Please select your home edition
Edition
Palm Beach Motor Yachts

A cruising sailor's best friend- The Weather Window

by Des Ryan on 11 Oct 2011
Weather Window - but what exactly is it? SW
One of the main differences between racing and cruising, apart from the competitiveness or otherwise, is the constant use by cruising sailors of the concept of the Weather Window.

Most cruising, except for a few ocean crossings or a non-stop circumnavigation of something-or-other, is undertaken in passages that are rarely more than a week long.

So whereas the racing yacht must go when the gun goes, the cruising sailor has the greatest chance of travelling during clement weather, just by waiting.


Many of the difficulties encountered in racing, including the occasional fatal race like the 1979 Fastnet and the 1998 Hobart Race occurred because the sailors were racing in weather that would horrify an self-respecting cruising sailor. Had the crews racing had the luxury of being able to say 'No' when they read the weather forecast, many of them would not have departed.

But what exactly is a 'Weather Window'? Well, simply put, it is the time period of weather and sea conditions which are relatively suitable for the planned voyage. The weather window occurs usually between two periods of time when the weather is unsuitable, eg. sea state or winds would make an unpleasant, if not dangerous journey.

A fixed schedule is an anathema for a cruising sailor. Agreeing to collect visitors from a particular harbour on a particular day, or agreeing to deliver someone at a particular time to a particular place are agreements that the prudent sailor should avoid at all costs, as it may put the yacht and the crew in jeopardy if the weather conditions dictate that one should not sail.

For example, in temperate latitudes from the autumnal equinox right through to the vernal equinox in the spring, you can expect some king of weather disturbance every four days or so that lasts for 24 to 36 hours. So the sensible time for travelling, both for safety and for comfort, is between those disturbances.

The prudent sailor will be watching the weather patterns, the lows passing through, and the fronts, and will be standing by ready to go as soon as the disturbance has passed and the winds are favourable. Patience is the key, and the crew pressuring a skipper to go against his or her better judgement because 'I have to get back to work' or something similar, is the kind of pressure that good skippers will resist, and that good crew will never offer.

There are other kinds of weather windows apart from those experienced between systems passing. These are longer in their time frame and are more commonly referred to as seasons. Often these are the times when there are no hurricanes, typhoons or cyclones, dependent on where you sail.

At other times it refers to the prevailing winds. Travelling up the Red Sea, for instance, is usually undertaken between February and April, as these are the months when the south east winds extend furthest up the Red Sea, making the best of running with the wind while it lasts.

Rallies often make the most of the cruising season, occurring at the beginning or end. The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) is a prime example of this, crossing the Atlantic from East to West at the beginning of the cruising season in November/December. This allows yachts from the Mediterranean region to spend the cruising season in the Caribbean. The return rally is timed for May, before the hurricane season begins in the Atlantic.

Similarly, the Port2Port Rally, from Port Vila in Vanuatu to the Port of Bundaberg in Australia occurs at the end of the cruising season in October, getting the yachts out of way of the cyclone season that afflicts the South Pacific from November on.

A skipper's weather and climate consciousness and his adherence to the use of weather windows is one of the greatest indicators of his or her good seamanship.

Rooster 2025Switch One DesignHyde Sails 2024 - One Design

Related Articles

Canada Ocean Racing Acquires Foiling IMOCA
For Scott Shawyer's Vendée Globe Campaign Canada Ocean Racing is proud to announce the acquisition of a current generation foiling IMOCA 60 - formerly known as Groupe Dubreuil and originally 11th Hour Racing - Malama.
Posted today at 4:01 am
Bulwarks and Bulldust – new Vodcast Show launches
Join us as we pan for the gold dust, whilst sifting out the bulldust. Bulwarks and Bulldust looks at the serious subjects from inside the world of boating, but we don't take ourselves too seriously. The show covers off everything from Off The Beach to Superyachts, Powerboats to Ocean Racing, and the marine industry itself
Posted on 6 May
iQFOiL Youth & Junior International Games day 1
Unexpected breeze delivers a spectacular opening day of racing on Lake Garda The iQFOiL Youth & Junior International Games are officially under way in Torbole, Lake Garda, marking the second major event of the 2025 season for the U19/U17/U15 athletes of the iQFOiL Youth & Junior International Class.
Posted on 6 May
Transat Paprec Day 17
"An Atlantic Crossing with the Intensity of La Solitaire" They've proven that persistence pays off—even when faced with serious setbacks. Lola Billy and Corentin Horeau had to make a pit stop in Lisbon during the first week of the race to replace a damaged rudder.
Posted on 6 May
Night sailing, Transat Paprec, Congressional Cup
Night sailing, encountering light airs in the Transat Paprec, Congressional Cup We bundled up as the last of the rays sunlight dipped below the Olympic Mountains and night quietly fell on Puget Sound. We'd been racing for about twelve hours in the Seattle Yacht Club's Protection Island Race (April 26), and we were getting tired.
Posted on 6 May
Triple amputee passes halfway point of challenge
Craid Wood is more determined than ever, despite troubles during Pacific crossing Despite experiencing a number of technical issues with his boat, Craig Wood is now halfway through his sail with well over 4000 nautical miles done. He is feeling positive about reaching the finish line at Osaka in Japan in just over a months' time.
Posted on 6 May
Swan Bonifacio Challenge 2025 Preview
A record-breaking 31 ClubSwan one-design yachts representing 27 nations taking part The highly anticipated 2025 edition of The Nations Cup officially sets sail today from Bonifacio, Corsica, with a record-breaking 31 ClubSwan one-design yachts representing 27 nations.
Posted on 6 May
Offshore Special Regulations Lighting Guide
Released by Exposure Marine ahead of the Rolex Fastnet Race Exposure Marine has launched a dedicated Offshore Special Regulations Lighting Guide to support sailing enthusiasts and offshore racers—particularly those preparing for this year's Rolex Fastnet Race.
Posted on 6 May
Zhik expands Danish Sailing Team partnership
Continuing for another four years as Official Technical Apparel Supplier Zhik, global leader in high-performance water wear, is proud to announce its partnership with the Danish Sailing Team will continue for another four years, as Official Technical Apparel Supplier through to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Posted on 6 May
Biotherm set for The Ocean Race Europe
Paul Meilhat assembles a team of winners for the event A little over three months after securing 5th place in the Vendée Globe, Paul Meilhat is preparing to set sail for new horizons.
Posted on 6 May