At Burriananova marina, should I moor bow northeast or southwest for the prevailing winds?
I'm mooring at Burriananova marina and can have the bow pointing either northeast or southwest. Which would you choose for the prevailing winds, and why? I'm planning to send the PredictWind wind roses.
Answer
Choose bow northeast if your berth is mainly exposed to winds from northeast or east, though the PredictWind wind roses are needed to confirm the better year-round heading. Choose bow southwest if southwest winds dominate at the berth, especially the stronger winds, so the exposed weather comes over the bow rather than into the cockpit.
Read the wind rose
Check the rose's location, months covered and wind-speed legend: an annual offshore average can give the wrong answer for a summer berth inside a sheltered harbour. Wind directions describe where the wind comes from, so a northeast wind blows onto a northeast-facing bow.
The two headings give these wind angles:
- Wind from northeast: directly ahead with bow northeast; directly astern with bow southwest.
- Wind from east: about 45 degrees off the bow with bow northeast; on the aft quarter with bow southwest.
- Wind from southwest: directly ahead with bow southwest; directly astern with bow northeast.
- Wind from southeast or northwest: approximately beam-on with either heading, although the exposed side changes.
If the longest petals are southeast or northwest, turning the boat around will not remove the main crosswind load. Shelter, fenders and line arrangement then decide the choice.
Frequency and wind strength
On this Mediterranean coast, distinguish daytime sea breezes from stronger weather systems. One prevailing direction cannot settle every berthing decision. The regional pattern gives context, but does not establish what reaches your pontoon at Burriananova.
Read the PredictWind roses for both frequency and strength:
- Compare the months when you will use or leave the boat there. Summer comfort and winter security may favour different choices.
- Find the most frequent directions, then check which directions contain the stronger wind-speed bands.
- Compare those results with the marina layout and the harbour staff's experience of your pontoon.
A frequent breeze of 6 to 10 knots affects ventilation and cockpit comfort. A less frequent wind of 25 to 35 knots deserves more weight when choosing how to leave the boat unattended. Wind loading rises approximately with the square of wind speed: twice the speed means roughly four times the aerodynamic force, before allowing for gusts.