I'd appreciate it if someone can tell me where to get the best wind report for Clear Lake, and the west bay can be found. Thank you...
Sailflow seems to be fairly accurate with wind predictions. Accuweather is less accurate for the Clear Lake area, in my opinion. You can also download GRIB files and make your own predictions with the same info that the weathermen use.
Charles
hot with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms...winds variable becoming southeast in the afternoon..5-15 except near storms...that'll hold ya until october or so... :D
Good one, Ed. I was hoping for something a little more accurate though. I looked at an online wind report yesterday morning and it said there was a five mile breeze so I drove all the way to clear lake to go sailing only to find there was no wind at all. Just thought some of you die-hard sailors would share where to find an accurate wind report if there was such a thing so that us part-timers (for now) would know where to go.
For Forecast:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?Submit=Submit&FcstType=graphical&textField1=29.52880&textField2=-95.02050&site=hgx&WindBox=1&AheadHour=0
For Actual with some history:
http://lighthouse.tamucc.edu/overview/507
I use these quite often and find them reliable.
Brant
wow...thats exactly what I was looking for. amazing how much crap you can wade through on the internet trying to find this and still not get it. thanks for taking a moment to paste the links. sincerely...
http://pri.hcoem.org/txdot/
This one will tell you real time what the wind is doing on the top of the Kemah bridge
thanks man....appreciate it sincerely.
Quote from: Screwloose on July 07, 2010, 05:08:12 AM
http://pri.hcoem.org/txdot/
This one will tell you real time what the wind is doing on the top of the Kemah bridge
I haven't been able to see any info from the bridge in quite a while.
there was data in that area on the map although it didn't say the bridge. guess i'd have had to see if before to know.
http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/ports/ports_data.shtml?stn=8771013 Eagle Point&data_type=All Meteorological
Why is it that folks feel entitled to be spoon fed answers rather than actually doing the work to gain knowledge and apply it?
Here's a solution for you - do what we've done for years around here. Go outside, look at ths sky, pay attention to what the temperature, wind, clouds, etc. are doing. Repeat every day (more often if you are awake and sober).
Read a book on weather. Read a number of books on weather. Study the past weather data and understand how it works. Visit with a local meteorologist out of the NWS office in League City and ask his opinion on the weather - go back and talk with him a week/month later. Talk with local sailors and try and understand what they have to say about the weather. In other words - take the time and effort to LEARN. You should quickly learn that the weather is not about what it's like outside now, it's about what's it like outside in 4 hours (or 12 hours, or 3 days...).
You won't learn anything about the weather by looking up the answers for the current conditions. You will learn about weather by putting in some time and effort to learn the theory and local history / patterns. It's kind of like sailing - reading a book just won't do it, TOT (time on the tiller) will.
Yeah but BJ, if you live 30 or 40 miles up the road from CL it is nice to know what the conditions might be before you ask your non sailing GF and her super hot friends if they would like to go out for a booze cruise.
why do you even question why someone is asking for help. why not just help, or go the hell on about your business? oh, you're trying to be helpful? thanks for your offer of a solution but please, don't bother, I found the solution I was seeking, there's a f*****g sensor on top of the damn bridge. ok, so it doesn't work right now so i guess I'll just do without the information I need while i do everything you suggested i do, and drop all the other conflicting priorities I have even though all i f*****g really would like to do is a little dingy sailing after driving an hour and a half to get there. i don't understand someone not willing to help someone out, especially when it is no sweat off their a*s as in this case. maybe your a*s is sweating a lot contemplating all the damn people and their entitlements (I've been worrying about that too), and you really can't spare any more sweat and don't want to risk another drop. you know, I'd pretty much give you or whoever the shirt off my back if you actually asked me for it, and i would feel good that I helped another person. perhaps you and I are different in that sense. I take a particular pleasure in being able to do something for someone to help them along the path they're on after spending lots of years not giving a f*****g rats a*s and taking from people around me. I'm sure you could teach me a lot about weather and sailing and judging by your response to my post, I suspect there a few things I could teach you as well. it's a good thing the majority of the sailors I have met at the GBCA don't come across like your response. the GBCA as a whole would be a lot less of a decent organization otherwise.
