One of the nice things about the blogging experience is when I have a question (or need to be set straight about something) Boat Bits readers drop me a line and help out...
So a reader (Thanks C) writes in about "Cornell's Ocean Atlas: Pilot Charts for All Oceans of the World"...
"Not a must have (I just sold my boat) but damn it is nice.
So it would seem I'm going to buy a copy...Based on a a much finer Data set with exploded images of popular areas like the Caribbean and west coast central America etc. Data is from multiple sources and recent climate change info up to a couple years old. Very interesting how currents are very counter intuitive and often have no relation to prevailing winds. The detail from Panama to the Galapagos has one developing all sort of cunning plans to work the currents and playing the winds. Winds and currents are changing. Pilot charts are based on Data more than 20 years old.The intelligent use of color conveys info in more ways than the tradition charts (if your not color blind).It definitely feels like it is put together by Sailors for sailors using data from Meteorological satellites from the last twenty years. Each section begins with a page interpreting the data as it pertains to route planning that area. The detailed charts are only for the most popular sailing months and sailing areas. For example the north Atlantic and Baltic only get 3 to 4 summer months. So if you want detailed info for sailing from Hawaii to Alaska go in June. For December you only have the less detailed north pacific chart. North and south latitudes are on one chart if it makes sense. Starting in April for a few months Mexico, Marquesas, Tahiti and Hawaii are on one detailed chart.My one criticism is I wish it was larger. But probably makes sense with the TV dinner tray sized chart tables we have these days. Excellent printing quality coupled with a good magnifying glass can mostly overcome this problem."
Listening to Mr Big
So it goes...
