Charter know-how · Weather
Weather 1: reading a sailing forecast
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On a charter week the weather decides the plan: where you sail, when you leave and where you spend the night. You do not need to be a meteorologist. You need to read the wind forecast properly, check two sources, and know your own limits.
Wind first
For sailing, the forecast that matters is the wind: its strength, its direction and how it changes through the day. Wind direction is where the wind comes from: a northerly blows from the north.
Forecasts give the mean wind and the gusts. The gusts are what you feel at the helm and what the boat has to handle: plan for them, not for the mean.
The Beaufort scale
| Force | Knots | What it is like on a charter yacht |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7–10 | Gentle breeze: lovely sailing, flat water |
| 4 | 11–16 | Moderate breeze: great sailing, a few white horses |
| 5 | 17–21 | Fresh breeze: reef early, it gets lively and wet |
| 6 | 22–27 | Strong breeze: reefed and hard work; many crews stay in port |
| 7 | 28–33 | Near gale: stay in a safe harbour |
| 8 | 34–40 | Gale: stay in a safe harbour |
A comfortable limit for most charter crews is a mean wind of about Force 4–5. Agree the limit before the week, and say no to a passage that is beyond it.
Where to get forecasts
- The national weather service of the country you are in: they forecast the local effects best.
- Apps that show weather models, such as Windy or PredictWind: good for seeing the pattern over several days.
- The base: ask at check-in, and call them if the forecast looks bad.
- VHF coastguard and coast-radio forecasts, broadcast at set times in the local language and in English.
- Other skippers and the harbour master: local knowledge beats any model.
How to use them
- Check the forecast every evening for tomorrow and every morning before you leave.
- Compare at least two sources. If they disagree, plan for the stronger one.
- Models smooth out the coast. Wind accelerates round capes, between islands and down valleys, and is often stronger there than the forecast.
- In summer the wind often builds through the day: sail in the morning, arrive by mid-afternoon.
General guidance for charter crews. Your charter company's briefing, the boat's own manuals and local rules always come first.