S.V. CAMBRIA: April 2016

Z is for Zooming Ahead: What’s Next?

Saturday, April 30, 2016TheCambrians

During the month of April, we're participating in the Blogging From A to Z Challenge where every day (excluding Sundays) we'll be posting to the blog . . . alphabetically. The overall theme we've chosen to tie all the entries together is living aboard a boat and cruising – things we've learned along the way: our thoughts, reflections, and tips for those just starting out or who are interested in this lifestyle.

Cambria sailing up the coast of New Zealand (photo by Eleanor Bates).

What’s next? It’s a question we ask ourselves often and, until recently, it’s been an easy one to answer thanks to an overall plan for cruising the Inside Passage – biting one section off at a time. And now that we’ve completed our final major season in the Pacific Northwest (the one where we sailed to Southeast Alaska), we need to make some big decisions.

Do we make a run out the Strait of Juan de Fuca and turn left, making our way down the coast to

Mexico

and across the South Pacific back to

New Zealand

where we have residency? From there, we could spend six months in the summer and head north to the islands during the winter to explore

Fiji

, New Caledonia and

Vanuatu

, all places we missed the first time around. I have a strong desire to spend more time offshore and this option would fulfill that longing, but it was a choice we had available to us nine years ago and passed on (mainly because we had a dog aboard and there are strict quarantine regulations in New Zealand).

Or do we make our way through the Panama Canal, to the Caribbean, over to Bermuda, the Azores, and on to the Mediterranean? That was our thinking nine years ago when we had Cambria shipped to the Northern Hemisphere from

New Zealand

. But after spending so much time cruising in the wilderness, this plan has lost a lot of its appeal. If nothing else, the last eight years have shown us that we prefer dropping our hook in secluded anchorages where it may be several days before we see another boat, if at all. With improvements in technology, the oceans have become more accessible and a larger number of people are living on the water now which means one thing: more crowded anchorages along the sun-belt and prime cruising destinations.

If remote anchorages are what we’re looking for, there’s always the Northwest Passage and every now and then David mentions it as a possibility. It would certainly accomplish moving us east and open up a new world of cruising – Greenland and Northern Europe. There’s no doubt it would be the experience of a lifetime, but the cost involved in preparing Cambria and ourselves for such an expedition would be very high. She’s an ocean-going vessel built to Lloyd’s standards but she wasn’t constructed with high-latitude sailing in mind . . . and honestly, neither was I (not that high anyway).

We could truck Cambria to the Great Lakes and do the Great Loop and Intracoastal Waterway before crossing the Atlantic. Like harbor-hopping up the West Coast of the

(which we did in 2008), it’d be an extraordinary way to see the country. To make it a little more interesting, we could always attack the Great Loop via the Caribbean before crossing the Atlantic, taking the opportunity to see

Mexico

Guatemala

El Salvador

Costa Rica

and

Panama

as we do.

If inland waterways and touring countries from a unique perspective are what we’re looking for, then maybe it’s time to try something completely different and buy a canal boat in

England

. David’s British and still has family there so it’d be a wonderful opportunity for us to spend time with them and to see his homeland, particularly the historical sites. We had the chance to do a short trip on one when we were in

England

several years ago and fell in love with the experience. It’s easy for me to picture myself walking alongside the boat with a dog by my side as David putters slowly by. And he doesn’t have a problem seeing himself ending the day with a trip to the local pub to taste their wares.

The adventure wouldn’t have to stop there. After

England

, we could tour the canals of Europe,

France

in particular. I don’t have a “bucket list” per se, but my major area of study in university was French and for as long as I can remember I’ve dreamed of living there and the canals would be one way to accomplish that. Canal boating clearly has something to offer both of us but would mean reconnecting with the outside world on a level I’m not sure I’m comfortable with. But, more importantly, how would it compare to sailing? And would we be able to make the transition from a life where we live independently for months at a time to one where we would be connected to land on a daily basis?

These are all good questions, ones we’ve given a lot of time and consideration to. At the end of the day, the prospect of leaving this place we’ve come to know and love is daunting. After all, where else in the world can we sail deep into spectacular fjords lined with rugged mountains and hanging glaciers? Jump into our kayaks and watch bears forage along the shore? Sail amongst waterfalls? I know other places like this exist, each with its own unique cultural experience, but we’re already here and the idea of turning our backs on what we have isn’t an easy one.

So, what’s next for us?

New Zealand

? The Caribbean? The Mediterranean?

