WRI NEW PDF Forecast

(click to enlarge)

At WRI, it is intrinsic to our business model that we continually "stay afloat" with the current forecast industry, trends, and technology. By doing so, we remain a world leader in yacht forecasting. Five years ago, we changed the way we provided our traditional style of text yacht forecasting from a standard attached word document to a colorful html (web-based) table format. It has now become evident that the html (web-based) table format is outdated, and as a result, WRI has now adopted a more professional layout to display our weather forecasting and recommendations.

For those of you who have not received our forecasts lately and have not seen our new layout, we are pleased to announce a new PDF style for our "hard copy" forecast. These PDFs are much easier to view on a smart phone or tablet, and they clearly convey our message to our clients, in order for a better understanding of our forecast recommendations. Another advantage of this new layout is that the attachments are formatted to fit acceptable file sizes for most e-mail providers, thus allowing some clients, who were previously restricted to plain text, the capability of viewing a professional, well-defined forecast.

These are the advantages of this new PDF layout:

Voyage Summaries - this highlights concerns for each trip in regards to the vessel's weather constraints, such as:
- The Favorability of Ocean Currents
- The Fuel Consumption Parameters
- The Tropical Impacts or Government Advisories for the trip
Voyage Map – this displays the recommended route and any possible danger intervals with respect to wind.
Tropical Advisories- this contains any CPA (Closest Point of Approach) distances that are related to a system that could pose a threat to a route or port location.
24 Hour Sample Charts – this includes expected Winds/Seas, Mean Sea Level Pressure/Precipitation, and Ocean Currents snapshots.
- Each chart is clickable for a better view in a larger format
Clickable Links- this connects to WRI contact information and social media outlets.
Sunrise / Sunset Times- this includes the Standard Time Zones.
WRI Forecaster Initials- this gives the report a professional look and verifies that the report was prepared by an actual meteorologist, unlike our competitors who at times, use a computer for their forecasts and reports.
Separate Alternate Itinerary Forecasts –this clarifies these special forecast requests because they are no longer in one email that can be confusing, and lengthy while addressing various conditions and recommendations. Instead, they are in separate emails to clearly separate and show the pros and cons for each scenario.

We truly believe this upgrade will provide a better overall picture for any client's situation, and reinforce our professional written recommendations and forecasts moving forward.

SeaWeather in the Palm of Your Hand

By: Matthew Muscato, Meteorologist and IT Team Member

A screen shot of the home menu on the SeaWeather mobile app.

(click to enlarge)

Coming soon: a mobile web app for SeaWeather! Everything you know and love about SeaWeather will soon be available right at your fingertips. Whether you have an Android device or an iPhone, you will have access to:

Forecast Maps
Live Observations, including Radar and Satellite Imagery
Tropical Tracker
Fishing Planner
Request a WRI Forecast
View Your Latest Forecast and Meteogram

Our NEW SeaWeather app will be all you need to stay updated with the current weather phenomena.

A Visit to the Newport International Boat Show

By: Amanda Delaney, Senior Meteorologist

Senior Meteorologist Amanda Delaney looks on as Captain Johannes Buys navigates the Voyage Planner on Seaweather for the first time.

(click to enlarge)

Meteorologist Isaac Pato and I had the opportunity to attend the first two days of the Newport International Boat Show. It was a pleasure to return to this picturesque seaside community. Although it was an overcast and breezy day, there was a good attendance on the first day of the boat show. Once we cleared the white tents, we were greeted by a variety of motor and sailing yachts, the modern vessels gleaming white even in the dull light.

We took a boat shuttle across to the Brokerage Show on nearby Goat Island. There we met many captains, crew members and brokers who were preparing their vessels in anticipation for the larger crowds arriving that weekend. Even though they were busy cleaning and polishing the vessels, they each took the time to listen about our company and what services we provide, and even browsed the Seaweather supplemental service website through our presentation. We handed out "postcards" to each person that provided a link to a WRI forecast for the Newport vicinity, and also had a link to our free, 15 day trial of Seaweather.

We had a good rapport with the captains, crew and brokers when we returned back to the boat show later that day and the following day. We had the opportunity in speaking with representatives from marinas, and introduced our customized forecasts to them. Lastly, we made ourselves known to race organizers and explained how we can assist them with their upcoming race, rally, or regatta for next year.

Conveniently, we were able to visit three of our clients who happened to be docked near the boat show. Captain Robert Casella of M/Y Charisma and Captain Jim O’Neill of S/Y Dance Smartly invited us to tour their vessels. They provided good feedback on our services and suggestions to add to the Seaweather website to benefit them and other subscribers in the future.

We were also invited onboard the M/Y Top Five where we assisted Captain Johannes Buys and some of his crew on deciding which day to depart for a transit down to Florida. Earlier one of our meteorologists provided a customized forecast and route recommendation from our office, and on top of this, we demonstrated the Voyage Planner on Seaweather for additional guidance. There, Captain Buys was able to not only plot out his voyage and overlay it with forecast maps on the day of our recommended departure, but he was able to plot different departure times and he determined that our original recommendation was indeed the best day to travel.

Overall, it was a successful trip. My colleague, Isaac has been pleasure sailing for years and he is certified as a U.S. Sailing Keelboat and Small Boat Instructor and U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Limited Master. Having this experience gave him the opportunity to "talk shop" to boat show exhibitors and our clients about his interests and about our company. I enjoyed finally meeting captains who I have spoken to over the phone for years. I'm also glad for the opportunity to explain to many friendly people at the boat show who were unfamiliar of our services and explain to them how our forecasts can benefit them in the future.