What you'll learn
- Ability to decode and understand official meteorological charts by NOAA and JMA
- Ability to predict the lows tracks based on the surface charts (facsimile)
- Ability to understand how intense a low is and how fast it is moving
- Ability to decode any symbol which is displayed on the charts
- Learn general meteorological knowledge
- Understand what the significant wave height is
- Ability to create a passage plan avoiding extreme weather conditions and make your own forecast
- Ability to decode Grib files and use Grib Viewers
- Ability to receive Grib files and official charts sending a simple email to Saildocs
Top Shipping Companies and Organizations offer this course to their employees.
Danaos Shipping Co. LTD, HELMEPA, Minerva Marine Inc., Tsakos Columbia Shipmanagement SA, Latsco Marine Management, Diana Shipping, Costamare Inc., Kyklades Maritime (read more)
Course Content
1. Surface charts (60 min)
- Analysis charts and forecast charts
- Isobars and Wind
- Ships weather observations
- Low tracks
- Warning Labels and abbreviations
- Weather fronts, rules of thumb
2. Wave Charts (60 min)
- Wind wave and Swell
- Significant Wave Height, combined wave
- Douglas Sea Scale
- Maximum Wave, Average Wave
- Basics of waves theory
- Wind/waves map
3. Passage plan, weather forecast, avoiding extreme weather conditions (210 min)
- Exercises on the maps
- Case studies
- Teamwork: make your own forecast based on real charts
- Weather routing optimization, weather factor, tools to optimize your route
4. Digital weather charts and Grib files (150 min)
- Saildocs
- Charts through email and Saildocs
- How to create a subscription in Saildocs
- What Grib files are?
- Free Grib Viewers, qtvlm
Requirements
- Use of your laptop and internet access
- Microsoft Office (useful)
- Ability to create and send an email
- Classroom setup for team-working
Description
We are excited to introduce an in-depth, 10-hour/ 2-day course on Modern Marine Meteorology taught by Dr. Nikos Mazarakis, PhD Professor of Marine Meteorology, with more than 20 years' experience of teaching.
This course is specifically aimed at mariners who want a deeper understanding of how weather fits into the shipping industry and exactly how to predict the weather conditions, optimizing your route and avoiding extreme weather based on the official meteorological charts and Grib files.
This training course, approved by Lloyd's Register in 2016, has been taken by master mariners in 6 countries (Greece, Ukraine, Russia, Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania) and has a well-established high rating. It is simply unique that you can take to further your skill-set in marine meteorology and is applicable for any master in any vessel's type.
Who this course for:
- Master mariners
- Second and Third mate
- Apprentice officers
- Operators in shipping companies
- Staff of shipping companies