#Sail grib software review install#

I am going to suggest a slightly different perspective, at least for cruising. that way, you can advance the gribs, and make your route on the same screen In practice, it's much better to view gribs in a navigation program, rather than using a separate grib viewer like ugrib. Obviously, the subject of dealing with the gulf stream on the way to Bermuda is a subject that can be discussed forever., I've done a bunch of Bermuda races, and I learn something new each time. some people, as a rule of thumb, try to avoid being on port tack when crossing the stream going to Bermuda, but really every crossing is different, and I've been on port a few times, and it's been fine. generally, if the wind has a significant component against the current direction, you can get uncomfortable seas. Also, it depends on whether you are racing, and looking for the fastest course, or cruising and looking for the most comfortable crossing. In Expedition, for example, you don't have to let it find your optimal route., you can specify a route, and let Expedition use your polars to advance you along that route, showing you exactly the conditions you can expect on that route at each timestep.ДЄs far as crossing the gulf stream goes - firstly, it's a bit unpredictable., winds can be significantly stronger than forecast in numerical models. It can be difficult to know how far to advance your position as you advance the gribs - that's why optimization programs are so useful. I don't use OpnCpn but I guess this would be possible. That way, you can advance the gribs, and make your route on the same screen I'm really feeling driven to make a lap around Delmarva next year, and I want to be proficient at this to help me plan and understand.

When attempting to cross the stream, what conditions am I looking for? My guess is that ideal crossing conditions are breezes that are roughly in line with the direction of flow of the Gulf Stream, that also are not too strong. If my destination requires crossing the Gulf Stream, I use this information to coordinate my crossing, so that I have a smooth passage through the stream. I am supposed to plot a course (using OpenCPN for example) that gets me to my destination while utilizing the most favorable winds shown in the GRIB, and avoiding nasty stuff, or winds that might greatly impede my progress. (Ugrib even animates the grib over the 5 days, sort of the way that CBOFS does) I have an origination and a destination. So, I've downloaded a GRIB good for 5 days.

#Sail grib software review install#

I've downloaded Virtual Winds but I ran out of time, so I'll install and tinker with it tonight. Ok so far, I've installed and played with Ugrib. a taller rig for example - so wee need to make new polars. I can see for round the buoy racers who sail in very similar conditions each time (say 5-15kts and flat water) it might be worthwhile (but even then, there are issues which make it suspect, such as often the log is not completely linear calibrated), but for us there are +-20% externalities so a 'near enough' polar is all that's worthwhile to seek.Д¬ertainly there are issues with instruments - if they are not calibrated, you will not get good polars.ДЄnyway, it's not just that racers want 'better' polars, it's also that often the boat configuration is changing. There are so many variables that effect the polars (whether we are hand steering or autopilot, whether its Beth's watch or mine, whether its night or day, etc etc) that I have never seen the point in trying to spend a lot of time 'super fine tuning' it. I just try to maintain two simple polars (a 'full speed/flat water' and an 'offshore/fatigued'). I am not trying to compare one boat's performance to another - I will leave that to the designers.ДЇor Hawk's polars, where I do have a lot more performance information, I have used a number of programs for the polars but have ended up just maintaining them in excel. I don't have anywhere enough vendee information to try to adjust the shape of the curves - and don't think I need to in order to look at the weather impact on the fleet which is all I am really trying to do. There's a function for that in virtual winds. There is a dedicated program for polar editing - called 'Polar Manager' - but it's pretty expensive.ДЄll I was doing was playing with the percent of base polar used, not changing the shape of the curves. The Expedition polar editing is great - I have been using it a lot recently building polars for two of the boats i sail on. I don't see any polar editing in Virtual Winds. Estar - in the Vendee thread over in ocean racing anarchy, you mentioned editing polars.