Customer Reviews

Mariner's Weather

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is truely a gem! For those who are going to sea or those who are weather enthusiasts, this book should be in your library. My wife and I sailed across the Pacific and were helped immensely by Crawford's book. It is well written for both the unfamiliar reader as well as those wanting an in depth understanding of what makes weather happen and what to expect while it's happening. With almost every page having diagrams or photographs, Crawford takes the reader through an explanation of the atmosphere, introducing the reader to the whys and wheres of winds, the role that heat plays in meteorology, discussions of clouds, fogs, ice, and fronts. He discusses weather instruments and weather charts. The book is directed toward the mariner, both professional and cruiser. Though his book is not layed out specifically with generalities first, followed by increased specifics and details, it is not difficult for the reader to get the general gist of what the author is trying to convey, without having to sort through pages of confusing details. At the same time, those who are hungry for the intricacies of meteorlogical phenomina will have a hard time putting the book down: for them it will be like a compelling novel, and their sleep schedule will likely suffer as a result.

I am surprised to find that I am the first to review this fine book, because I regularly give it as a gift, and well received it has been!

After reading over a dozen titles dedicated to explain weather to the sailor, I finally found the book that really explains the causes, development and forecasting in a way that can be understood and used by those going to sea. My prior efforts included attending several multi-day seminars, but I was not satisfied with the results of my reading and studying until I got this book. The concept of stable or unstable air is fundamental to understanding weather, and this is the first book (among the ones I read) that explains "adiabatic lapse rate" as it relates to the heating of the atmosphere and the effect on weather formation. It also includes easy reference tables to recognize and forecast change, the evolution of fronts and the visible signs of it: including cloud formation, etc. that makes our life aboard more predictable. These concepts are more complex and sophisticated that most authors dear to explain, but without understanding them the picture is incomplete. This book is not easy read: just going through the pages once, is not enough to grasp the concepts (at least not for me), as I had to re-read again several chapters, but it is worth it if you truly want to understand weather and be able to make predictions. This is not `reading' material, but `study' material. The one concept the book does not cover enough is the Jet Stream and its influence on the creation of pressure systems, as in a curve down would create a low, and a curve up will produce a high pressure system, but this is repeated in all other books. He does mention the 500 mb chart, but does not go over it as much as I would have liked it. This book was first published before the Internet so it does not include any reference to it as a way to obtain weather information. An updated edition would be great, but all things considered, this is still the most complete and the best book on weather I found.

I buy books in pairs or triples, but in the case of weather, both in preparation for the 35-hour Advanced Meterology Course and as a reference library after the fact, I bought four, the other three hot-linked below.

Weather extremes are getting worse, NOAA is under-funded and has trouble getting one 96 hour forecast out, the bottom line is that we are largely on our own where the boat meets the wave offshore.

This book is packed with more detail, including very specific guidance on what to do in relation to specific situations, and absolutely great multiple choice quesitons at the end of each chapter.

This is "the" textbook, but I don't believe in just one book, so I like all four together.

See also my list of books in my sailing library.

Understanding Weatherfax
The Weather Wizard's Cloud Book: A Unique Way to Predict the Weather Accurately and Easily by Reading the Clouds
International Marine's Weather Predicting Simplified: How to Read Weather Charts and Satellite Images

As mentioned in other posts, this is not a light read. In depth explanations of weather formation, essential information for passagemakers who need to form their own forecasts. Maybe a little much for the coastal cruiser & overnight passagemaker like me.

This book explains in understandable terms and clear descriptions the complex nature of weather. I highly recommend this book for anyone (even nonsailors) who wishes to gain an understanding of how weather conditions develop and how the different forces that affect the weather interact.