"The barometer is falling." In the past, when these three words were spoken, even a sailor with no knowledge of meteorology knew immediately that a storm was coming. Today, however, the barometer leads a rather unnoticed existence.
Who really still uses it today, or even takes barometer readings into account when making navigational decisions? A survey revealed that 80 per cent of respondents believe that the expensive brass instrument is still part of every yacht's basic equipment. 14 per cent admit to carrying one on board but never reading it. 6 per cent believe that a barometer is superfluous.
Clear results. However, the reality is probably a little different, as the use of the barometer is often limited to the daily entry of a token reading. Data that is not sufficient for a reliable weather forecast anyway, so you might as well not bother. You can read whether and why the well-known "knock-knock barometer" has lost its significance and what experts have to say about it in YACHT 1/2011, available from newsagents from 22 December.
