Shipping Forecast

[Piemaster]

There's no doubt it'll be slower, but I don't see why they need to know that it's going to be slower in advance. One of my family got a new car recently and had to wait for it to be imported on a ship. It was late, presumably because the ship had gone slower than expected due to the westerly winds we've been having. She had to wait for it until it arrived - she didn't get told it was going to be late, they didn't KNOW the ship was going to be slower due to the shipping forecast.

Basically weather can bugger up the sailing schedules and time in ports is at a premium. As an example think of ferries, wouldn't want to get on a ferry to Holland and arrive 2 days late would you?
It all amounts to money. Delays cost money. If a ship is delayed due to poor weather it then has to go faster to get back onto its schedule. Going faster burns more fuel. A lot more fuel. Fuel consumption for a propeller is proportional to power 3 of the speed (sorry don't know how to type that). A ship will generally have an 'economic' speed and a 'full' speed.
There is a thing called 'weather routing' in which a commercial service will try to direct ships away and around the very worst conditions to help them maintain schedules.

Most ships don't have stabilisers, (sort of underwater wings) as they cause drag. Drag = more fuel consumption. Exceptions generally tend to be those with a cargo that loads / discharges itself. This cargo is known as 'passengers' and is known to puke.

Small yachts crossing the Atlantic. Anyone ever heard of the Volvo Ocean Race? I'd be surprised if most of the sailboats crossing would be capable of carrying enough fuel to make the journey.
Theres one or two have rowed across it as well. James Cracknell?

 

[papercorn2000]

No, well (a) it would if they carried more petrol for it, and ( they wouldn't be using the engine all the time.
Hang on i don't know why i'm arguing in favour of boats getting across the atlantic...

It's rumoured that people used to cross the Atlantic in the days before engines. Can't see it myself...

 

[Arch]

Didn't somebody swim it recently? I have a vague memory of hearing it on the news.

 

[papercorn2000]

Didn't somebody swim it recently? I have a vague memory of hearing it on the news.

I remember a guy windsurfing across in the 80's. Either deliberately or he didn't know how to turn around...

 

[papercorn2000]

I don't know, Radio 4 has been around a while now...

 

[TheDoctor]

Ever since Macaroni invented the pasta-powered wireless.
[/ISIHAC]

 

[Auntie Helen]

It's classic reading all this. Sailing boats not crossing the atlantic! What a bizarre opinion!

Our boat (but not with us in it) has been to St Lucia and back. This is very common, the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (that's normal sailing boats to you and me) takes place every years with 150-odd entrants. And there are loads of others.

A chum has done the Jester Challenge. That is sailing to the Azores in a 23ft Westerley Centaur. It takes three weeks so, believe me Bonj, at about 4 knots speed you HAVE to have the shipping forecast to know what the weather is like 12-24 hours in advance, and even more, so that you can adjust your direction to avoid the worst.

And as for it being called the Shipping Forecast, that's because it's 'Attention all Shipping', a cumulative term for boats upon the sea. The traffic news on the radio isn't called the 'Car, lorry, HGV, truck, people-carrier etc news' is it!

 

[bonj2]

It's rumoured that people used to cross the Atlantic in the days before engines. Can't see it myself...

USED to, yes. Don't now...!

 

[bonj2]

Our boat (but not with us in it) has been to St Lucia and back.

How did it manage to get to st lucia AND BACK on its own? B)

 

[bonj2]

And as for it being called the Shipping Forecast, that's because it's 'Attention all Shipping', a cumulative term for boats upon the sea. The traffic news on the radio isn't called the 'Car, lorry, HGV, truck, people-carrier etc news' is it!

no becasue cars ARE traffic, but sailing boats aren't ships!
I DO know what i'm talking about, i've been in countless boats ranging from very small ones with a two stroke engine (that one incidentally ran out of fuel in the middle of the sea), to barges, to ferries.

 

[Piemaster]

Rule of thumb: you can put a boat on a ship. You can't put a ship on a boat

 

[Arch]

I DO know what i'm talking about,

[panto mode] Oh no, you don't! [/panto mode]

Smeggers, you beat me to it...

 

[Arch]

/panto mode on/ oh yes they are panto mode off

The statutory definition of a “ship” for the purposes of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 is provided in s.313(1):- “ship includes every description of vessel used in navigation”.

But bonj is still right, after all, he's been on a ferry (funny how that makes him right, whereas all the other people who've been on/owned/sailed ships, are still wrong...)

 

[Piemaster]

But bonj is still right, after all, he's been on a ferry (funny how that makes him right, whereas all the other people who've been on/owned/sailed ships, are still wrong...)

....and spent his entire working life on various different ones

 

[Auntie Helen]

I DO know what i'm talking about

Clearly not, with some of your comments about sailing boats not crossing the atlantic. I can't tell you how many different people I know who've done that, often multiple times. Including the former owner of our boat.