Weather Apps We Use: What We Check Before We Leave the Dock | Tug Drops
Weather Apps We Use | Tug Drops
Before we take our Ranger Tugs R25 off the dock, we always check a few key weather apps first. In this Tug Drop, we show you the weather tools we use, what we look for, and how we decide whether it is a good day to go boating.
We are still learning too, so this is a simple, beginner-friendly look at how we check wind speed, wind gusts, waves, tides, fog, and visibility before heading out.
If you are new to boating, cruising, or simply trying to get more comfortable making go or no-go decisions, we hope this helps.
Thanks for joining us for another Tug Drop, where we share the little things we have learned along the way.
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Prefer to read? Here’s the full transcript from this adventure, lightly edited for readability. Timestamps correspond to the video.
0:00 | Why We Check More Than One Weather App
The day before we filmed this video was the final day of coho season, and we stayed home because of the weather.
That weekend was actually a good example of how we make decisions. Friday did not look good, so we stayed at the dock. Saturday improved enough that we felt comfortable going fishing. Sunday changed again, and we decided it was not worth taking the risk.
For us, checking the weather is not about finding one app that gives us the answer. It is about looking at several sources, comparing what they are telling us, and then deciding what conditions we are comfortable with.
0:45 | Starting With the Basic Forecast
One of the first things Derek does is simply look at the regular weather forecast.
We use the standard Weather app on the iPhone to get a general sense of what the day might look like. Temperature usually does not determine whether we go boating because our Ranger Tugs R25 has an enclosed cabin, heat, and air conditioning. But the forecast still helps us understand what to expect and what we should bring.
Is rain expected? When will it arrive? Will visibility be affected? Do we need jackets or lighter clothing?
This is not the information we use to make our final boating decision, but it gives us a good starting point.
1:45 | Using WillyWeather for Wind and Tides
The next app Derek likes to check is WillyWeather, mainly because of its simple visual graphs.
The wind graph shows both the forecast and the actual recorded wind. That makes it easy to see whether the conditions are tracking close to the forecast or whether reality is starting to look different.
It is also helpful when planning the timing of a trip. If the winds are forecast to climb during the morning and settle down later in the afternoon, we may decide to leave later. If it is only a day trip, we may decide to move the trip to another day altogether.
We also look at the tide graph.
Our home marina becomes more challenging when the tide gets very low, so the tide can affect when we are comfortable leaving or returning. Conditions like this will obviously be different depending on your marina and where you boat, but it is one more piece of information we include in our planning.
3:24 | Digging Deeper With Windy
Once we have a general sense of the conditions, Derek moves into Windy to take a closer look.
Wind speed is important, but we pay particular attention to wind gusts. Gusts can have a significant effect on the water, and we would rather prepare for the stronger conditions than simply look at the sustained wind number.
We consider ourselves fair-weather boaters. We are out there to have fun, so there is not much appeal in forcing ourselves into uncomfortable conditions just because we had originally planned to go somewhere.
If we are seriously considering a trip, Derek digs deeper into Windy and looks at a more detailed weather model for our area.
The important thing for us is not necessarily the name of the model. It is getting a more detailed look at how the conditions are expected to change throughout the day.
5:02 | Looking at Waves, Period, Wind, and Current
Windy can also show wave information.
We look at both wave height and the time between waves, often called the wave period.
Two-foot waves that are spread farther apart can feel very different from two-foot waves packed closely together. When the waves are close together, the ride can become much more uncomfortable.
We also pay attention to the direction of the wind, waves, and current. When wind and current oppose each other, conditions can become much rougher than the raw numbers might suggest.
This is one of the reasons we try not to make decisions based on one number alone.
5:57 | Confirming the Route in Navionics
Derek also likes to check Navionics once we know where we are considering going.
Navionics lets us look at the conditions along the actual route, including wind direction, wind speed, tide information, current direction, and current speed.
That becomes especially important when we are going through places where current matters.
