Pair marine wind warnings with local tidal-stream and harbour information.
Forecast sectors and coverage
Check the Met Office Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis inshore sector and adjacent sectors if the track extends beyond it. Compare the applicable Shipping Forecast area for broader context; neither replaces a harbour notice.
Weather-sensitive legs
Eastern/western entrances, the open Channel and the Medina approach have different geometry and current questions. Assess wind against the stream at the ETA, using current local charts/tidal information rather than a generic tide height.
Observations, sea state and reassessment
Cowes harbour observations are local; check timestamp and sensor exposure. High-water time alone does not specify slack or the stream at another Solent entrance.
Worked planning scenario — not a live forecast
For a Cowes departure, compare the harbour exit and entrance/outside leg at their ETAs. A delayed start may improve wind but alter stream or daylight; the briefing should show these as separate constraints.
Official products by task
- Met Office inshore waters & strong winds — Named coastal sectors and strong-wind warnings; do not substitute a land warning.
- Met Office Shipping Forecast — Larger sea areas, including Channel and North Sea sectors; match against the coastal product.
- Cowes Harbour Commission — Local harbour weather, tides and notices; check the original notice and observation time.
Sector names help you locate the issuing product; they are not an automatic route-coverage match. Open the current issue and check boundaries, issue time and validity. This page does not display current warnings; an unavailable product does not mean no hazard.
Countries & territories
- United Kingdom
Combine named inshore sectors, the Shipping Forecast and local tidal/harbour information.
Map orientation
The approximate map centre is not an approach waypoint, track, depth survey or forecast-zone boundary. The third-party map loads only on request.
Build your passage brief
Bring your route, leg timings, vessel and crew profile, checked sources and reassessment triggers into the brief. Personal AI analysis and expert review are available to invited closed-test participants; a port page does not extend the calculation service’s coverage.
A Sailing Weather editorial guide to local conditions, practical passage preparation and marine-weather sources. Source and structure review: 27 September 2026. For a specific passage, check current issues, validity and forecast coverage. The skipper retains the final decision and responsibility.
West entrance, east entrance, harbour entrance
For a Cowes-based day plan, separate the Medina exit, the chosen Solent leg and any extension into the Channel. A sheltered central section is not representative of the western entrance or the sea outside the Isle of Wight. Use the named Met Office inshore sector for context, then the relevant harbour notice and charted local stream information. Record the return leg independently: turning around reverses the boat's exposure, not the weather.
- Met Office inshore waters — Named British coastal sectors, marine strong-wind warnings and sea state.
- Cowes Harbour Commission — Local harbour notices, weather and tide entry points; not all Solent waters.
Height, stream and observation are different
Keep tide height for depth, tidal-stream timing for motion and local wind observations in separate fields. Cowes weather information describes its sensor site, not every entrance; examine the timestamp and exposure. Never infer slack everywhere from high water at Cowes. If stream timing is essential to the intended western or eastern entrance, obtain a currently applicable local publication rather than a generic global-current arrow.
- Cowes Harbour Commission
- RYA passage planning — Practitioner guidance on contingency, tides, vessel and crew constraints.
An improving departure may worsen the return
Compare departure shifts against the out-and-back timeline, including slower progress and the last daylight approach. If the return places wind against the locally verified stream, evaluate that sea-state consequence instead of reporting only reduced outbound wind. Reconsider before leaving the sheltered portion when the forecast changes the return harbour's exposure or the original time constraint can no longer be met.
Editorial review of this material: 27 September 2026. This date concerns the page content; check current forecast issue times and validity at the original sources.