England

? It’s a difficult question and one we’re not quite ready to answer, not publicly anyway. But we do know what we’ll be doing this coming season: Tomorrow, we’ll untie our lines, slide out of our winter slip and slowly make our way north. We have no idea how far we’ll go or what anchorages we’ll visit along the way . . . that depends on the wind and which direction it decides to blow.

Thanks for following along with our first (and hopefully not last) A to Z Challenge. It’s been fun!

Note: A version of this article first appeared online at Three Sheets Northwest.

Y is for Yuck | Things We Don’t Like About Living-Aboard and Cruising

Friday, April 29, 2016TheCambrians

I was looking through some pictures of past cruising seasons recently – white sand beaches, tidewater glaciers, snow-capped mountains, brown bears fishing for salmon – and realized how easy it is to loose sight of what it took to achieve those experiences: The hard work, the perseverance, the patience. But that’s the point, isn’t it? We record happy moments in our lives, not the ones we’d rather forget (like record-breaking rainfall in July or the nights spent on anchor watch). And when it comes to blogging, that’s what most of us want to share. But it’s only part of the story, living-aboard and cruising on a sailboat can be challenging – it’s not all sunsets and margaritas, not even close. While it’s true that the benefits outnumber the drawbacks (for most of us), there are some things David and I don’t like about living-aboard and cruising even if most days we’d be hard-pressed to remember what they are.

The Weather

It’s a love/hate relationship, really. We love the weather when it’s sunny, settled, and there’s a nice sailing breeze. But we hate it when we’re stuck in an anchorage, being battered by winds and rain, waiting for the latest round of fronts to move through.

Anchor Watches

In all fairness, we haven’t had to stand a lot of anchor watches up here, especially in the height of summer. But when we were based in New Zealand, sleepless nights seemed like a weekly occurrence. And while it’s all part of living-aboard and cruising, it can be a stressful time.

*Saying Goodbye
Time and time again both David and I say that goodbyes are the worst thing about this lifestyle. We try to keep a positive outlook; it's a small world on the water, after all, and there's a fair chance our paths will cross again with friends we've made along the way. But moving on (or being left behind) isn't easy and something we may never get used to.

Everything Takes Longer

And I mean everything! From buying groceries to doing laundry, but what I’m really talking about is fixing things. David and I like to joke that boat years are the equivalent of dog years for people but there’s an element of truth to that. Any job that needs to be done on a boat can take two to seven times longer than its counterpart on land (depending on the job and access to it) . . . and that can be very frustrating.

Access or Lack Thereof

I don’t think Cambria’s unique in the world of boats when it comes to lack of access to important things like the engine, electrical wiring, plumbing and more. The problem is that just about everything on a boat breaks and, when it does, getting your hands on it can be a real challenge.

Broken Heads

Toilets on boats are machines and they break down. Need I say more?

Hauling Out

Taking the boat out of the water for regular maintenance or to perform a major boat job is a necessary evil, but it’s also very dirty and hard work.

Marinas

Some people will argue that boats are meant to move and shouldn’t be tied up in marinas. We wouldn’t go that far, but being tied up makes us feel claustrophobic and restless – the less we have to do it, the happier we are.

Condensation

Cruising in a cooler climate with colder water temperatures can add up to a wet boat (even one that doesn’t leak), especially if you like to cruise year-round or during the shoulder months. For six months of the year, wiping down hatches and drying out damp lockers is a daily chore . . . and I hate it! But the benefits of cruising the spectacular Inside Passage more than make up for it.

Mold and Mildew

A cousin to condensation, mold and mildew can be a big problem on boats in the Pacific Northwest. Cambria is dry and well-insulated but even that’s not enough to keep mildew at bay. It’s a constant battle.

Birds

(This one’s for David) Every year, without fail, David asks for a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas to keep the birds from pooping on the boat. And every year, without fail, Santa gives him the shaft.

Do you live-aboard or cruise? What are some of the things you don’t like? Join the conversation below in our comments or on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you!

* My thanks to Jaye from Life Afloat for this addition to the list. I concentrated on things particular to everyday life and overlooked the biggest downside in the process – saying goodbye.

X is for (e)Xceptional: Things We Love About Living-Aboard and Cruising

Thursday, April 28, 2016TheCambrians

We’re down to the final days of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge and I wanted to use the last letters of the alphabet to reflect more on our 15 years of living-aboard and cruising rather than pass along tips from things we’ve learned. I’ve already written about how we became regional cruisers, some of the difficulties I faced when transitioning to living-aboard, some of the side effects of cruising, and what cruising means to us. And now I want to get down to the specifics. Like everything else, living-aboard a boat and cruising has its pros and cons. I’ll address both, but in this post I look at some of the things we love about this lifestyle that’s captivated us for so many years.

