From the Author
Weather, both good and bad, is a constant companion to the small boat at sea. Weather is a fact of life. It must be taken as it comes, enjoyed or endured, but it must be accepted. One cannot run away from it in a small boat. The boat and her crew must always be prepared for whatever Nature has ready to hand out in the way of fog, wind, waves and rain. There is no reason why the yachtsman need be surprised, however. Nature always gives fair warning of what she has in store and her signs are clear to those who know how to read them.
This book demonstrates how to recognize and interpret Nature's warnings, both those visible to anyone with eyes and those which may be measured with simple instruments which are on board practically every small boat. There is no added expense and very little which must be learned. All the yachtsman needs to know to enable him to make accurate local weather forecasts in minutes, which will preview the weather to be expected over the next six hours to two days ahead, is explained in the chapters which follow.
Every small boat which ventures out of sight of land will someday be forced to ride out a squall or period of foul weather. Knowing what to expect and how to make certain of the safety of the boat and her crew will give much confidence to those aboard. Storms at sea can be both safe and exhilarating; rarely are they dangerous to those prepared and aboard a well-found and seaworthy boat.
This book is not a treatise on meteorology. There are no weather maps, no cryptic symbols to decode. There is no mathematics involved, not even as simple as 2 + 2. This book is intended for the sailor who wants to spend his time sailing, not studying, but who also needs a rapid, simple and accurate means for discovering what the weather will be like this afternoon, tomorrow and possibly the day after.
The ability to forecast local weather conditions accurately adds immeasurably to safety at sea and, because weather changes are anticipated and do not come as surprises, the pleasure of extended cruising is greatly enhanced. Weather forecasting is an art, however and not a science as yet. There will be a few surprises, though not major ones; and some mistakes in forecasting the weather. The National Weather Service also makes mistakes. They have the best in instruments, weather radar, satellites and information from local observers in many places upon which to base their forecasts and they still make mistakes. The interested and observant user of this book will not make as many mistakes -- not because it makes him a better forecaster than the entire National Weather Service, but because his forecasts cover only a small area and are limited to a few hours or a day or two ahead. This considerably reduces the chance for errors to creep in and practically precludes major errors being made.
A knowledge of the weather is as vital to the cruising sailor as is a knowledge of navigation. No one should ever go to sea in a small boat without a confident mastery of both subjects as they affect his travels and are modified by the size of his boat and the extent of his experience.
About the Author
After serving in Europe as a parachutist in the 82nd Airborne Division during WWII he became interested in small boats. As an Electronics Engineer he designed many electronic accessories for small boats including radio direction finders, depth sounders, fuel vapor alarms, battery charge meters, etc. with Heath Company. He has been awarded five U. S. Patents for electronic circuit designs. Later his electronics work took him to Florida in 1959 where he sailed the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. During vacations he crewed on commercial fishing boats. His ability to translate "engineering speak" to simple sentences and his wish for more "down time" to go sailing convinced him to become a self-employed engineering consultant. During this period he wrote more than 50 technical books and numerous military Specifications and Standards for all branches of the military. Between contracts he took advantage of many sailing opportunities. He has researched and written several books concerning his first love, boats. Drawing not only upon his long and varied experience but also those of many sailors he has interviewed over the years. Frank has recently spent over five years living aboard and island hopping on his 25-foot Hunter, Jade Lotus. He continues to write for national magazines.