Well, Brian, one could start by reading Stuart Walker's A manual of sail trim, graduate to The Sailor's Wind and then pick up Frank Bethwaite's High Performance Sailing. Then you can move on to Higher Performance Sailing,and learn all about apparent wind sailing. At this point you will be perfectly ready to buy your first F18 and go fly a hull. Larned all dat vector and physic stuf from a bok so you gota be god, right? Sure, and if you manage to get to the windward mark without any mishaps and know every string to pull and manage all the shifts you just might be able to finish.
On the other hand one just might learn a bit on the water with folk that are at least interested in doing some small amount of teaching before you read all those books. Every top-notch sailor I know is willing to teach you everything he knows so why shouldn't one take advantage of that help BEFORE he goes out and spends the time reading and re-reading those wonderful books? Time on the water is much more precious then words in any specific book. What's most valuable is both. Time on the water plus the experience of others (whether in a book or not) is the optimum way to go.
Quit the bitching and teach. Its a noble profession even if many think otherwise.
Absolutely good words Bee. I think all of us learned to sail at the elbow of a mentor (or two or three, or twelve). The key is that you got out and did it - you went sailing and were willing to learn over time. Those of us who got the bug and wanted to learn more spent our time reading some of the books you mentioned (and others...). We were (and are) hungry to learn. We seek out sources of knowledge that will expand our skill set and perfect those skills / knowledge through practical application. Whether it is weather or sailing, any area of expertise we've chosen to become more skilled in took time, learning, observation, and lots of practice.
Thomas, it's unfortunate that you've chosen to take my post so negatively. I would hope that you might find some sources that will expand your general knowledge of weather as well as the experience and practice of learning our local conditions. Web sites are great for seeing what's happening now, knowledge and experience will tell you what will likely happen once you've made that long drive down to the water for the specific area (Clear Lake, Red Fish, Morgans Point, Galveston - they'll all be different!!!).
As a suggestion on a very related topic... Knowing the local weather patterns are one thing, but getting good at reading the microconditions of shifts and gusts and what geographic features modify the local wind and how it will be modified is something most good sailors can do almost instinctively once they've sailed in a local area for an extended period. One thing we all learn when we go to a different venue to race is to spend some time talking with a local sailor to get their knowledge of the local secrets. The Red Bluff Shift, the Wednesday Night Point on Clear Lake, when the sea breeze fills and how to tell when and where - these are a few of the major micro"features" of our local conditions.
Relax and enjoy the fact that sailing is an activity that involves so many disciplines that we can spend our lifetimes learning. We should always strive to be experts, but we will have to accept that we will never be more than amateurs:-)
Really an intelligent response, Thomas. Good luck on getting help now.
Charles
Quote from: thomas on July 08, 2010, 07:56:43 PM
why do you even question why someone is asking for help. why not just help, or go the hell on about your business? oh, you're trying to be helpful? thanks for your offer of a solution but please, don't bother, I found the solution I was seeking, there's a f_____g sensor on top of the damn bridge. ok, so it doesn't work right now so i guess I'll just do without the information I need while i do everything you suggested i do, and drop all the other conflicting priorities I have even though all i f_____g really would like to do is a little dingy sailing after driving an hour and a half to get there. i don't understand someone not willing to help someone out, especially when it is no sweat off their ass as in this case. maybe your ass is sweating a lot contemplating all the damn people and their entitlements (I've been worrying about that too), and you really can't spare any more sweat and don't want to risk another drop. you know, I'd pretty much give you or whoever the shirt off my back if you actually asked me for it, and i would feel good that I helped another person. perhaps you and I are different in that sense. I take a particular pleasure in being able to do something for someone to help them along the path they're on after spending lots of years not giving a f_____g rats ass and taking from people around me. I'm sure you could teach me a lot about weather and sailing and judging by your response to my post, I suspect there a few things I could teach you as well. it's a good thing the majority of the sailors I have met at the GBCA don't come across like your response. the GBCA as a whole would be a lot less of a decent organization otherwise.
