| The Links |  |
| The Links | |
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| These links will take you to other web sites connected with cruising. Where I have a view to express, I've expressed it. Otherwise you'll have to make your own mind up. If it's in the list, though, a visit may be worthwhile. |
Safety... Cruising and Liveaboard... Organisations... Publications... Navigation... Weather... Communications... Link Sites... |
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Comments |
| Coastguard Safety Information (UK) | By far the best site on the Web for small craft safety information. Recommended for yachtsmen of all nationalities. |
| Marine Accident Investigation Branch (UK) | A salutary reminder of the consequences of ignoring Coastguard Safety Information. A well designed site containing much fascination information about safety for anyone who goes to sea. |
| Office of Boating Safety (US Coastguard) | A well-designed, comprehensive site covering the same ground as the UK Coastguard Agency's Safety Page, but with a lot of unnecessary clutter. Because Snoopy has decided to wear a PFD will not influence me one jot. |
| Royal National Lifeboat Institution (UK) | A well-designed site illustrated with some excellent cartoons -- plus first rate safety advice. (And if you haven't sent them any money recently, do it now! In case you'd forgotten, the RNLI is totally funded by public donations.) |
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Comment |
| The Liveaboard and Cruising Page | Pretty much a links page, but you know Peter Busenlener knows what he's talking about when you see topics covering problems with heads and condensation (maybe even condensation in the head/heads). |
| Camper & Nicholson's Cruising Areas (UK) | A
classy, stylish, expensive-looking web site (a bit like
their yachts, really). Very readable and informative on
all the main cruising areas of the world. Baedecker
rather than Rough Guide. This on Venice: "It's a long sail up the Adriatic to Venice, which could explain why this most exquisite, world-famous harbour is so often ignored by yachtsmen. It is, however, one of the most fascinating and beautiful cities in Europe. And there is perhaps no better way to visit it than by yacht. The view from the island of San Giorgio Maggiore to famed Piazza San Marco across the Grand Canal, is reserved strictly for the Venetian aristocracy who inhabit its ancient Palazzi and those fortunate few berthed in the marina." |
| Cruisers' Connection (US) | A good link site maintained by Chris and Josie (currently cruising on Amelia in Mexican waters). Includes some good original material for cruisers. Particularly useful is a fairly comprehensive database of waypoints and maps. (Some internal links within this Geocities' site don't work.) |
| Blue Water Sailing (US) | A stylish (but slow) site replete with practical information and advice. In the form of a newsletter from George Day. |
| Women Aboard (US) | An excellent site for women into sailing. When I visited (in drag, of course) I discovered the best introductory seminar on coastal navigation on the Web. Recommended. |
| The Sea (Russia) | A well-designed and wide-ranging site in English and Russian. |
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Comments |
| The Coastguard Agency (UK) | Another well-designed and interesting site. (See also HM Coastguard Safety Information under Safety.) |
| Royal Yachting Association (UK) | All about the RYA. But not much else here. (New site from 1 August 1997.) |
| US Coastguard | A varied and interesting site (essential for cruising visitors to US ports) but a little cluttered and self-centred in places. |
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Comments |
| Yachting Magazine (US) | A well-designed site, specific to sailing activities in and around the USA. |
| Cruising World (US) | Not a lot here, but what is included is useful and interesting. |
| Marine Mechanic (US) | The web edition of the US magazine. |
| Sailing New Zealand | A general site but with pleanty of cruising information -- especially about New Zealand and South Pacific waters. |
| Yachting and Boating World (UK) | A new site (due up 15 August 1997) combining the resources of Yachting Monthly, Yachting World, Practical Boat Owner and Motor Boat and Yachting. I'll review it when it's in place. |
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Comments |
| WWW Tide & Current Predictor | A very useful site covering North and South American waters, plus some European ports. |
| Coastal Navigation Tutorial | An excellent teach-in on coastal navigation. |
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Comments |
| Atlantic Tropical Weather Centre (US) | A very comprehensive and detailed site. Surface chart for Martinique? No problem. |
| Atlantic Weather Charts (3-6 days) | From ECMWF (the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasting). Excellent, very clear synoptic charts covering the whole of the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic across to Newfoundland. |
| Direccion Meteorolgica de Chile | In Spanish. Current synoptic chart for the Chilean waters of the Pacific, the Agentinian waters of the South Atlantic and Cape Horn. |
| BoatUS Weather Service | Good coverage of all US waters including real-time satellite images and high seas forecasts for the Atlantic and Pacific. |
| Bureau of Meteorology (Australia) | An excellent Oz site which even includes a teach-in on meteorology. |
| Colombia: Instituto de Hidrologica, Meteorologia y Estudios Ambiantalos | Atlantic and Pacific forecasts plus cyclone warnings. |
| Danish Meteorological Institute | Forecasts for Danish sea areas, including the Western Baltic, available in Danish, English and German. Sea area forecasts aslo available by phone (English and German on +45 38 38 36 63 at standard international call rates.) |
| Finnish Meteorological Institute | In Finnish and English. No marine forecasts that I could find, but good satellite images for the whole of Europe. |
| Meteo France | A pretty useless site (in French or English) without any actual forecasts. Includes satellite images, but what looks like a promising page of global data turns out to be the history of met observation in places like Reunion. |
| Hong Kong Observatory | Well, the Brits left something useful behind. This excellent site site includes local forecasts, astronomical and tidal data as well as typhoon information. Covers the whole of the South China Sea. In English and Chinese (this being a problem... especially if you don't read it). |
| Indonesia | I'm not even going to give you their URL until they get their act together. You can get tomorrow's weather for Jakarta, but the Tsunami forecast was last updated on 31 January 1996! |
| Metservice New Zealand | An excellent site providing Coastal Marine Forecasts, Recreational Marine Forecasts and High Seas Forecasts. |
| South Africa | Site under construction when I checked it. |
| UK Gales Warnings | From the Met Office (sub-Navtex details only). |
| UK Inshore Waters | From the Met Office and about the only place you can still get it free (except the BBC and Navtex). |
| UK Shipping | See above. |
| US National Hurricane Centre | An essential site for hurricane forecasts in the North Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. |
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Comments |
| K4CJX WinLink (US-based) | And interesting page which provides a gateway between the Internet and the mobile radio ham. |
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Comments |
| Mark Rosenstein's Sailing Page (US) | Not a pretty site, but about as comprehensive as they come. Lots of stuff for tall ship enthusiasts. |
| Cruisers' Connection (US) | A good link site maintained by Chris and Josie (currently cruising on Amelia in Mexican waters). Particularly useful is a fairly comprehensive database of waypoints and maps. (Some internal links within this Geocities' site don't work.) |
| Jens' Link Page (Denmark) | This Danish site (in English) is mostly about tall ships and nautical history. |
| The Sailing Source (US) | Mostly businesses. |
| Master Mariner (UK) | A nice-looking UK site which combines links with some original content. |
| Torresen's InterSail Web Search | Just about everything here. |
| UK Sailing Index
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It's name gives the game away. The starting point for anything to do with the Web, the UK and sailing. |
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