As the sun gets low to the horizon, it would be hoove you to take a good look at tonight’s weather. The sun will soon be gone and clouds will disappear into the dark night sky.
If you see towering columns of clouds, demonstrating the rapid uprise of warm moist air, you are being shown that the weather around you is unstable and you should prepare for squalls during the night. This is a great time to reef down to your storm sails while you still have light instead of waiting for it to hit in the dark of the night.
On the other hand, if you see few flat clouds, then you are being shown that there is little upwards movement in the air and can expect a peaceful night of sailing.
We stopped downloading weather faxes and instead opted for the “local forecast” at sunset.
