Pilot Charts

[Aden]

A friend of mine suggest me buying James Clark "Atlantic Pilot Atlas" for reference if I want to sail to Caribbean in the future. Is it true?

Is it good or necessary? I thought I could download the latest weather/ wind information from a website.

[StuM]

You can get online pilot charts here:

Climatology of Global Ocean Winds (QuikSCAT)

[Hud3]

Good to have from an academic standpoint, but not necessary, and as Stu said, you can get the info for free online. Here's a link to the Atlas of Pilot Charts: Maritime Safety Information

You'd be better off using online weather resources like passageweather.com, windfinder.com and many others. Windfinder has current weather as well as monthly wind rose charts showing average strength and probability of the winds by month for locations all over the world.

[Aden]

Thanks for all replies.

How come this book is always recommended as MUST BUY for reference.

One question is what if we have no internet access on the boat for some reason. Then we may get stuck.

[barnakiel]

It is different data. Pilot Charts show historical, statistical info. Gribs show present conditions and forecast.

Pilot charts are good for planning and come in either paper or digitized form. Try software VPP2. It is very good and contains all Pilot Charts data.

Cheers,
b.

[boatman61]

I have been using the Stanford Atlantic Pilot Charts for the Atlantic N&S/Med/Caribe for years.. however over the last coupla 3yrs I have found them to be less relevant .. wind patterns are changing from the old traditional set patterns.. and the 'settled' aint so settled any more..
Have done a few W-E crossings from St Martin and Florida.. in the past (2000-2012) after riding ESE winds till across the Stream the winds would swing SW then W as one made Northing toward the Azores.. however the last few years have seen me picking these winds up further and further North with winds staying mainly Easterly..
This year saw me with East winds all the way to 41N-36W before I gave up (owner texted on Yellowbrick to say they went up to 43N) and set the Iron Genny to head SE back down to Flores and Horta..
And.. from the Azores to St Vincente I had East winds to 70miles of the Portuguese.. again.. not the usual for June/July in the N Atlantic.
Use the internet sources.. hopefully they'll be more up to date than the publications

[robert sailor]

I can't see any benifits from owning pilot charts for the Caribbean, there is tons of real current information available that is actually useful. If you are crossing oceans then pilot charts do have information that may help you in your planning but as Boatie mentioned at times not that reliable.

[sartorst]

Here is another good source with currents wind and they can all be downloaded and saved for later viewing
Sailing Weather - Marine Weather Forecasts for Sailors and Adventurers - PassageWeather

[UNCIVILIZED]

I haven't looked at the book in question. But consider this, while you can look up what the average winds are in the PNW for month X are. In having lived there, I could tell you that when anomoly Y is occuring, then it's Z% probable that XX will happen. Or that based on a certain subtle weather indicator, be it a smell, presence of wildlife X, wildlife doing Y... then it's ZZ% probable that XY will happen. And happen in a certain time frame, etc.

In other words, guides can contain lots of local knowledge which is truly invaluable. And can range in value from saving you from being caught in a gale in a small body of water with rocky shores. Or just let you know that even if the winds are calm on day X, if you leave then, then you'll catch favoring breezes for the next 90% of passage Y.

Make sense?

[SV DestinyAscen]

The US government has nicely made pilot charts available at the NGA. However as said above the weather is changing and many are finding that prevailing wind changes from season to season is being compressed and often happening later rather than earlier.

Pilot data also goes back to the time of Matthew Perry. No personal experience but I'm told by friends that predictwind seems to work very well for passage planning and has better localized current data and makes a comfortable and safe quick passage less guesswork.