Anchoring

We love to sail. We love to travel. We love new experiences. But spending time at anchor is where all of our hard work pays off. For us, it doesn’t get much better than swinging free with million dollar views all around. And the best part is, if we get tired of the neighbourhood (or the neighbours), we can up anchor and move.

Exploring New Places

We love to travel and cruising has allowed us to visit so many new places over the last 15 years, many of which can’t be reached by land and look like they’ve never seen the touch of man. It’s been extraordinary.

Freedom

We have no phones that need to be answered, no lesson plans to be made, no clients to please, no alarm clocks to set. We are our own bosses now and that’s been a liberating experience.

Kayaking

Kayaking is one of those things I hadn’t realized I loved until we based ourselves in the Pacific Northwest, and the Inside Passage is the ideal location for it. Honestly, it’s hard to beat the feeling you get from the seat of a kayak when you’re surrounded by 6,000-foot cliffs or following bears as they forage along the shore.

Living off the Grid

Cambria is a mobile power plant and has everything aboard we need to survive for months at a time without tapping into outside resources: Our large battery bank supplies energy for all of our creature comforts – refrigeration, lights, computers, stereo, TV – and our solar panel array replenishes the batteries. When there’s not enough wind to fill our sails (which happens often during the summer months), we have enough diesel aboard to motor 1,200 miles. When the water tanks start to empty, we can make more. If the trash becomes unwieldy, we can go to shore and burn it. And our portable freezer holds enough meat to last four months or longer. Once we got a taste of unplugging and living independently, we were hooked!

Living Simply

Living on a boat requires a simpler way of life, there’s no way around it. Limited space means we had to downsize and get rid of most of the things that weighed us down on land – TVs, cars, houses, furniture, appliances. Now that we carry everything we own with us, we cook and eat more simply. We walk and take public transportation (except during the winter months when we have access to our truck). We rarely have phone coverage or access to the internet. Basically, if we don’t have it aboard, it’s likely that we don’t need it.

No Lawn to Mow

This is a favourite of David’s, but I’m not sure why. When we lived on land, I mowed the lawn (he says he did, but he’s wrong).

The People We Meet

You hear this a lot from just about everyone who lives on the water, and it’s true. The people that we’ve met over the years are from all walks of life, but have one thing in common: openness. Friendships form fast and are built to last.

The Perspective from the Water

The world looks different from the water and we can’t get enough of this unique perspective, especially sailing up narrow fjords where the mountains rise straight out of the sea and tower overhead.

Quality Time Together

When travelling at the neck-breaking speed of seven knots, there’s one thing you have a lot of and that’s time to spend together . . .and that’s a good thing.

Travelling in our Own Home

Both David and I are homebodies and cruising allows us the opportunity to travel in the comfort of our own home with everything we own and need within arm’s reach. There’s no longer a need to pack a suitcase or hop a plane . . . we are where we’re going.

Sailing

One of the best things about living on a sailboat is that you can go sailing any time the wind’s blowing.

Something New Every Day

As long as we’re open to the experience, there’s something new to discover every single day. Sometimes it’s on a personal level, like a previously unknown talent or learning something new about ourselves and each other. Sometimes it’s being faced with a problem and finding a way to solve it. And other times it’s an encounter with wildlife or a walk on the beach. Whatever it is, big or small, our days are filled with new experiences and opportunities to learn. And for me, that’s one of the best things about this lifestyle.

Sunrises and Sunsets

It’s hard to beat a good show put on by Mother Nature and sunsets rank up at the top. Not only does cruising give us a front row seat, the lifestyle allows us the time to slow down and enjoy them.

Wildlife

My love of animals is nothing new. When I was young, my dream was to be a veterinarian (until I heard I had to dissect a cat in physiology class). Whales, bears, wolves, sea otters, eagles, dolphins – are all wildlife experiences this lifestyle has opened up to us.

What do you like best about living-aboard and cruising? Or if you don’t live-aboard, what do you think you would like about it? Join the conversation below in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

Living Aboard a Boat Reflections on Cruising The A to Z Challenge

W is for What Cruising Means to Us

Wednesday, April 27, 2016TheCambrians

The A to Z Challenge Tips for Living Aboard Top Ten Lists

V is for Vista: 15 Easy Ways to Improve Landscape Photos

Tuesday, April 26, 2016TheCambrians

During the month of April, we're participating in the Blogging From A to Z Challenge where every day (excluding Sundays) we'll be posting to the blog . . . alphabetically. The overall theme we've chosen to tie all the entries together is living aboard a boat and cruising – things we've learned along the way: our thoughts, reflections, and tips for those just starting out or who are interested in this lifestyle.

