Reading the Weather

[boatman61]

How can I tell its a really bad time at sea without making the 45 minute motor bike ride down river to the marina..
I look at the sky.. currently in Coimbra there's more than 500 seagulls gliding around overhead.. and maybe 1000 more sitting in the river.
Its gonna be another wild week on the West coast of Portugal.

[NewMoon]

Have you tried predictwind.com? Started using it last summer on the Inside Passage. It gave far more detailed (more specific location) forecasts, and also often considerably more accurate, than NOAA weather radio. There's an app version too. Too bad you have to have internet access to get the latest info....

[conachair]

Originally Posted by boatman61

How can I tell its a really bad time at sea without making the 45 minute motor bike ride down river to the marina..
I look at the sky.. currently in Coimbra there's more than 500 seagulls gliding around overhead.. and maybe 1000 more sitting in the river.
Its gonna be another wild week on the West coast of Portugal.

Even rained yesterday down here in the Algarve!!
Back to clear blue skies but another front coming through saturday might manage a few more drips! Must be one of the best places in Europe to spend the winter onboard, & Portugal is just lovely inhabited by lovely people.

As for predict wind - now ditched, they're own models were far too sensitive to be any use and the other 2 are free anyway - windy.com has 4 models now, GFS,ECMWF, ICON-EU & NEMS. No need to pay no more

[Calif.Ted]

I check a webcam from Surfline.com that points right at my harbor mouth, they have some in Portugal, hopefull one is located near you. They have a good little wind report also.
Carcavelos FPS - Surf Report and HD Surf Cam | SURFLINE.COM

[boatman61]

I liked the snow along the tops of the dunes in the Sahara.. beautiful contrast with the white against the red/gold hues of the sand..

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Calif.Ted

I check a webcam from Surfline.com that points right at my harbor mouth, they have some in Portugal, hopefull one is located near you. They have a good little wind report also.
Carcavelos FPS - Surf Report and HD Surf Cam | SURFLINE.COM

I use Passage Weather for actually going on the water.. and the Fig da Foz marina has a web cam.. however its at least 1km upriver and well sheltered.
But standing on the veranda and looking up is so much simpler.. seagulls means strong winds from the S, W or N and high sea's..

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by conachair

Even rained yesterday down here in the Algarve!!
Back to clear blue skies but another front coming through saturday might manage a few more drips! Must be one of the best places in Europe to spend the winter onboard, & Portugal is just lovely inhabited by lovely people.

As for predict wind - now ditched, they're own models were far too sensitive to be any use and the other 2 are free anyway - windy.com has 4 models now, GFS,ECMWF, ICON-EU & NEMS. No need to pay no more

On the hook in Portimao, Alvor or Faro/Olhau..??
Or have you taken the marina option..

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by boatman61

How can I tell its a really bad time at sea without making the 45 minute motor bike ride down river to the marina..
I look at the sky.. currently in Coimbra there's more than 500 seagulls gliding around overhead.. and maybe 1000 more sitting in the river.
Its gonna be another wild week on the West coast of Portugal.

If it's anything like Toronto there must be a great big landfill site in Coimbra. Our seagulls seldom troll the Lake. Much better pickings at the landfill.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by boatman61

On the hook in Portimao, Alvor or Faro/Olhau..??
Or have you taken the marina option..

Up a ladder in Bruce's with a welder & grinder

Otherwise it would be up the Guadiana with the rest of the ne'er-do-wells

Marinas are for the elderly rich folks

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Vasco

If it's anything like Toronto there must be a great big landfill site in Coimbra. Our seagulls seldom troll the Lake. Much better pickings at the landfill.

No.. they only come up river when its pretty windy.. to much for them from the fishing boats and in the delta and rice paddies to feast on to bother with land fills... we also have loads of storks, cranes and egrets along the lower stretches of the Mondego West of Coimbra.