Boats & Stocks

[Francois+Goelo]

>>> Weather: it's mostly wind strength and direction,...

I am interested in and there are clouds patterns and shape that you eventually learn to recognize... Also, swells and their various directions can help a lot...

Instant Weather Forecasting by Allan Watts, is the Bible of those who want to interpret clouds shapes and predict weather changes...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/092448697X/nananacom/002-8653263-0822430

I also use Weatherfaxes extensively from Bracknell and other stations, while you can now download pictures of the cloud cover over whatever area you navigate directly on your PC... At one point, before leaving the Canary Islands, there were some 4 Hurricanes and 1 Tropical storm, all on the same Weatherfax of the North Atlantic..

http://www.weather.com/maps/news/atldefault/index_large.html

Stay away from these puppies, if you value your electronic... I was stuck in a "trough" for nearly 3 days with these cumulo-nimbus anvil shaped clouds and the wind varied from none to 45 knots in an instant, with strong microbursts (strong wind blowing vertically towards the sea), that completely overpowered the Autopilot... I ended up reefing all the sails to minimum size and powered, while slaloming around the thunderheads during the day and hoping for the best, at night...

http://www.geocities.com/seageme/Thunderheads.html?1003810913662

FG