Taking pictures is an important way to document time spent on the water and the Pacific Northwest is one of the most beautiful and dramatic cruising grounds in the world, but what we see with our eyes doesn’t necessarily translate well into a two-dimensional photograph: The shoreline is covered in evergreen trees. The water is dark and deep. The mountains are grey. And the snow-capped peaks blend into a cloudy sky. Because all of these elements lie in the same section of the color wheel, establishing separation to create depth can be difficult.

There have been countless times that I’ve come back to the boat to upload the pictures I’d just taken to the computer only to be disappointed. They may have looked great on the live view screen but, in reality, are uninteresting, overexposed, underexposed, crooked or the composition is all wrong. Eventually, I had to make a decision: should I carry on and be happy with what I get, wasting hundreds of dollars of equipment in the process, or take the time to learn a few things and improve my photographs. I chose the latter.

A camera is a complex tool, especially in the digital age. The manual for our SLR is almost an inch thick with 374 pages. And our super-zoom has dozens of settings to choose from – expressive, portrait, landscape, sports, macro, night time, parties, pets, babies, sunsets, beaches, snow . . . we can even take pictures in 3D – each with its own subset of options. It can be a little overwhelming.

But there are ten simple things you can do to improve your landscape photographs, many without leaving the comfort of the Program, or Auto, setting on your camera:

This photo is a good example of the first three points: a focal point (the wharf and boats);
background (the mountains and water); and the sky (there weren't any clouds
so the sky is positioned in the top third of the photo).

Find a Focal Point

All photographs need a focal point, including landscapes. The sky, the ocean and mountains are beautiful but a picture can’t be all background. It needs something, anything, to catch the viewer’s eye – a tree, a rock, a boat, a wharf. Take the time to look around before you shoot, thinking about what your focal point is and where to place it in the shot.

Think About the Background

Once you’ve chosen a focal point, it’s important to pay attention to what is behind your main subject and that you have separation between the two (i.e. don’t let them blend together destroying the impact of both in the process).

Think About the Sky

Without clouds or some other point of interest, skies can seem empty and boring. If that’s the case, try placing the horizon in the upper third of your photograph. However, if the sky is filled with dramatic cloud formations and/or colors, allow it to dominate the shot by placing the horizon in the bottom third of the picture, maximizing the amount of space the sky occupies in the picture. You can also use a polarizing filter to add color and contrast, or adjust your camera settings (i.e. by changing to sunset mode) to enhance the scene (more on that later).

This sunset photo was made more interesting by the fog, vertical orientation
and zooming in.

Use the Weather

Sunny days aren’t always the best time to take a picture. Bad weather can help create a more interesting scene and an overcast day that’s threatening rain offers an opportunity to capture a different mood. Look for storm clouds, mist, rainbows, sunsets and sunrises to add interest to your landscape photographs.

Change Your Point of View

Changing your point of view is an easy way to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Move around and take shots form different points of view to see what happens – get down low, get up high, walk down paths or whatever it takes to shake things up and find the best perspective for your picture.

Change the Orientation

Don’t fall into the habit of only taking horizontal photographs. Sometimes vertical orientation can make the scene more powerful and highlight different features, such as a rocky beach or an interesting sky.

Zoom In

Not all landscape photography has to be from a distance. Take a series of pictures and zoom in to isolate a focal point for a more dramatic look at mountain tops, waterfalls or whatever catches your eye.

For this picture, Cambria fills the right third of the photo (with the dodger filling the
bottom third of that) and helps break up the foreground (the water).

Composition

It’s not enough to think about the background and foreground; you have to put them together in a way that’s compelling or your photos will be boring. There are several things you can do to add impact to your images but the simplest way to accomplish this is by following the “rule of thirds”. Basically, a grid is placed over your shot (through the live view or viewfinder) that divides the scene into nine equal sections. For the greatest impact, your focal point should be lined up along one of these intersections. You can also add interest to your photographs by framing them with trees, an open window, a bridge or something similar. Or use lines and geometric shapes, like roads and curves, to help draw the viewer’s eye. But again, I can’t stress enough how easily the “rule of thirds” can turn an ordinary scene into a more memorable and powerful photograph.