Thomas, you've stepped way beyond the bounds of common courtesy here. Please do not force me to ban your account.
well, before I read all these replies, i'll just come right out and apologize for my post. I don't think it was very respectful, regardless of anything else. I don?t know you BJ, and my cussing in the reply was not directed specifically at you so please excuse me for the lack of class. For me the fact of the matter is that through the GBCA, and all the sailors like you?re your self that have been doing it that way for years, I have been on a sailboat for all the major regattas, on the rum races, and done the Wednesday night races this year. I have pretty much been sailing every weekend this year that I have wanted to be on a boat. I sincerely appreciate. I know that without people like you, BJ, and the other people at the GBCA that have been doing what you?ve been doing for years, this would not have been possible for me without my going and buying my own boat. It has pretty much blown me away just how decent and nice the people I have met at the GBCA have turned out to be. I know that everything you said in your post, regardless of how you said it, is true and the fact that I realize now that I could have been down there with all of you doing just what you suggested instead of focusing on the things I have focused on?well, your comment on that touched a raw nerve with me. I don?t appreciate people that do not treat others with respect when they deserve it, and I regret my own failure in this regard. sincerely
actually, in hindsight, your post BJ was exactly what i needed to hear. since I plan to sail foreign waters, i need to know about weather much more than just casually, and i'm wasting valuable time when i could be doing things to work towards my goal. i will take your advice, and start studying.
Seeing as how i'm really just a guy looking for some TIT (time in transit) as crew on other peoples boats until I'm ready to move onto my own boat, everything I can do to get ready for the day will serve me well. you're advice is appreciated.
I'm going to check out a couple of the other books, a manual of sail trim, and the sailors wind. i figure knowing how to trim sails would come in handy, and it will probably be good to know more about sailors wind as i already have a problem with that, and being confined in small quarters...well you get the picture. thanks for your understanding...
i checked out the sailors wind by Stuart Walker and ordered it along with the manual of sail trim. looks like exactly what i need.
you know, if any you ever wanted teach a class on weather, i'd be one of the paying students. you could get a metrologist to come, make it a multi day class spread out over however many sessions it took to cover what you wanted to cover whether it is one sessions or more, with the objective to give a introduction to all the basics or whatever you wanted to do.
you could charge enough to cover you time and the value of your knowledge, purchase some snacks, and something for the GBCA overhead. you'd probably have as many students as were at the racing seminar. i suspect it would be packed. you could probably even find/purchase/acquire a powerpoint presentation and use that with your knowledge to be able to explain it and there you go. a sailors introduction of weather and the wind. seems like in the dead of winter would be a good time although on some evenings even now, I'd find the time. of course, even in the dead of winter, I'll be out chasing some TIT (time in transit) but even so, for that class, I'll be there.
something to consider...
Please play nice.
Sailors are natural weather junkies, and many of us probably spend a disproporate amount of time (and bandwidth) studying the overwhelming amount of information available, wanting to keep our crews safe, and looking for that edge on the race course.
Some of the shared info might be repetitive for old salts and locals who live close enough to paradise and lucky enough to make their own daily observations. Keep in mind that nearly half of the GBCA membership live and work many miles away from the bay!
There is new information available all the time (like the HYC weather station being online, yey! then offline, boo!), wind and current models, aviation forecasts that hundreds of lives count on, everything from supercomputers down to $100 weather stations are all tied into Skynet...err...the wonderful world wide web.
We have some fantastic weather tools available today.
Of course, there are mountains of books and periodicals on the topic, several that Bee mentioned, that are an excellent foundaton and worth the read. The information just might save your bacon someday if you spend alot of time on the water or punching holes in the sky.
It's always good to hear feedback on what works for local sailors while always keeping in mind that: "your actual results may vary" I hope this GBCA forum will continue to be one of the tools to do that.
Now that the rain has cleared (hopefully), I'm sure I'm not the only one wishing they were out on Galveston Bay experiencing the weather, in person, on this beautiful day.
Until I get my Rum Race fix tomorrow, this nifty bayside webcam/weatherstation will just have to do:
http://www.nichtberger.com/camera.html (http://www.nichtberger.com/camera.html)
Pretty strong and inappropriate words Thomas. Based on my recollection of the one and only time you were on my boat you haven't taken the time to advance your sailing knowledge on your own an awful lot during the past several years. I recommend the webmaster remove Thomas's Reply #15 from the site and if there is a reoccurrence, remove Thomas.
