What Is Weather Routing?
Weather routing is the two part process of planning a voyage prior to departure and then secondly adjusting your route based on current and forecasted weather conditions while at sea. Used widely nowadays in both the commercial and private marine sector, vessels request route planning before departure and updating forecasts and routing while underway. Here at My Weather Router we work predominantly with the private sector helping both motor boats and sailing yachts complete their voyage as comfortably and as safely as possible. To date we have worked with over 200 yachts, not only on transatlantic and trans pacific routes, but also on coastal voyaging, yachts racing round the cans, or round the world.
What are some of the benefits from using a weather router?
One of the many aspects of being a captain is being able to use all the tools you have available to you while at sea. These days, with the advance of satellite technology, communications and tracking capabilities have become available for nearly everyone and this makes our world that little bit smaller and easier to keep in contact. Having easy access to shoreside support offers a level of comfort that recent sailors could only wish for and having a weather router on hand helps to take some of the weight off your shoulders in the daily decisions you need to make. This all helps you to have:
Better rest:
Coming off watch at 2am, having to download weather or update route plans while the rest of the boat sleeps can leave you feeling jaded and short on sleep. Working with a weather router can allow you more downtime as we take care of the routing and the monitoring of the forecasts.
Clearer thinking:
With a daily report sent to your boat, tailored for your requirements, you can have the forecast clearly explained and the expectations or options for the next few days laid out, giving you the opportunity to appraise the passage clearly and make decisions with a clear head.
More confidence:
As the passage develops, you grow in confidence with the decision making on board. This confidence can be reflected throughout the whole crew, making the team work better on the whole.
Enjoy the passage:
The main reason we are all out there above all is to enjoy it and the less time you spend at the nav table trying to decipher forecasts or wondering when is the best time to tack, and the more time you can spend with the crew the more relaxed you are and the more the crew have confidence in you.
A sailors approach to forecasting
My Weather Router has been operating for over 20 years. Initially we worked with racing boats on transatlantics and in the beginning years we used to time our reports to arrive into the inboxes right when the skippers or navigators were coming on watch so they would have the very latest information. Nowadays we work with yachts all over the world and at the same time can often have yachts in several different time zones. At sea a yacht is on the go 24hrs a day and as communications have become easier we can copy the whole boat into a forecast or update so that whoever is on watch can get the latest reports. If needed we can also copy in family and friends who are wanting to follow along.
Our daily reports are written in plain English with a forecast for the following 24hrs explained first and then a general outlook for the following days to come, with an outline of the routing plan and any changes or updates that need to be added to the route, are all included in the report. Reports are sent once a day to the boat and sent at the same time each day.
The My Weather Router Process and features:
1.Tracking
First of all, knowing where you are while at sea is important to being able to generate the most up to date reports. We have a lot of experience in working with a wide range of tracking options for boats. In the worst case being able to send just your GPS coordinates every 12hours would be a minimum requirement.
2.Reporting
We email forecast reports on a daily basis. We generate the report around the same time each day so that the vessel knows to receive a report at a particular time. We also work a lot with Garmin Inreach, and can opt for a message service. We have also worked with Whatsapp as well.
3.Monitoring
At any one moment we can be working with several vessels in a similar sea area. This means we are updating yacht positions several times a day and whenever necessary are able to send update messages to a particular boat if there is a change in the weather that needs to be reported sooner than the standard daily report. A rapid deepening of a low, or updated position on a front would be examples.
4.Safety at Sea
With several boats on a similar passage it means we have a good safety net of other vessels around should a yacht need assistance. We have helped to arrange fuel transfers and tows while at sea to yachts who are in range and can help.
Our Services
Weather routing departure reports
Once a boat has confirmed the date they are ready to leave by, My Weather Router will begin structuring a departure report, tailored for the boat’s requirements. The departure report will be sent to the vessel either the night before, or the morning of the departure. The report gives a clear breakdown of the weather expected around the departure time and in the coming days. The report also includes a route to follow, normally explained by waypoints and headings. The report can help to organise watches, organise certain foods for mealtimes and to know what sails to expect to set up in the first days of the voyage.
Daily forecast updates
While on passage you will receive a daily forecast update.These reports continue to be tailored specifically for your boat and your own crew’s capabilities. At My Weather Router we work hard on having a personal approach to communicating with boats and crew and each report you receive is designed or written as if we could actually join you onboard for 5 minutes each day to give you a briefing and a summary of options on what to expect in the coming days, or the choices to make about a particular weather system. The reports include a breakdown of various aspects of weather and also a general summary of the weather for the next couple of days, followed up with a plan and often waypoints to head for. As each daily report is generated, the waypoints are updated.
Who we love working with?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer and at My Weather Router weather we can work with all groups. The most common would be:
Racing yachts:
Crews in need of live data and clever route tweaks to shave precious minutes, or even hours, off their times.
Luxury yacht / Super yacht:
Professional onboard who want reliable internet, real-time location tracking, and perfectly smooth trips for their guests.
Cruisers and offshore sailors:
Anyone heading out for weekend sailing who appreciates forecasts that are clear and easy to use, especially along the coast.
A few reasons why people choose us
Year after year our clients return to ask if we can “join them onboard” for their next crossing, or if they can refer us to other yachts they know who are looking to head offshore. At My Weather Router we have spent nearly 40 years at sea of which 20 years of that was as a professional skipper. For the last 20 years we have also weather routed hundreds of yachts across the Atlantic and Pacific and have a huge experience in understanding both monohull and catamaran sailing abilities. You will continue to work with the same weather router for the entire passage and we are always on hand to answer questions or expand on situations where more clarity is needed. As we often have several boats at sea at the same time we have a good network of boats that can be contacted should assistance be required while on passage.
