Tides & Currents
Why depth and direction are never static at sea Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – Water Is Not a Fixed Environment One of the most dangerous assumptions a bridge team can make is that depth and water movement are constant. They are not. At sea — and especially […]
Common Weather-Related Accidents
Common Weather-Related Accidents Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – Weather Rarely Acts Alone Very few ships are lost simply because the weather was severe. Investigations repeatedly show that weather is the environmental trigger, not the primary cause. The actual causes are nearly always found in the decisions made […]
Heavy-Weather Tactics
How ships are kept safe when the sea can no longer be avoided Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – The Moment Avoidance Ends Every ship eventually reaches a point where weather avoidance is no longer realistic. Sea room may be limited, timing windows may have closed, or systems […]
Heavy-Weather Avoidance
Why the best heavy-weather tactic is often never meeting it at all Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – Avoidance Is a Decision, Not a Manoeuvre Heavy-weather avoidance is often misunderstood as a dramatic last-minute alteration to escape a storm. In reality, true avoidance is almost always quiet, early, […]
Decision-Making Under Weather Uncertainty
Why the most dangerous moment is when the model says “it should be fine” Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction Every forecast at sea is uncertain. That uncertainty is not a flaw in meteorology — it is a structural reality of predicting a chaotic atmosphere over vast, sparsely observed […]
Weather Routing Principles
Why the shortest line is rarely the safest line Introduction Weather routing is often misunderstood as a technical optimisation problem: choose the best line, avoid the worst weather, arrive on time. In reality, routing at sea is a risk-management discipline that balances environmental energy, ship behaviour, and time. A ship does not experience weather as […]
Wind, Sea & Swell – What Actually Matters to Ships
Why wave direction, period, and interaction matter more than headline height Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Why “Sea State” Is an Incomplete Description Many mariners rely on a single phrase: “Sea state is moderate.” Operationally, this tells you almost nothing. Sea state numbers compress multiple variables into one value: […]
Reading & Interpreting Weather Charts
Weather charts only matter if they change what you do next Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Why Weather Charts Still Matter on Modern Bridges Weather charts explain why forecasts say what they say. GRIBs and routing software show outcomes.Charts show cause. Without charts: Charts give context — and context […]
Weather Data Sources on Ships
Why more data does not automatically mean better decisions Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Why Weather Data Is a Decision Tool, Not a Truth All weather information at sea is interpretive. It represents: No weather product tells you what will happen. They tell you what is likely, possible, or […]
Weather Systems
Recognising danger early is more important than reacting late Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Weather Systems as Operational Patterns Bridge officers do not need to forecast weather. They need to recognise patterns and understand what those patterns will do to: Weather systems matter because they shape the risk window, […]