Thomas Reply #13, not #15 as referenced in the previous post.
sorry sir, but you don't know what you're talking about as far as what I have done or not done in the past several years. i have spent over a thousand dollars on sailing education this year alone. i have five different ASA certifications to prove it. this year. not to mention purchasing expensive gear and electronics so that i am a valuable crew member for those needing good, experienced crew. with a damn good attitude, i would add. ask anyone i've crewed for. millennium, zippity, parrot tales, chris K, hell i can't think of them all. i don't know you and don't know that I've crewed for you. you may be mistaking me for someone else.
i find it funny that you're going to recommend to remove my post when there are posts on here talking about doggy styling GBCA positions. think about what you're saying. this is a blog sir, for adults, we all drink, we all have bad days, we all let our mouths overload our asses form time to time, and this website is the better for it because when we overload our asses here and act inappropriately, the community spanks us. when we get spanked by those whom are our peers, we get an attitude adjustment. it serves the local sailing community well.
i stated my regret for my actions. i sincerely stated my position. that should be sufficient to let the matter go given what it was, and move on. it is in my world.
Come on guys. Cool down. Mistake made, apology made. If you continue this will begin to sound like Sailing Anarchy Forums.
Let's focus on learning, sailing, and having fun.
hey just for the record, i checked the link, and I have never been on your boat. you've got me confused with someone else. as i'm still out here begging rides, please be careful what you say about me. i've got enough of a problem accounting for my misbehaving without having to also account for someone that you've got me confused with.
and for the record, i don't have a problem with deleting the post when i've disrespected someone that was trying to help me out. if i was moderating i wouldn't but i don't care. i was just trying to point out that it is of benefit to have an open forum. it serves the community well. and sometimes it is interesting reading. cheers to you all....
OK Everyone, take two steps back.
It looks like I helped start this s**t fight and it's High Time it stopped!
Thomas, no offense taken. As I said, it's unfortunate you misinterpreted my post as being hostile and critical. My intent was exactly what (in the end) happened - spark your interest to learn. A questioning mind is fertile. Get a "jones" to learn about weather and soak up everything you can. Read, read, read... Use the internet as a learning resource. Talk with the local sailors (those that are still speaking to you - LOL) and pick their brains. Also consider that this is NOT Sailing Anarchy - 'nuff said.
If everyone wants to continue this thread and continue bashing, you run the risk of having this thread deleted - you've been warned three times now.
Thomas and Brian, I appreciate your posts. I was up late last night and reacted to Brian's post and the three F bombs in Thomas' post and the general direction the thread seemed to be taking. If El Diablo doesn't have a problem with you m********rs then I don't either.
Thomas, if you want to edit your post you should be able to do that by clicking on the link on the post. If you don't want to edit it, don't. It's really not that big of a deal.
Is this the meaning of karma?
yeah, no big deal. all of it helped me so thank you.
I think a point was brought up in this discussion that needs to be addressed. I tried, back-handedly, to address this a couple of years ago when someone made some racially degoratory comments. However, I will be straight forward this time. From the best of my knowledge, this a public forum. Meaning any sailor, mother, or child, in basically the world, can read these discussions without being a member or signing in. Personally, I see this discussion board as an ambassador to anyone that may be interested in getting into sailing or may be from elsewhere and looking to come here for some top competition. Hopefully, we can all be GBCA Ambassadors to the world each time we post.
Quote from: BJSailor on July 08, 2010, 06:03:26 PM
Why is it that folks feel entitled to be spoon fed answers rather than actually doing the work to gain knowledge and apply it?
Here's a solution for you - do what we've done for years around here. Go outside, look at ths sky, pay attention to what the temperature, wind, clouds, etc. are doing. Repeat every day (more often if you are awake and sober).
Read a book on weather. Read a number of books on weather. Study the past weather data and understand how it works. Visit with a local meteorologist out of the NWS office in League City and ask his opinion on the weather - go back and talk with him a week/month later. Talk with local sailors and try and understand what they have to say about the weather. In other words - take the time and effort to LEARN. You should quickly learn that the weather is not about what it's like outside now, it's about what's it like outside in 4 hours (or 12 hours, or 3 days...).
You won't learn anything about the weather by looking up the answers for the current conditions. You will learn about weather by putting in some time and effort to learn the theory and local history / patterns. It's kind of like sailing - reading a book just won't do it, TOT (time on the tiller) will.
