Pro tips for amateur maritime forecasters
The Weather Handbook (fourth edition), by Alan Watts
Image on landing page: double rainbow over the harbour at Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk, UK. Paul Stewart/Getty Images.
Accurate weather forecasts have always been important for seafarers – helping in passage planning and routing.
This latest edition of The Weather Handbook will no doubt be of great interest to working crew outside of required meteorology studies, and its facts about wind could be useful to those with sailing hobbies.
Written by former weather forecaster Alan Watts, the book has 16 chapters devoted to the various elements of the weather as well as a useful terminology and information section.
And as Watts encouragingly explains, we don't need the aid of massive computers, satellites and complex equipment to put together a basic forecast. With just a few essential tools such as a wind vane or even a flag, we can all understand enough not to get wet (in theory), and to divine a forecast of sorts from the 'upper sky'.
The Weather Handbook (fourth edition)
By Alan Watts
Adlard Coles, £16.99
ISBN: 978 14729 78592
Buy this book in the Nautilus Bookshop
While you're there, why not browse the rest of the titles in our unique maritime bookshop, which sells all the books reviewed on these pages.
Buy nowMore Books
Carving out a career
Ships' Figureheads: Famous Carving FamiliesThe decoration of ships with figureheads was a way to present the might of military and mercantile power for centuries. These days, the skills needed to make these sculptures are kept alive by experts such as Andrew Peters, who has worked on restoration projects such as the Cutty Sark tea clipper.
Knotty problems solved
The Knot Bible: The Complete Guide to Knots And Their Uses by Nic ComptonKnot-tying is a vital competency skill for seafarers, and this expanded edition of The Knot Bible by Nic Compton offers guidance on over 200 knots and their practical uses.
Why it's nice to splice
Splicing modern ropes, 2nd edition: a practical handbook by Jan-Willem PolmanSplicing rope is as an essential skill for seafarers as tying a knot, but some skills are disappearing. This definitive guide on why splicing gets more from your rope is a great stocking filler for all boaters, whether recreational or commercial.
Heartfelt and humorous account of a career founded on fishing
Welcome Home - Fish or No Fish, by Skipper John RobertsWelcome Home – Fish or No Fish is a memoir that carries readers from the shores of Grimsby across the world’s oceans, charting a remarkable career at sea.