Fleetweather’s team of marine routers are preparing to assist the team at Oshen in the voyage planning of their autonomous boat, as they attempt the Microtransat Challenge, completing a fully autonomous trans-Atlantic sailing expedition.
Led by Duty Director of Marine Operations Matthew Nuss, the Fleetweather team consists of RMet accredited marine routers William Flamholtz, Mary Reeves, and Connor Tully. Combined, we have 25 years of experience in marine meteorology. We will be further supported by our other colleagues that make up our 24/7 teams.
The Fleetweather team will prepare a seasonal outlook for the expected transit time of October through approximately January, focusing on expected winds, seas, and ocean currents. Our team will use climatological model data, and make note of any expected deviations from a ‘typical year’ which may assist in giving Oshen an advantage in their voyage planning.
As the departure time nears, we will give a short to medium range outlook using deterministic and ensemble models to assist Oshen in making any final alterations or preparations.
Figure 1: Fleetweather will utilize numerous data sources in both their seasonal outlook and pre-departure forecast. Above figure is one model representation of winds and significant wave height across the Atlantic Ocean Basin.
Stay tuned for future updates on this project as we work together over the coming weeks and months!
About Oshen
Oshen is a mixture of university students, postgrads, and professional advisors, all united in trying to create the first fully autonomous boat to cross the Atlantic and successfully complete the autonomous division of the Microtransat Challenge.
Oshen’s boat requires no human assistance. Oshen has a control and path planning algorithm that uses cutting edge research on sailboat dynamics alongside wind and current models. The boat’s small size, just 1.2 meters, means that the boat is easily scalable, providing a realistic solution for accurate data collection.
FIgure 1: Oshen has begun testing the boat, here seen in the Irish Sea.
For more details about Oshen, you can visit their website at: https://www.oshensail.com
Follow along as Oshen continues to fine tune their vessel and make preparations for their Microtransat attempt by signing up for their newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/h17UoT
About the Microtransat
The Microtransat Challenge is a transatlantic race for autonomous boats, aimed to stimulate the development of autonomous boats through friendly competition.
Oshen will be attempting the Microtransat in the autonomous division, which does not allow waypoints to be changed or any communications to be sent to the boat that could change its course once the voyage is started. Since inception in 2006, no one has successfully completed the Microtransat in the autonomous division.
More details on the Microtransat can be found at: https://www.microtransat.org/