I was more offended with BJ's response than "Thomas'" post... yea, Thomas should have taken a step back and clarified what he was looking for, or better, watched the language... I have found "this" attitude, on both parts, very common on GB... I have lost many crew over the years because they felt GB had an unwillingness to help new people.. Thomas, spending lost of money and certifications cannot beat on-the-water time... just drive down, and go sailing no matter what the wind is... the best way to learn is to force yourself to sail in it...
BJ, how's that weather knowledge working for ya? I have yet to meet you, or see you on the water, but it does not appear you have applied that weather knowledge to win many regattas... and to correct you, you can learn about weather by observing current conditions... hmm, wind is shifty @ 5 knots, no clouds... weather dude said there is a big H over Texas... maybe those all go together...
Thomas, come out on the committee boat for Wed. nights and you will be able to experience all kinds of different patterns; also absorb a lot of knowledge from Buddy and John...
Scot, that weather knowledge has actually worked out pretty well for me and those I've sailed and RC'd with over the years. Yup, pretty well indeed.
I agree with you that direct observation is indispensable for judging the immediate conditions - if the rock is dry then it's nice, wet rock indicates rain, rock gone means hurricane:-)
Thomas, I'll encourage you to take Scot up on his offer. You'll learn more than you ever wanted from this crew of extremely talented folks.
I'm not racing this Wednesday night so I'll take you up on that. Thanks for the offer. Let me know what kind of beer to bring and I'll load up enough for the boat.
Hmmmm BJ,
Guess you can post gooood stuff since no one knows who you are!!?? ;D ;D
i don't know about that. some people know who he is.
Quote from: Trent on July 10, 2010, 12:33:25 AM
Is this the meaning of karma?
Is that like a Karma Gia?
Tuma and Charles. I am quite surprised that you do not know who BJ is. You have both met him many times. Maybe you are just pulling our legs.
Karma Gia. thats a good one.
Quote from: Bee on July 12, 2010, 07:42:19 PM
Tuma and Charles. I am quite surprised that you do not know who BJ is. You have both met him many times. Maybe you are just pulling our legs.
I have served on RC with Mr. BJSailor. And, I would pull your leg, Bee, but you would enjoy it too much!
Thanks guys. I don't want to be stuck having to moderate this forum and this thread has turned back towards the positive so I assume I've dodged another bullet.
Does anyone have any objections to me leaving the posts as they are?
-Kevin Bednar GBCA Board member and GBCA discussion board slave.
no problem.
FYI: I was able to order all three books used from A1 Books online:
a manual of sail trim
the sailors wind
high performance sailing
the cost was about $60. what a deal.
thanks for the suggestion....
actually, the cost was 48.83 delivered
I've had enough of the complaints, both on and off forum.
I'm asking the players involved in this thread to please remove the multiple f bombs from your posts and replace with "f*".
Your points will still be very well taken and the content will not be lost.
Of course, we are all for free speech and freedom of expression, but this thread has set a very poor precedent.
Sailors and are well known to cuss a few words, but we're beyond sailors: we're respectable yachtsmen and women.
As shocking as this sounds, the "Corinthian spirit" is still a big part of our sport. As mentioned earlier, we're all liaisions to the sport of yachting, GBCA and to the Galveston Bay racing scene.
If cussing can get you in trouble with the race committee on the race course, then the same will apply to this forum
If you feel the need to cuss excessively to make your point, you run the risk of being booted from this forum.
Finally, I would like to add there are plenty of other sailing forums on the web (http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/) if you find it necessary to express yourself in such a manner.
Thank you,
Chris Kelley
GBCA Commodore
there are no commands on my posts allowing me to edit or delete a post. in the "help" section it states, " Further Modify and Delete options are normally provided to enable registered members to edit their own posts." These commands are nit present on my posts.
Quote from: Bee on July 12, 2010, 07:42:19 PM
Tuma and Charles. I am quite surprised that you do not know who BJ is. You have both met him many times. Maybe you are just pulling our legs.
Bee,
Here lies a couple of problems I see... I feel the profile should give actual names seperate from the screen name... also, I have run across a few new sailors that have attended the social parties and never confronted from any of the "regulars"... they have told me they will not go back... I have asked BJ to introduce themself last time (when I perceived as a new comer)... they have never come up and said, "... hey dork, BJ is me..."
