Should the national flag of onboard crew or guests be flown from the port or starboard spreader halyard?
Send your answer to cruisingcompass@bwsailing.com. The winner, selected randomly from correct answers, will receive a Blue Water Sailing hat.
Thanks to last week’s winner, Doug Jackson, for the correct answer to What scientific basis can be applied to the old lore ‘Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning’? In general in mid latitudes because the prevailing winds are westerlies storms move in from the west. A red sky at night means that the setting sun is sending its light through a high concentration of dust particles. This usually indicates high pressure and stable air coming in from the west. Basically good weather will follow. A red sunrise can mean that a high pressure system (good weather) has already passed, thus indicating that a storm system (low pressure) may be moving to the east. A morning sky that is a deep, fiery red can indicate that there is high water content in the atmosphere. So, rain could be on its way. Read more about the rich history of this lore here.