Straighten the Horizon

Landscape photographs feature the horizon and if it’s not straight, the entire picture is affected. Most digital SLRs and some point-and-shoot cameras allow you to use a grid overlay on your live view screen to help align your shots. Newer, higher-end cameras have built-in electronic levels. Or, if your camera has a hot shoe, you can buy a bubble spirit level for $2 to $6. If all else fails, you can straighten your photos with post-processing software like Photoshop; but cropping the picture can change its impact, so it’s best to get it right when you’re taking the shot.

Maximize Your Depth of Field

In landscape photography, you want as much of the view in focus as possible and the best way to achieve this through a small aperture setting (something in the f/16 or f/22 range if possible). Keep in mind that the smaller the aperture, the less light hits your image sensor and you may need to adjust your ISO setting (film speed) and/or shutter speed to compensate. This tip requires leaving the comfort of the Program mode and making a manual adjustment in either Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter Priority (Tv), or Shutter and Aperture Priority (TAv).

One of my favourite pictures of Cambria was taken by our friend, Bill Emmens, during
the magic hour before sunset.

It’s All About Lighting

A photo taken in direct light can seem flat and two-dimensional; but if they’re taken an hour after the sun rises above the horizon or an hour before it sets below it, when the light is softer, they come alive. Unfortunately, when you’re travelling, this isn’t always an option. You may find yourself in the most beautiful place at high noon or on an overcast day, leaving you with muted colors and either too much or not enough contrast.

There are some steps you can take to help, but you will have to leave the Program setting behind for most of them:

Adjust the White Balance

The white balance setting alters the color so the white objects in your photograph appear white. Most digital cameras allow you to fine-tune for clouds, shade, sunshine, fluorescent lighting, incandescent or tungsten lighting, and flash photography with the simple turn of a button or menu selection. When taking landscape photography, you can also use this feature to add color or warmth and make your pictures more interesting and dramatic. For example, sunsets become warmer if you use the cloudy setting and autumn foliage is warmer when you use the shade setting. The tungsten setting reduces the reddish color tones, making it good for nighttime shots. Play around and compare your results.

Change the ISO Setting

Raising the ISO setting on your camera decreases the quality of your photographs, causing your pictures to show more grain, and affects your shutter speed and aperture settings; but sometimes the conditions require it. Use a slow speed setting, such as ISO 100 or 200 for bright, sunny days and indoor flash photography. An ISO setting of 400 is more versatile and can be used for most situations – bright light, flash photography, overcast days and some action. And finally, use a fast ISO setting, 800 and above, when taking photographs in low light situations or faster action.

Avoid Underexposure

If the sky’s too bright, the camera will try to compensate by underexposing the rest of the picture and you’ll end up with a dark foreground. To compensate for this, you can adjust the EV (exposure value) meter on your camera, but be careful that you don’t overexpose the sky in the process. You can also focus the camera on a darker section of the scene (i.e. a group of trees rather than a granite mountain top) to achieve the same result.

Use a Filter

For those days when the sun is brightly shining, a circular polarizing filter will reduce glare and reflection leaving you with pure color. They don’t work, however, if you are directly facing the sun or if it’s directly behind you. For the best results, your back should be 45° to 90° degrees to the sun. A good way to understand this concept is to wear a pair of polarizing sunglasses outside and change your relative position to the sun. Raise and lower the sunglasses as you move and you can clearly see where polarization makes the most impact.

One of the biggest benefits of digital photography is that you can take several pictures of the same scene without wasting expensive film or waiting to have them processed. So take the time to play around and see what works best for you and your camera. Not only will you end up with better photographs to mark those special moments, but you may find a hidden talent or passion in the process.

Living Aboard a Boat Marine Weather The A to Z Challenge

U is for Under the Weather

Monday, April 25, 2016TheCambrians

Note: I really want to thank David for writing this blog post, his first. While we consult and confer over the weather on a daily basis during the cruising season, forming our own forecasts upon which we make decisions, he’s the one who accesses and puts together all of the information that helps keep us safe.

The weather . . . and weather forecasts! Probably one of the most frequently discussed and debated topics among sailors of all kinds; whether in the bar, the clubhouse, or on the VHF or SSB. In fact wherever two sailors meet in conversation the subject is more than likely to arise. And for very good reason. No matter if passage-making offshore for several weeks, sailing near-coastal, or sailing in protected waters, having a good, accurate (not to mention favourable) weather forecast for the duration of your time on the water is or should be a significant factor in a captain’s decision-making process. The unexpected arrival of bad weather while on the water can not only spoil your day but can also create conditions ranging anywhere from uncomfortable to actually challenging your survival.