Chris, your right, the language is not needed and I believe Thomas has apoligized and attempted to modify it.. It seems there is some frustration from both ends... We need to take a step back and look at how the other person is perceiving our comments, or wants, and try to help them out.. I definatly don't support giving hand-outs, but lets teach em how to fish!!! It will come back to all of us..
cheers....
Scott
Although some may think he is a she, I think everyone knows who Bee is. Except for Sailing Anarchy, I have never felt the need to hide my identity. Nevertheless, I can understand why some may feel differently so I don't agree that the actual name need be part of the moniker.
What I have learned from the current social attitudes in the US is that the kinds of things that have been quoted in this, and other threads on this site, should be held back by the authors. One can argue that if the true name was attached this would change, but I doubt it.
I'm sorry Thomas, I was wrong. You can't modify your own posts. When the GBCA Board was finalizing details for setting up the forum they and I decided that allowing people to modify their posts would lead to people trolling the forum with abusive posts and then deleting their comments. Of course, that would make a fool of anyone who replied to their abuse.
I'll go back and remove the f-bombs from the thread manually as Commodore Kelley has ordered.
I'm sorry that you have to go back and clean up after me. Please excuse me. That will not happen again.
"also, I have run across a few new sailors that have attended the social parties and never confronted from any of the "regulars"... they have told me they will not go back"
Scott - exactly what is this supposed to mean? Just trying to understand with exactly who and why there would be a "confrontation" and why new people won't come back because they were "never confronted".
Quote from: MaryM on July 14, 2010, 09:46:20 AM
"also, I have run across a few new sailors that have attended the social parties and never confronted from any of the "regulars"... they have told me they will not go back"
Scott - exactly what is this supposed to mean? Just trying to understand with exactly who and why there would be a "confrontation" and why new people won't come back because they were "never confronted".
It means that some of the new sailors aren't greeted and they do not feel accomodated... maybe "welcomed" should have been used instead of "confronted"... basically, talked to... If it sounded like I was suggesting there were confrontations, I apoligize...
There are some people that are masters of social interaction, but we need to realize there are many people that need some prodding and/or coaching... I don't know the reasons only a small portion of the sailors attend the socials, this was my point last time to simply ask if there is something we, the entire community, can do the change and make it more appealing to them... Just trying to spark ideas and make GBCA "The place to Race", and party...
Thanks for the clarification Scott. I agree that sometimes it can be a little intimidating for the new party comers - they are walking into a room of people, many of which have known each other for a very long time. GBCA regulars all need to try and reach out to those new faces and get to know some new people. Our clubhouse has been more jam packed than ever this year and it makes it very hard to mingle but everyone can make a point of introducing themselves to one new face at each event. Who knows, you might end up with some new crew, learn something new or make a new friend! Newcomers, it is a large, loud, crazy group - don't be afraid to wade in there and talk to someone from a boat that you recognize from the course - I think that you will find most everyone to be very friendly. Tell those folks to come back again Scott, they come to a few parties and they will feel like regulars.
Quote from: MaryM on July 17, 2010, 08:34:05 AM
Newcomers, it is a large, loud, crazy group - don't be afraid to wade in there and talk to someone from a boat that you recognize from the course - I think that you will find most everyone to be very friendly.
I have been a member of GBCA for about three years, and attend most all the events. There are still people I don't know and am not sure if they are members or not, so I think Mary's advice to the new people to lets us know that they are new is a great suggestion. Send them to me...I'll talk to anybody!!!
Charles,
We're trying to make them comfortable. Don't scare them away! Seriously good points everybody. We've gained many new members this year, thanks to the hard work of the Board and the support of the membership. We rock!
i nominate charles for the post of gbca social director ;D
do i have a second?
hey ya'll I know its hot but gooolly Andy******
FYI the weather station at HYC is up And running except when the main house server backup mode shuts me down (when I'm not here) Also check the map on Weatherunderground. there is another station around Red Bluff. I think you can reach it at nichtberger.com
this is HYC station actually mounted at the harbor entrance on the water ( unaffected by land or buildings)
http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KTXSHORE1