Even a clear weatherfax map—this one received via SSB during Calypso's circumnavigation—requires skill to interpret. The newer satellite-based images available through proprietary systems will be familiar to anyone who watches the weather on TV.

Sailors are preoccupied with weather. It controls when we sail and where we sail. It influences our anxiety level. Access to weather information is a major concern for all sailors, whether sailing coastwise or offshore.

Ashore, we tune our televisions to The Weather Channel, or log onto the Internet to see what's happening. There's a good chance you even have a VHF radio at home to check the local NOAA weather.

Once you step aboard the boat and drop the mooring, however, things change. Unless you have satellite television aboard, The Weather Channel is a fond memory, and (lacking an unlimited budget) high-speed Internet access is just wishful thinking.…