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Power Routing for Comfort (PredictWind Masterclass 3/5)
March 4, 2026 · 6 min · 4K views
Sailboat plowing through choppy gray seas under overcast sky
What this video covers
James Evenson explains how to use PredictWind routing software to plan offshore passages under power, emphasizing that wave period and direction are more critical to crew comfort and vessel safety than wave height.▶ 0:51 When motoring, engines apply constant force regardless of sea state, which forces the hull to absorb energy through vertical acceleration, roll, and yaw.▶ 2:02 This constant propulsion increases fuel consumption, shock loads drivetrain components, and causes crew fatigue.▶ 1:25 To mitigate these effects, sailors must look beyond the graphical route lines and analyze the underlying graphs and summary tables in PredictWind for vertical acceleration and comfort metrics.▶ 5:27 Short-period waves pack more energy into a tighter interval, creating more violent motion than longer-period swells.▶ 1:10 Effective power routing involves identifying these high-energy conditions to avoid them or choosing headings that minimize impact. Sailors should update routing models every 12 hours to account for evolving weather patterns and adjust their passage plans accordingly.▶ 5:39
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