People are always asking me for good referral Internet sites for Ocean and Weather. Over the years and I have compiled this list for my clients.

Ocean Seminar Participants:
There is a rich resource of free information available to all who have internet. Learning how to use and interpret this information will enhance your knowledge and understanding of how the Gulf Stream and eddies work.

1. (Interactive Marine Observations) This site allows you to interrogate the buoys to obtain buoy derived sea surface temperatures. You can also get lots of meteorological information like air temp, sea level pressure, wave height, barometric pressure, etc.

2.  (Current Velocities in the Gulf Stream) This Netherlands site has an aesthetically pleasing color computer vector analysis of the north Atlantic. 1 week old, 2 week old, and 3 week old. Not entirely scientifically accurate (vectors only go as high as 2 knots. In reality, velocities can be much higher)

3. (AVHRR homepage) By far the best site on the web. High resolution, realtime, false color NOAA polar orbiting infrared satellite images covering the entire East Coast and Gulf of Mexico. Also 3 and 7 day composites available, archive available for several years.

4. (Rosenstiel School Satellite Images) Low resolution, delayed data but many western boundary currents (Kuroshio, East Australian, Gulf Stream, Brazil, etc.) are available. Good for around the world races.

5. (BBSR Satellite Oceanography-Today's Image) Bermuda Biological Station realtime satellite images, not archived, only few images posted. Black and white rendition is pretty good but it takes more knowledge to interpret it. False color rendition is poor. Close up around Bermuda is available.

6. (University of Rhode Island - Graduate School of Oceanography)  This Sea Surface Temperature Satellite Image Archive  is low resolution, sometimes very old data, not very reliable, but covers a very large area.

7. (Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution) 14 km and 50 km resolution false color imagery, some with superimposed sea surface temperature isotherms (lines of equal sea surface temperature). Crowding together of isotherms indicates north wall of Gulf Stream and concentric circular isotherms indicate eddy locations. Realtime.

8. (IMCS Remote Sensing Lab) Second best website (next to Johns Hopkins ), realtime false color imagery covering large areas and covering 3 degree squares, too. Also visible data and drifting buoy tracks. You can determine drifter velocities by computing distance divided by time. This is particularly useful information if the buoy is in an eddy or in the Gulf Stream.

9. (Global near realtime altimetry data viewer) This gives sea surface height from the altimetry data. Warm eddies are lighter than the surrounding water and have sea heights higher (10-50 cm) than the surrounding water. Cold eddies are heavier than the surrounding water and have depressed (10-55 cm) sea surfaces. Data is usually 4-9 days old. Eddy locations pretty good, Gulf Stream location poor.

I acquire images from each of these sites, download them, and analyze them using photoshop software. My final products are a combination of the interpretation from all the infrared imagery (black and white as well as false color).

Tips & Tools

Every boat should have the following weather tools aboard:

• Thermometer (for ocean and air)
• Barometer - measures the air pressure
• Anemometer (if possible) - measures the wind speed and direction
• VHF/SS band Radio - monitor weather forecasts

Associated gear for bad weather:

• Sea Anchor - Heavy duty
• Plenty of foul weather gear
• EPRIB's (also consider personal locator devices)

Also for long passages consider:

• Satellite Phone - Several to choose from now (costs way down)
• Computer and Internet Link-ups
• Radars and weather satellite receivers