Weather at Sea

The weather affects everyone at sea, whether you are pottering along the coast, motoring from port to port or sailing to another continent. This book explains the basic principles that govern the weather from a practical, on the water, sailor’s point of view. It goes through global, regional and then local weather patterns so you understand what is happening, how this might change and why.

Armed with this knowledge and understanding you will be more confident to make decisions about when and when not to venture out to sea and what to expect if things change while you are out there.

Simon Rowell shares his experience as a round-the world skipper and world-class weather forecaster. He explains the basic physics creatively and puts it in context with real situations to enable you to apply weather theory to practical sailing scenarios.

Hundreds of illustrations aid the communication of what can be a complex subject, enabling you to better understand the weather and increase your enjoyment and safety when out on the water.

“With scarcely a page without colourful illustration, nine chapters guide the cruising skipper from global weather patterns, through the boundary layer to clouds, all in a straightforward narrative that is free from jargon and other gobbledegook… It is a nicely produced soft-back volume that handles well and is interesting reading for sailor or landlubber alike.” Cruising Association

“If you want to know more about forecasting the weather or how it may affect your plans, then this is the book for you.” Lifeboat

“This little book explains the basic physics principles that govern the weather from a practical, on the water, sailor’s point of view. As we can expect from Fernhurst, the author presents in readily understandable graphic form the global, regional and then local weather patterns to explain what is happening on the spot and how situations might change. Numerous illustrations complement the text.” Julian Stockwin

“Considering what it covers, this is a pretty thin book, just 94 pages in fact, which is a relief to those in need of a quick refresher course. It would also do great service as a fast reference work as it covers all the concepts you are likely to need at sea.” Classic Boat

“In this slim book there is so much valuable technical information about why and how weather systems develop and play out… most of us would find it to be an invaluable on-board companion.” Royal Cruising Club