Heavy-Weather Tactics
How ships are kept safe when the sea can no longer be avoided Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – The Moment Avoidance Ends Every ship eventually reaches a point where weather avoidance is no longer realistic. Sea room may be limited, timing windows may have closed, or systems […]
Heavy-Weather Avoidance
Why the best heavy-weather tactic is often never meeting it at all Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – Avoidance Is a Decision, Not a Manoeuvre Heavy-weather avoidance is often misunderstood as a dramatic last-minute alteration to escape a storm. In reality, true avoidance is almost always quiet, early, […]
Decision-Making Under Weather Uncertainty
Why the most dangerous moment is when the model says “it should be fine” Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction Every forecast at sea is uncertain. That uncertainty is not a flaw in meteorology — it is a structural reality of predicting a chaotic atmosphere over vast, sparsely observed […]
Weather Routing Principles
Why the shortest line is rarely the safest line Introduction Weather routing is often misunderstood as a technical optimisation problem: choose the best line, avoid the worst weather, arrive on time. In reality, routing at sea is a risk-management discipline that balances environmental energy, ship behaviour, and time. A ship does not experience weather as […]
Wind, Sea & Swell – What Actually Matters to Ships
Why wave direction, period, and interaction matter more than headline height Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Why “Sea State” Is an Incomplete Description Many mariners rely on a single phrase: “Sea state is moderate.” Operationally, this tells you almost nothing. Sea state numbers compress multiple variables into one value: […]
Reading & Interpreting Weather Charts
Weather charts only matter if they change what you do next Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Why Weather Charts Still Matter on Modern Bridges Weather charts explain why forecasts say what they say. GRIBs and routing software show outcomes.Charts show cause. Without charts: Charts give context — and context […]
Weather Data Sources on Ships
Why more data does not automatically mean better decisions Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Why Weather Data Is a Decision Tool, Not a Truth All weather information at sea is interpretive. It represents: No weather product tells you what will happen. They tell you what is likely, possible, or […]
Weather Systems
Recognising danger early is more important than reacting late Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Weather Systems as Operational Patterns Bridge officers do not need to forecast weather. They need to recognise patterns and understand what those patterns will do to: Weather systems matter because they shape the risk window, […]
Marine Meteorology Fundamentals
Weather does not become dangerous when it is extreme — it becomes dangerous when it is misunderstood Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Why Marine Meteorology Is Different From Shore-Based Weather Meteorology at sea is not about comfort. It is about motion, force, timing, and margin. On land: At sea: […]
Common Communication Failures (Accident-Driven)
Why the radio was working — but the message still failed Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Why Communication Fails More Often Than Equipment In most maritime accidents: The failure occurred between people, not between systems. Communication fails because it relies on: When margins shrink, those dependencies break first. 2. […]