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George.Curtis - 14 Feb 2021

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Dick - 13 Feb 2021

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George.Curtis - 12 Feb 2021

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Simon Currin - 26 Sep 2018

PredictWind does it for us and they have recently become sellers of IridiumGo airtime which makes it easier to save money on Iridium costs if only using it part time. They have made significant changes to their tracking map too.

PredictWind provide methods to add positions to any of their tracking maps using Iridium Go, YB, Inreach, email, or via the PredictWind Offshore App on any connection type, including land based internet. PredictWind offer a 20% discount (rebate) on Forecast subscriptions to OCC members.

During the summer of 2020, PredictWind worked closely with the OCC where Daria Blackwell had assembled a list of boats intending to cross the Atlantic (See Flying Fish 2020-2). PredictWind provided a fleet tracker for the group. This service is now available to individual and groups of yachts as part of the PredictWind weather tracking and routing service.

Hi all,
I would add a caveat to all use of routing programs.
Say, one is leaving New York for Bermuda (a usual 4-7 day trip). I would suggest the skipper work the route on one’s own using wind & wave wxfx forecast charts, gribs, recent current charts (including meanders in the Gulf Stream), with particular attention to where the forecast wx/winds might be different from those forecast (say a low traveling a few hundred miles different south of forecast 3 days hence, a not uncommon occurrence which could change things dramatically). All the while weave in your knowledge of the likely daily runs (using ship’s polars if available and proven accurate to you and your ship over previous passages: too many polars are based on a boat’s numbers when racing).
Then, and only then, run your routing program and compare the results of the computer’s algorithms with your routing results, paying especial attention to discrepancies. Try to learn from the discrepancies as it is far from a given that the algorithms are wrong.
In this way, you will be far better prepared to adjust to changing conditions, especially if the electronic routing is hard to duplicate underway.
The above suggestion is akin to knowing traditional navigation techniques (dividers, parallel rules, paper charts etc.) as the under-pinning for knowledgeable and safe use of electronic charting.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

Good point Dick,
Last time I made that passage was 'crew' in the 1962 Bermuda Race, navigation by Geoff Pattinson the owner using sextant day and night, and water temperature thermometer to see when we were in the Gulf Stream. We now seem to have lots of partially reliabe gizmos.
Very best wishes,
George