely,
Wendy Hendricks & Don Wintjen