We have available a variety of good, up-to-date weather information, both from governmental agencies, public entities such as universities, and private sources of all kinds, whether by internet or e-mail, VHF radio or suitably capable SSB (or HAM) radio.

While we’re on the subject, most people don’t realize that there are less than a handful of principal weather forecasting “models/programmes” in use worldwide – GFS produced by the

U.S.

, ECMWF produced by a private organization funded by E.U. member nations, and UKMET produced by the

U.K.

All legitimate forecasts are based on one, or more typically, a blended combination of the products of these models. Complex algorithm-based, and requiring super-computers for processing, the models are, disappointingly, not quite as accurate or consistent as you would imagine (or perhaps expect) and still often disagree quite fundamentally between themselves in respect of the predicted movement, track, speed or strength of any particular weather pattern, although performance of each of the respective programmes is being constantly monitored and improved. To read more about inaccuracies in and between the models go to AccuWeather.com.

If this really is the case then we’re already at a fair disadvantage at the outset in trying to develop any forecast. I know it’s the easiest thing in the world to “start throwing rocks” over an inaccurate forecast but, being realistic, we should understand that, even for the professionals, weather forecasting is as much the art of balancing between probabilities and probable outcomes as it is a precise science. And if this is the case, from my perspective it makes sense for the purposes of sailors such as ourselves to gather and compare forecast information from as many independent sources and in as many forms as possible. And there’s yet one more option: learning how to read and interpret synoptic charts and produce your own forecasts. In case it’s an unfamiliar term, a synoptic chart is a visual representation of the weather conditions being experienced across any given area. Once you can interpret the information contained in these charts you can develop a reasonable prediction of the weather conditions that are likely to develop in the near future. Learning to do so is not a hard skill to develop and one which can be extremely rewarding, let alone very useful. Some may even say essential.

So here we go . . . the following are a number of the sources we have consistently used and relied upon over the years*:

MetVUW

Providing forecast synoptic charts, which show surface barometric pressure, isobars plotted at 2 millibar (hectopascal) intervals, forecast wind speed and direction, and anticipated 6-hour rainfall, at 6 hour intervals for 3, 7 and 10 days for most areas of the world, MetVUW remains one of our favourite weather sources. We’ve consistently consulted this site in developing/comparing forecasts in connection with the thousands of miles in offshore, near-shore, and coastal passages we’ve covered since 2002, when we first became aware of its existence in

New Zealand

, and absolutely swear by its content reliability. Managed by Jim McGregor at the Victoria University in Wellington,

New Zealand

(and presumably undergraduate and graduate students from its School of Meteorology) we’ve found the published forecast product to be consistently good. If I was asked to place a performance percentage on it I would have to say better than 95 - 98% in forecast accuracy, certainly for the areas of interest to us. Simply stated, thus far in nearly fifteen years of cruising, I’ve never been disappointed by its’ forecast data. I’m a fan. ‘Nuff said.

NOAA’s National Weather Service Marine Forecasts

Providing current weather forecasts for marine and coastal areas of the

through regularly updated text and graphic files.

NOAA Geostationary Satellite Server

Providing near real-time imagery from NOAA geostationary satellite network. Among a variety of other images available, the most commonly used include area imaging showing visual spectrum, infra-red spectrum, and water vapour scan.

Environment

Canada

Providing current weather forecasts and information for

Canada

in text form.

Cliff Mass Weather Blog

Insight into local weather conditions and patterns with updated forecasts written by the Pacific Northwest’s weather guru, Cliff Mass.

Bob McDavitt,

New Zealand

MetService

Bob provides a weekly evaluation of current weather patterns in and around the South Pacific and is the cruising sailor’s go-to-guy when it comes to the weather.

If you’d like to learn how to have NOAA forecasts sent directly to your email account, this article we wrote for Three Sheets Northwest gives you step-by-step instructions.

* We do consult other sources through apps (NOAA Hi-Def Radar, Pocket Grib, Sail Flow) but the list represents our primary weather resources.

Z is for Zooming Ahead: What’s Next?

Y is for Yuck | Things We Don’t Like About Living-Aboard and Cruising

X is for (e)Xceptional: Things We Love About Living-Aboard and Cruising

W is for What Cruising Means to Us

V is for Vista: 15 Easy Ways to Improve Landscape Photos

U is for Under the Weather

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