Marine weather reports used to be on the harbour master's notice board and on the radio, some also used weather faxes or NAVTEX receivers, which still serve as a source of information, but are by no means available on board every yacht. Especially not when on holiday on charter boats.
But times have changed. Today, weather information is dominated byWebsites and apps with data from the Internet. Almost everything is available, but you have to find it. When your holiday is just around the corner and you want to go abroad, the search is not always easy. Weather websites and apps for smartphones or tablets are a dime a dozen.
However, the wheat is quickly separated from the chaff here, because a superficial weather report where only the sun is shining,is enough for leisure captains is not enough. We need more. Forecasts for the development of the next few days should be available, especially when planning a trip lasting several days. And it's not just theOverall weather situation or theWind force of interest. TheCondition of the water body plays a major role in planning. How high is theSea state? From which direction does theShaft? How strong is theFlow? PlayTides play a role? What does the development look like? These are all crucial questions, especially if you are travelling along the coast.
With the holiday season just around the corner, we have been looking for sources of information withMarine weather reports for themost important holiday destinations looked around. And first of all: we cannot claim to be exhaustive. There is a great deal out there, and the vastness of the Internet is not exhaustive. That's why we're presenting a selection here, but it should be sufficient for almost all requirements.
Selection and offer
Basically, we only searched for websites or apps that were available in at least onefree version certain basic information that are usable. We were only able to look at products that run on iOS, as we did not have an Android device available.
The similarities between the offers quickly come to an end, as the requirements of all services are quite different. As it is often the national weather authorities that make information available free of charge, they are also more strongly represented in the selection.
Commercial providers finance their services through advertising. Those who do not want this or who regularly use additional services can often pay a fee.low fee ad-free versions and upgrades buy. With some services, only some data is freely accessible and detailed marine weather data or forecasts are only available in the premium service for an additional charge.
So there are big differences in the services offered. Nevertheless, it was noticeable that all the really important information for many countries is also available free of charge. Sometimes you just have to use several apps or websites and endure a few adverts if necessary.
The fact that in particularMarine weather information abroad in German are available cannot be expected. A service in English is occasionally available, but sometimes the information is only available in the local language. But there are also surprises. The State Meteorological Office of the Republic of Turkey or the weather service in Croatia even offer basic weather information in German on their websites, and in Croatia even entire marine weather reports.
What is available and what is needed
There is a lot, it just depends on the website or app and sometimes the region. Some also offer worldwide weather information for sailors. These include Windfinder, WEATHER365 with the Yachting Weather app, and Meteo Consult Marine.
In some cases, however, only in the bookable payment service. Windfinder works worldwide and is largely free of charge. However, some information, such as the very detailed "Superforecast" forecast, is only available on the website and not in the free app.
The ad-free "Pro" version, on the other hand, does. We also recommend the Yachting Weather app, which also offers worldwide marine weather information. The paid version is much more comprehensive than the free app, which, like Windfinder, is ad-financed. All three apps are recommended as basic equipment, which should then be supplemented with national solutions.
Anyone travelling to Spain or Portugal, for example, will be perfectly catered for with El Tiempo. It may be ad-funded, but it has excellent wind and wave charts that display animated forecasts for several days using a slider. There is hardly a better way to visualise weather developments.
Anyone travelling along the French coast is in good hands on the Meteo France website. Here you can find marine weather reports for all coastal regions, but only in French.
Italy is well served by the Euro Weather website, which is operated by the magazine "Nautica". We have not found any free marine weather apps here. The websites of the Croatian, Greek and Turkish weather institutes also offer marine weather reports.
The range of apps is usually thinner here. The situation is similar for all Scandinavian countries. The provision of marine weather information on the websites in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland is consistently good.
Things look much worse for the apps. The Belgian KMI offers no maritime weather. Meagre fare also in the Netherlands. The KNMI website (www.knmi.nl) offers a brief marine weather forecast in English, but no charts or apps. Too little for the table.
The German Weather Service (DWD) also provides a good basic supply of marine weather reports in text form for the North Sea, Baltic Sea and Mediterranean, as well as a route report from the English Channel to Gibraltar. Sea weather charts, sea state charts, forecast charts, water temperatures and station reports can also be called up. Personalised sailing advice is available from the DWD for a fee.
What you should know
Websites and apps should be tested at home before going on holiday, as many are far from perfect and you may need additional information. The menu navigation is often not a pleasure and you have to familiarise yourself with it to find what you are looking for, which often starts with hidden language settings.
Sometimes you have to learn the vocabulary first if the service is only available in a foreign language. The marine weather reports are often hidden behind confusing menus. Without some experience with the products, this is hardly possible. Not all information provided by the manufacturer is accurate. For example, some apps claim to support languages that we could not find with the best will in the world.
It was particularly noticeable that not everything was always translated into the menu language, especially in the case of marine weather reports.
Providers often have the good will, but there is a lack of implementation.
But the weather information is still there to help you plan your trip. In principle, you should always use several sources to get an overall picture. The basics are a weather map and forecasts for the overall weather situation. This should be supported by information on local weather developments. That way you are always well prepared.
