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RYA Day Skipper , Sailing essentials ,

Weather (Meteorology)

Understanding weather, what causes it, and obtaining and interpreting forecasts will help us plan and enjoy our time on the water.

Learn how to find, read, interpret and monitor weather forecasts.

Approximately 3 hours

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One of the most significant effects of our time on the water is the weather. Understanding how it will impact our trip and planning accordingly will significantly influence our enjoyment and safety.

This module introduces the core principles of weather, synoptic charts, and sources of forecasts both for planning and real-time while on the water. The better our understanding, the greater our ability to consider the impact of the elements in our plans and, importantly, remain safe.

Skills covered

The module discusses finding, interpreting, using and monitoring weather forecasts. From the language used to its impact on your time on the water, you’ll learn where you can get forecasts and how to use them to help plan passages.

On completing this module, you’ll earn the meteorology insignia!

Meteorology

  • I can interpret and plan based on a weather forecast.

For this module, you will need the following:
  • RYA Training Charts 3 & 4
  • RYA Training Almanac
  • Portland Course Plotter
  • Dividers
  • Pencil
  • Notepad
The Day Skipper course pack includes the RYA Almanac and charts required to complete this module. Enrol for access and your course pack will be dispatched within 24 hours.
Everything needed to complete this module is included in your course pack.
Downloadable resources:
Many of our downloads are available FREE! You don't have to be enrolled in one of our courses; you can study with any sailing school and still get access! Sign up for immediate access.

Module downloads:

Downloadable resources are to support learning, not a pre-requisite for the sessions. You only need to download or print something if it helps your understanding of a topic.

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UK Inshore Waters Forecast

Heading out to sea? Make sure you know exactly which inshore sea area you’re sailing in — and which coastguard to call if you need assistance. This...

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Shipping Forecast Sea Areas

Here’s a handy crib sheet you can download that lists all 31 Shipping Forecast sea areas at a glance, complete with their names, locations and key details—perfect...

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Shipping Forecast Sea Areas

Here’s a handy crib sheet you can download that lists all 31 Shipping Forecast sea areas at a glance, complete with their names, locations and key details—perfect...

Download

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Cloud & Weather Front Spotter

Just observing the clouds can indicate weather fronts and expected conditions. Sometimes clouds provide obvious clues; if we see dark clouds, we expect...

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Inshore Waters Forecast - Dumbarton to Farlow

A fictional inshore waters forecast for the sea area Dunbarton to Farlow (an RYA training area in the Northern Hemisphere). This forecast is used in the...

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Inshore Waters Forecast - Sea Areas

The 19 inshore water sea areas covered by the inshore waters weather forecasts of the UK.

The UK inshore waters forecast is broken into 19 sea areas,...

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Inshore Waters Forecast - Dumbarton to Farlow

A fictional inshore waters forecast for the sea area Dunbarton to Farlow, part of the RYA Northern Hemisphere training area. This forecast is used in...

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Shipping Forecast Worksheet

This worksheet contains details regarding the UK shipping forecast. It's used for the session Sources of weather forecast in the Weather module of the...

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Weather Forecasting Terminology

This worksheet contains the terms used in the weather forecast and their definitions.

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Synoptic Chart

An example synoptic chart used in the How to read a synoptic chart in the Weather module of the Sailing Essentials & Day Skipper theory courses.

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Module Content

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Module Includes

  • 2 Topics
  • 7 Sessions
  • 1 Exercise