| Every good boater knows that checking the | | | | unexpectedly encounter dangerous weather. |
| weather before you go boating is the best safety | | | | If there is a thunderstorm on the horizon and you |
| precaution you can take. Having some high tech | | | | are receiving static on your AM radio, or your |
| marine electronics on board helps a lot too. You | | | | masthead begins to glow, these are signs you |
| should always carry a radio (and some spare | | | | may be in for a serious lightning threat. If there |
| batteries) that can pick up live feeds from the | | | | are fewer than 30 seconds between thunder and |
| national and international weather feeds such as | | | | lightning, the lightning is close enough to hit you. |
| NOAA and Sirius XM radio weather, and keep the | | | | Sophisticated marine electronics can monitor |
| radio turned on and tuned in. | | | | current weather conditions. A weather station |
| Having a radio that receives weather feeds is a | | | | such as the WeatherLink series by Davis, is |
| great start, but if your radio stops working for | | | | reasonably priced, retailing for around $165 and |
| any reason, it's good to know how to watch for | | | | lets you create weather watch reports or |
| signs of impending bad weather using current local | | | | integrate to your PC for generating graphs and |
| conditions like wind direction, cloud formations, | | | | summaries. The Simrad GB40-15 Glass Bridge |
| atmospheric pressure and temperature. There are | | | | System is a high end computerized marine |
| several devices featuring state of the art marine | | | | navigation system featuring a variety of |
| electronics that can help you determine whether | | | | integrated electronic capabilities, including |
| to head back to dry land when the wind picks up. | | | | cartography, an echo sounder, an entertainment |
| An electronic marine weather station, such as the | | | | system and more. The Simrad Glass Bridge is |
| Davis 6162 Vantage Pro2 Plus uses solar radiation | | | | integrated with the Sirius Radio weather station |
| sensors and can transmit weather data to other | | | | for real-time satellite weather which is then |
| vessels within a one thousand foot range. To pick | | | | overlaid onto the Glass Bridge display. It retails for |
| up the signals, a wireless receiver is also available | | | | around $5000. |
| from Davis. | | | | Hobbyist boaters interested in keeping the wind in |
| Lightning is one of the worst hazards that can | | | | their sales, might consider an electronic wind |
| strike mariners, and boats on the open sea are | | | | speed indicator, such as the Davis Turbo Meter |
| often high risk strike zones. Make sure friends and | | | | Electronic Wind Speed Indicator, a pocket-sized |
| family know where you are going and if possible | | | | marine gadget that will tell you in knots, feet or |
| keep GPS capable marine electronics on board so | | | | meters per minute exactly how fast the wind is |
| you can give people an exact x-y reading if you | | | | blowing in your sails. |