Sailing Solévideo
Learn PredictWind in 8 Minutes
18 May 2026 · 8 min · 1K views · Long Beach
Tablet screen shows sail route from Long Beach to Catalina with wind data.
What this video covers
PredictWind's interface, weather models, and route-planning tools are walked through for sailors new to marine forecasting, using Southern California coastal cruising and a Long Beach–to–Catalina crossing as working examples.▶ 1:23 The main weather map displays animated wind data with layered overlays for wind, gusts, rain, waves, and clouds; a timeline slider scrubs hour by hour through forecast evolution, useful for timing departures, harbor entrances, and channel crossings.▶ 2:18 Four named weather models — PWG, PWE, ECMWF, and GFS — function as independent forecasting engines; when they agree, conditions are predictable, and when they diverge, uncertainty is high.▶ 2:50 Route planning (a subscription feature) estimates wind angles, arrival time, and forecast changes along a passage.▶ 5:10 Departure planning compares multiple start times at user-set increments — one, two, or six hours apart — showing how leaving earlier or later shifts sea state, wind angle, and safety.▶ 6:09 The desktop version is recommended over the mobile app for serious passage planning because it allows side-by-side model comparison on a larger screen.▶ 6:49 PredictWind is a decision-support tool, not a guarantee; skill at reading it improves only by comparing its forecasts against real-world conditions over time.▶ 7:40
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