On a calm day sailors say the sea is like a
mirror. It is flat and there are no waves. The wind blows at a very slow speed of less than 1 knot per hour.
This is what the
weather looks like
on a calm day
at sea.
The sign of calm
weather on land is that
smoke rises vertically
and is not blown about. The speed of the wind is 1 knot or less.
You will notice that the speed is given in knots. A knot is one nautical mile (nm) per
hour.
A nautical mile is the traditional way of measuring distances at sea. It is equal to
1,852 metres. The word nautical (like the word maritime) means ‘to do with the sea
or ships’.
Sailors call this Wind Force Zero (0). When they do they are using the language of
the Beaufort Wind Force Scale. We will learn about this in another lesson.
Listen to the Weather Forecast
Listen to this sample weather forecast describing the conditions and the temperature for the day.
Check the weather outside
Look outside and decide if the weather is calm.
Follow the Fleet LIVE
Choose a ship from the fleet. Find out where she is and check what the Captain said
about the weather in his last report. . . click here now to Follow the Fleet LIVE.
