A practical course that will indeed affect your decision-making when planning and underway, the ASA 119, Marine Weather Endorsement Course covers all aspects of practical marine weather and how to observe and forecast weather conditions using traditional maritime skills and modern technology.

During this practical and interactive online course, that can be taken as a prerequisite for the ASA 120, Radar Endorsement Course, learn how the appropriate knowledge of weather information can be beneficial when planning and adapting during short durations or extended voyages. This online class will ensure your navigation planning is safer, more efficient and more accurate with topics covering:

» ROLES OF MARINE WEATHER.
Elements of marine weather and how they relate to each other and to forecasting:

• ‣ Terminology and Glossaries
• ‣ Getting started on Sources & Map Symbols

» PRESSURE & WIND.
Understand why the wind blows, apparent vs true wind, wind terminology and more:

• ‣ Pressure and barometers
• ‣ Properties of Highs, Lows, Ridges and Troughs
• ‣ Winds from Isobars

» GLOBAL WIND & CURRENT.
Causes and descriptions of global winds and its influence on wind and weather; speed, distances, temperatures, etc:

• ‣ Doldrums
• ‣ Trade Winds
• ‣ Horse Latitudes
• ‣ Prevailing Westerlies
• ‣ Polar Front
• ‣ Air Mass Classification
• ‣ Structure of the Atmosphere
• ‣ Stability
• ‣ Ocean Currents
• ‣ Centers of Action Concept

» STRONG WIND SYSTEMS.
A reminder that, ultimately, we will more often use our knowledge of marine weather to find more wind than to avoid too much wind:

• ‣ Lows, Fronts and Squalls
• ‣ Tropical Storms and Hurricanes
• ‣ Strong Winds in Clear Skies

» CLOUDS, FOG, & SEAS.
Clouds and Fog types and their meaning:

• ‣ Wave Terminology
• ‣ Sea State Forecasting
• ‣ Beaufort Scale

» WIND & TERRAIN.
How the presence and topography of land affects wind flow over adjacent waters:

• ‣ Sea vs Land Breezes
• ‣ Channeling and Gap Winds
• ‣ Blocking and Shadowing
• ‣ Sailboat Tactics

» WEATHER MAPS.
Practice and review of map reading:

• ‣ Sequencing to Verify Forecasts
• ‣ Manual Weather Routing
• ‣ Fine Tuning Wind Predictions
• ‣ Use of Sea State Maps & Ocean Current Maps
• ‣ Comparing GRIB Data with Analyzed Products from the NWS
• ‣ Automated Weather Routing Software

» SOURCES OF DATA.
Traditional options and how to use them vs new resources and their availability:

• ‣ Local and high seas radio voice sources
• ‣ Forecast Zones
• ‣ Model Forecasts in GRIB Format on Land and Underway (pros, cons, and safe usage)
• ‣ ASCAT Winds
• ‣ Weather Data by FTPmail
• ‣ Professional Routing Services

» ONBOARD FORECASTING.
What the swells, waves, and ripples can tell us:

• ‣ Quick Forecasting Tips & Combining Observations with Forecasts
• ‣ In-depth Use of Barometer
• ‣ Meaning of Clouds & Wind Shifts
• ‣ Old Sayings Explained

» SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE WEATHER.
Unique features; what is reversed and what isn’t:

• ‣ Special sources for Southern Hemisphere weather data