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Weather reports for ferry ports

25th February 2010 Print

Catching a ferry from a British ferry port? Need to take the sea sickness pills? A new service from Drive-Alive will make the decision easier.

The Drive-Alive website, drive-alive.co.uk, now features weather reports and forecasts for most British ferry ports. Visit the ferry section of the website at ferries.drive-alive.co.uk, choose the port for your ferry crossing, and you will find weather information supplied and regularly updated by the Met Office. These reports include current and forecast wind speeds.

To help in understanding how the winds are likely to effect the comfort or otherwise of your ferry journey, as a rough guide anything up to 12 mph should result in a smooth crossing. From 12 to 25 mph the ship will have some motion although most people will be unaffected. Up to 35 mph and you'll need to hold on while walking around and the ship's motion will be enough to cause sensitive individuals to feel queasy. From 35 to 45 mph the ship will be moving around noticeably, and sick bags will be in use! 45 and upwards the sea will be rough, walking will become difficult and if you're prone to sea sickness, make sure you take the tablets!

Remember that the wind at sea is always a few mph stronger than the shoreline strength. It's also worth bearing in mind that the sea takes a few hours to calm down after strong winds have passed.