What a wicked year for weather we had in 2017! Thousands of boats destroyed, and nobody could do anything about it. But between the extremes of flat calm and Category 5, there’s a lot to learn.
Weather router Chris Parker, who has guided thousands of American mariners across the Caribbean, is a headline speaker at the TrawlerFest in Stuart, Florida, March 6-11.
Parker’s lively and informative “Weather for Cuisers” seminar is aimed at any one who wants the knowledge to make their own passage decisions with whatever information is available, including GRIB patterns and various forecast delivery services. Participants will receive a certificate of completion, which, depending on the insurer, can lower your rates
To prevent information overload, the seminar is split into two two-hour sessions on Friday and Saturday, March 9-10.
Here’s Parker’s description of his forecasting philosophy:
Weather forecasters tend to be and opinionated, and some might say arrogant bunch We like to be right. I see technical forecast discussions time and time again, which mention the possibility/plausibility for severe weather, but, since the forecaster’s objective is to be “right” (to produce a single forecast with the greatest chance of being correct), they fail to warn forecast recipients of potentially-severe weather. I have a different objective.
I try to make sure you are not surprised by the weather – especially that you’re not surprised by inclement weather. Occasionally that means my forecasts for inclement weather fail to verify, but I’d much rather have it that way than to have clients surprised by nasty weather. Of course, I can’t anticipate all inclement weather, and I encourage clients to use as many forecast sources as they wish. I encourage dialogue.
You need to make weather-based decisions, so you need to understand the weather situation. If you do not understand, please ask. If my forecast differs from other forecasts, feel free to ask why…In addition to weather forecasts, most of my services provide Routing Advice.
While I may suggest you consider sailing a specific route for most-favorable conditions, my Routing Advice goes way beyond that. I try to consider unique needs of each client. I’ve worked with physically disabled sailors, vessels with young children onboard, engine-less vessels, serious racers, delivery crews, day-sailors, vessels on Atlantic Crossings, fishing vessels, tug boats, surfers, airplanes, etc. Each client has different goals, and desires different “ideal” weather conditions. I try to tailor my entire interaction with a vessel to the needs of that vessel.
If I know a vessel is particularly “fragile”, I will actually alter the forecast I give that vessel (increasing wind speed forecast by 5k on marginal days, etc.) to make absolutely certain the “bad” weather sounds “bad” to them, and I over-estimate the risk for severe weather, to make absolutely sure that vessel is not surprised. While I hope to never tell you what to do.
You must make your decisions. I may recommend tactics I might use in a situation similar to yours, including how to pick-up a favorable wind-shift to win a race, or how to delay the need to jibe until after sunrise, or how to deploy available gear to steady a ride downwind, or to consider an alternate destination/anchorage given the weather forecast, etc.
You can take Chris Parker’s seminar and a boatload of others for single price. Being a four- or six-day VIP gives you access their choice of attending any seminar (except the Diesel engine and on-the-water boat handling course). The cost is $399 for a four-day VIP pass and $499 for the six-day pass. Visit our ticketing site and do some math. You’ll see how being a VIP maximizes your seminar buying power.
SEMINARS: Tuesday-Sunday, March 6–11, 2018
IN-WATER BOAT SHOW: Thursday-Sunday, March 8–11, 2018
LOCATION: Hutchinson Island Marriot Resort and Marina, 555 NE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, FL 34996
QUESTIONS? Contact Jennifer at [email protected] or (954) 761-7073.
