ORCV Weather for Sailors Online Course
This course has been refreshed in 2024 and incorporates a mixture of online learning prior to the instructor led online sessions with the first module covers both the fundamentals and planning for a 3+ day coastal passage.
Weather for Sailors course provides you with the meteorological knowledge needed to safely enjoy your time on the water.
The course is structured over 2 modules. Fundamentals & Coastal Sailing followed by Advanced Weather for Trans Oceanic passages. Our highly qualified weather enthusiasts and ORCV members Ray Shaw and Simon Dryden will led you through mixture of lectures and practical exercises. The course provides a solid foundation in marine weather, with the opportunity to discuss more advanced topics with our experts as the course progresses
Weather for Sailors course is designed to inform all types and levels of sailors, racers and cruising sailors alike, how to observe weather conditions and how to find the right forecasting advice from the vast array of modern resources available.
Knowledgeable on weather and seasoned sailors, Ray Shaw and Simon Dryden take a practical approach to weather looking at the applications and linking these back to visualizations before looking at various technology platforms now available.
Module 1 (New Course) – Fundamentals & Coastal Sailing: commences with the fundamentals for enclosed water sailing and builds on this knowledge for those looking to take on longer passages of 3 or more days, whether that be for racing or cruising.
Module 2 – Advanced Weather - Trans Ocean and Extended Voyages: this online course looks at planning for a much longer voyages where a high degree of self-sufficiency is required. For those considering a Trans-Oceanic passage this course is a must and includes weather of the tropics.
Suitable for Ocean Racers, Cruisers, Motor Boats, Skippers and Crew.
Module 1 (NEW) – Fundamentals & Coastal Sailing
Over 3 nights, this instructor led online course covers the fundamentals of weather including
- Fundamentals of weather terminology.
- Definitions.
- The Barometer
- Vectors in sailing
- Seasons
- Coriolis
- Weather systems, Global mechanisms
- The forecasting process, the weather map,
- Weather information, how to read and use it.
- Fronts
- Weather Warnings
- Waves & Tides
- An introduction to Clouds and their signs.
- Gusts, lulls, and coriolis.
- Sea breezes-local- -autumn, winter, summer. Land breezes, katabatics.
- Obstructions
- Topography, land effects & Bathymmetry
- 4 & 7 day prognosis-maps
- Routing Software and forecasts
- Topography-sea breezes-land breezes-katabatics-timings, clouds-temperatures-airmasses
- Other land effects, headlands, indents, rivers, mountains, cliffs, islands, wind directions
- Thunderstorms etc
- Jet streams briefly
- Bathymetry, tides, currents,(and shallows) moon passage, tidal nodes, using port data
- Using ORCV Bass Strait tidal model
- Gribs
- Coastal tides & Currents
- Severe weather systems
- Sailing the tropics
Pre-requisites: All participants will be enrolled into the ORCV Online Learning module where you will be asked to complete the online learning content (approx 2 hours needed) prior to attending night 1.
Course Dates: 2024 course held in June. Future course dates TBC
Cost: The cost below is for 2024 only and is great value given it incorporates what was originally 2 courses into the one great price.
$150 per person non member, $127.50 per person ORCV Member
Module 2 - Advanced Weather - Trans Oceans and Extended Voyages
Over 2 nights, this online course looks at planning for a much longer voyages where a high degree of self sufficiency is required. For those considering a Trans Oceanic passage this course is a must and includes:
- Planning, wind roses-world circulations, trades-Internet sites
- Seasonal variations and timing-monsoon
- The Gradient wind analysis
- Ocean circulations
- Cyclones
- Polar maps, Satellite pictures.
- Time limitations
- Bathymetry-undersea mounts, currents
- Continent influences-southern/ northern hemisphere
- Technology-prediction programs etc
- Sailmail-comms-HF cf sat phones, Predict wind, windy, expedition
Pre-requisites: A sound understanding of both the Fundamental and Intermediate course content is a must to attend this course.
Course Dates: TBC
Cost: $150 per person non member, $127.50 per person ORCV Member
More Information
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