It's a beautiful data graphic even as a static screenshot, but you must check out Hint.fm's live Wind Map. Is it just me or is Wind Map the best presentation of macro wind direction and speed ever? It let me almost feel what that big low over the upper Midwest was doing yesterday, and if I was teaching weather I'll bet this is a live graphic that would help students truly get it. And while the two talents behind Hint.fm may characterize Wind Map as "a personal art project" I can't help but wonder how this presentation style and data source might benefit boaters...
Of course I admire another boating writer willing to put weird things on his head for the sake of research and a little levity. But consider me dubious regarding the anti-seasickness goggles Charlie Doane modeled aboard a yacht he almost crewed aboard for the Carib 1500 rally. The rally -- which runs from Hampton, Virginia, to the Virgin Islands -- got delayed by what became tropical storm Sean, and Charlie had to bail, but he still came up with an interesting story about the rally organizers and weather routers who try to help passage makers in this difficult season...
Yes that's an Accu-Steer reversing hydraulic pump meant to push a rudder around, but that block on top is a patent-pending sensor co-developed with FurunoUSA, and the whole package leads to the very interesting "Safe Helm" and "Power Steer" features coming to the latter's NavPilot 700 (which explains why the pilot came out elsewhere earlier). Safe Helm sounds a lot like the "Shadow Drive" feature so far only seen on the Garmin GHP 10 pilot for hydraulic steering systems; instead of poking a StandBy button, you simply turn the wheel to disengage the pilot and steer around an issue, then let the boat settle on a course again to re-engage. It's elegantly simple (I've tried the Garmin version), and it's potentially great that it's is no longer exclusive to one manufacturer. And apparently Furuno's unique method also means that the pump can be used to power assist a steering system, with numerous controls for how that's done -- like variable assist at different speeds -- built into the NavPilot 700...
An energetic but somewhat chaotic frontal system passed over Maine last Thursday afternoon but I was able to keep on boating largely thanks to Garmin's new GDL 40 cellular weather system, which I'm getting to test somewhat ahead of the shipping date. The severe thunderstorm warning that headlined most of the NOAA coastal forecasts might have kept some people off the water. (The forecast areas greyed out on the screen above all have some sort of warning, as shown in the inset, as well as the full text, which can be called up.) But the animated Nexrad precipitation radar, along with lightning strike data, indicated that that my bit of Bay was going to enjoy a frontal hole...
When I wrote about Garmin's new GDL 40 cellular weather system recently, the comments reminded me about how many different ways there are to access data and forecasts (and how opinionated some folks are about the methods they favor). So I guess I shouldn't be surprised when two apps that both specialize in downloading and displaying GRIB weather model data on iPads, or their smaller siblings, take quite different approaches to the task...
Yes, the hardware kit looks just like a Garmin 17x GPS or GXM 51 Satellite Weather rig -- what with three different install options, under deck included, and an N2K cable and tee for power and data -- but in fact it's the company's brand new GDL 40 Cellular Marine Weather Receiver, just announced today and shipping in June. I think it will be an attractive new integrated weather option because the hardware is reasonable at $300 retail and you only pay for the weather data -- available to start along the coasts of the U.S., Canada or Europe -- when you use it. But when you think about what other services could be provided by a two-way GSM cellular modem networked to your boat's NMEA 2000 network and (Garmin) MFDs, I think you'll agree that this may be one of the most important product advances of the year...
Though it's not mentioned anywhere, there's no question that B&G's new Zeus multifunction displays are re-branded Simrad NSE MFDs, with some special software sauce on top. But that's a good idea. NSE has a lot going for it, and the more ways Navico finds to expand its scope -- like the Simrad NSO system, also "soft launched" in Newport last week -- the better for everyone, I think. Besides, has there ever been an MFD that can do jobs sailors usually use PCs for -- like animating GRIB weather files, displaying data strip charts, and calculating laylines?
It is disconcerting when all the waterfront owners within a few hundred feet of your boat remove their floating docks for fear of hurricane damage! In fact, the harbors in my area were jumping on Thursday and Friday; lots of boats got hauled, and the rest of us hunkered down with chafing gear and extra lines applied, sails and biminis removed or trussed up, etc. etc. But Hurricane Earl lost its steam, big time. Even the Friday 6 pm forecast by our most reliable local source, Locus Weather, turned out to be way off the mark; instead of the predicted late night easterlies of 30-35 knots with gusts over 40, the GoMOOS F01 weather buoy recorded a max hourly average 14k with a max gust of 17. I slept aboard Gizmo like a baby...
Are you able to estimate wind direction and speed from small waves in the water, the movement of clouds, or visual cues from other boats 300, 500, or even 700 meters away? It is a good skill for a sailor to have, but very tough to learn. The Racer's Edge, pictured above, is a high tech wind measurement device capable of measuring wind speed and direction at considerable distances, enabling a sailboat crew to optimize course and sail trim for maximum speed.
XM Satellite Weather actually has nothing to do with this new product, but I mention it in the title because Baron Services is both the meteorological expertise behind XM Weather and the developers of the WxWorx software which can make that XM data accessible on a boat's PC. The idea of the new Quicklink is to provide XM-WxWorx-like semi-real-time weather beyond the North America coverage area of XM's satellites, and it looks like Baron is pulling a couple of rabbits out of the hat to do it...
