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Hello lighthouse keepers, sailors, fishermen, and even pirates! I had an urge today to learn some wisdom from the seafarers of yore and landed on their methods of forecasting the weather, and thought you all might appreciate the knowledge too. Keep in mind these aren’t an exact science, but rather some helpful pointers for predicting weather!

Tip 1: Observe Birds

This isn’t generally as accurate as the following tips, so it’s first on the list. But this was a method used so I did include it. Seabirds will generally congregate inland when a storm is brewing or approaching. If the birds are all on the shore, expect rainfall! There are two sayings to remember this:

“Swallows high, staying dry; swallows low the wet will blow”

“Seabirds stay out from the land, we won’t have good weather while you’re on the sand.” 

Tip 2: Keep an Eye on the Sky

You’ve probably heard the saying “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.” A red sky is caused by dust particles hovering in the air, meaning the air is stable and relatively unmoving. If the sky is red at night, it means high pressure systems are moving west, meaning the following day will likely see no rain. Inversely, high pressure system having already moved east generally means the good weather has passed and wet weather will follow.

“Ring around the moon, rain coming soon.” If you see a halo around the sun or moon, it’s light refracting through ice crystals in the sky, meaning moisture, generally meaning rain is approaching. 

Clouds can also help predict the weather but I want to keep this post short and concise so I’ll make another post on clouds another day!

Tip 3: Miscellaneous 

The following generally mean that moisture is in the air, and thus rain is likely

salt gets sticky and gains weight

ropes get shorter and knots tighter

chronic pain and/or arthritis flare up 

And even if rain comes you didn’t expect, let this saying comfort you:

“Rain foretold, long last; Short notice, soon shall pass.”

@adhdgoat’s Fantasy:

Because of the Netherland's rich sea/trade related history, alot of different phrases and expressions were used, and still get used nowadays.

Just a psa: I'm not linguist and while I do speak Dutch and live in the Netherlands I can't guarantee that my translation/interpretation is completely right, so feel free to fact check me!

There's no land to sail to with him.

[Er is geen land met hem te bezeilen]

Meaning: you can't do anything with him because he doesn't want to work together

You can sail well with that compass.

[Op dat kompas kan men veilig zeilen]

Meaning: you can trust that advise/person

Coming home with a wet sail.

[Met een nat zeil thuis komen]

Meaning: Being/getting drunk

I wouldn't sail with him.

[Ik zou met hem niet in zee gaan]

Meaning: I don't trust him

You can't sail today with yesterday's wind.

[Op de wind van gisteren kan je niet vandaag zeilen]

Meaning: keeping on schedule/doing everything in time

Anon’s Fantasy:

Big yellow raincoats that billow around you in any wind

Bucket hats that threaten to fly off your head as you stand on the shore facing the sea

Big rubber rain boots so worn you can no longer remember or discern their color

Those old metal lanterns with the really long handles

Being outside in the dark with nothing but that lantern to light your way

Long hair that whips around your head from the wind

Frothing waves

Storms

Storms and storm clouds that make it so dark you can’t tell if it’s day or night

The sound of waves, lapping at the shore or thunderously crashing at a wall

Sharp black rocks

Standing on a balcony long after daylight has faded and watching your breath becoming clouds in front of your eyes

Sketched and printed blueprints and layouts

Fingers that are rarely completely clean anymore

Spiral staircases soaring above your head

The solid thud of boot on step as you climb said staircase

Maps

Staring at the stars for so long your eyes start to blur them all together

Fog rolling off the water

Yelling to be heard

Physical strength you’re not even aware of anymore

Sore muscles you’ve long since blocked out

Sea shanties

Flocks of birds moving slow above your head

A small desk pushed up against the wall of a small room, facing a window

Chipped paint

Old cracked tiles

The moon, in any state

Any stories of lovecraftian monsters, eldritch beings, or giant squids

Discussion/theories of any aquatic crpytids

Slivers of broken wood you found placed somewhere, perhaps on a wall, as a decoration

Choppy waves

Thick clouds

Watching as daytime melts away into sunset

Nautical Aesthetics↴

Whistling is bad luck/brings a storm: rope burns, cupboard doors rattling, you checked out a bunch of books about ghost stories from your elementary school library and never turned them back in (you crave meaning, you crave the weight of things that matter), old dogs, grey skies and choppy waves, double checking your window latches, blisters that become callouses and scars that become stories, spilled candle wax

Touching someone’s collar will keep them safe at sea: remembering a childhood lullaby, you go back to the places of your growing up sometimes (you want desperately to be able to look at the world without seeing the cracks, you are trying so hard to relearn faith) good luck charms, picking up milk bottles at the door, comparing hand sizes and mending broken things, dried flowers from a loved one’s garden, clean laundry

Killing an albatross brings misfortune: penance to the watchful sea, nickels and a whetstone, the horrible lurching feeling of waves hitting the broad side of the hull, vertigo (you are reeling, you are dizzied by the substance of the the world), promises, bleached out scallop shells on the high tide line, biscuits and lard and the reflection of your sole in a puddle, sand fleas, rotting seaweed, why must everything feel so solid but so empty

A ship’s cat sneezing means rain is on the way: the scent of a fish market, fiddle music and distant laughter, bright smiles, conversations with a stranger, you live and breath stories (you hope the world loves you back, you hope you can be a story someday too), learning to write with your off hand, rain on an aluminum roof, holes in your socks and mud on your shoes, picking up every penny you find on the ground, you are not ashamed to bleed

I’ve got no need for open roads ‘Cause all I own fits on my back I see the world from rusted trains And always know I won’t be back