If we are traveling through Deception Pass, for example, we want to know what the current will be doing. If waiting an hour gives us a much easier current, we are usually happy to wait.
The same thinking applies when we are planning trips toward the Strait of Juan de Fuca or other areas where current and wind can have a noticeable effect on the ride.
7:12 | Why We Keep Checking the Forecast
One thing we have learned is not to put too much confidence in a forecast several days ahead.
We might start looking at conditions four or five days before a trip to get a general idea, but we do not make the final decision that early.
As the trip gets closer, we check again.
Then we check again the day before.
And we check again before we leave.
Weather changes, and a forecast that looked great several days ago may look very different by the time you actually get to the boat.
7:48 | Sarah's Weather-Checking Process
Sarah also uses Windy, but her process is a little different.
She starts by choosing a location near the beginning of our planned route and then looks hour by hour at the wind and gusts.
She also switches over to the wave and tide information because waves are one of the biggest factors in her comfort level.
For example, three-foot waves only four or five seconds apart would not be conditions we would choose to go boating in. That kind of short-period sea can produce a very bumpy ride.
9:18 | Checking Fog
Another Windy layer Sarah checks is fog.
Fog is common in the Pacific Northwest, and even though we have radar and other electronics aboard, we would still rather avoid boating in dense fog whenever possible.
Windy can show where fog is forecast and how it is expected to change throughout the day.
Sometimes that simply means delaying our departure for a few hours and allowing the fog to burn off before we leave.
10:27 | Checking Visibility
Along with fog, Sarah checks Windy's visibility layer.
Fog does not always mean zero visibility. Some fog can be relatively light, while other conditions can dramatically reduce how far you can see.
The visibility forecast gives us another piece of information to consider when deciding whether conditions fall inside our own comfort level.
The key word there is our.
Every boater has to determine the conditions they are comfortable operating in based on their boat, experience, location, equipment, and abilities.
11:31 | Comparing Notes Before We Decide
Once we have both looked at the conditions, we compare what we found.
Sometimes the answer is obvious.
Other times, we are still not sure.
When that happens, we have experienced boating friends we can call and ask them to look at the conditions too. Having people we trust who can give us another perspective has been extremely helpful while we continue learning.
We are still relatively new boaters. We still make mistakes, and we still get things wrong. Having good resources around us gives us another way to learn.
12:13 | Setting Our Own Weather Thresholds
One thing that has helped us tremendously is establishing our own thresholds.
Over time, we have experienced calm days, moderately rough conditions, and some weather that was much rougher than we would choose to be in again.
When we are on the water, we compare what we are actually experiencing with what the different apps are reporting.
That helps us build a mental picture of what certain wind speeds, currents, wave heights, and wave periods actually feel like aboard our boat.
Eventually, we can say, "We have experienced something similar before, and that is above what we consider fun."
For us, that matters.
We are recreational boaters. We want to enjoy our time on the water, not prove that we can handle miserable conditions.
12:54 | The Numbers Never Tell the Whole Story
We have also learned that conditions do not always feel exactly the way the forecast suggests they should.
There have been days when the apps looked great and the water did not.
There have also been days when the forecast was near the upper end of our comfort level, but we went out and found incredibly calm water.
That is why we keep looking at the entire picture.
Wind direction. Current direction. Wave height. Wave period. Swell. Tide. Visibility.
The more time we spend boating, the better we become at understanding how all of those pieces work together.
13:42 | Keep Learning Alongside Us
These are simply the weather tools and processes that work for us right now.
As we continue boating, we are sure we will discover additional apps, learn new techniques, and probably change some of the ways we make these decisions.
That is really what Tug Drops is all about.
We are learning as we go and sharing the little things we pick up along the way.
If you use a weather app that has been especially helpful for your boating, let us know what you use and why you like it. We are always interested in learning from other boaters too.
If you enjoy learning alongside us, we hope you will subscribe and follow along.
Have a good one.