Reading a weather window

Never trust a single source

Cross-check at least two models or services before you commit.

• Look at wind speed, gusts and direction over your whole passage time, not just the start.
• Check the trend: is it building or easing? A forecast that worsens by the hour is a warning.

Local effects matter

• In the Mediterranean, afternoon sea breezes and gap winds (mistral, bora, meltemi) can far exceed the gradient wind.
• Coastlines, headlands and channels accelerate wind and steepen waves.

Make the go / no-go call

1. Define your crew's and boat's limits before you look at the forecast.
2. Add a margin - forecasts are often optimistic about gusts.
3. Have a bail-out harbour in mind for the middle of the passage.

The best skippers cancel a passage as confidently as they start one.