Meteo — weather, tides, and alerts
The Meteo tab brings together everything you need to read the sea before
you trust it.
A segmented bar at the top has three sections:
Marine Weather — Events — Meteogram.
Marine Weather
A live dashboard for the nearest station, or any station you save as a
favorite:
country), with the source weather/tide station named just beneath it —
this station is offshore or some distance away, so the location on
top tells you where the reading actually applies. Below: temperature,
wind speed and direction, gusts, wave height, swell period, current
speed and direction, visibility, water temperature.
tap.
Technical & Oceanographic Engine
The Meteo tab is backed by high-precision marine analytics pipelines, combining physical wave dynamics and astronomical harmonic equations.
Astronomical Tide Harmonic Calculations
Tide forecasts in AnchorQueen are computed using localized multi-constituent harmonic analysis. The height of the astronomical tide at any given time $t$ is calculated via:
$$h(t) = H0 + \sum{i=1}^{N} fi Hi \cos(Vi + ui + \sigmai t - gi)$$
Where:
* $H_0$: Mean sea level (MSL) datum at the station.
* $Hi$ & $gi$: Localized amplitude and phase lag (epoch) for constituent $i$, resolved via historical water level observation records.
* $fi$ & $(Vi + u_i)$: Nodal modulation factors and astronomical arguments representing the spatial positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.
* $\sigmai$: Angular speed of constituent $i$ (e.g., $M2$ principal semi-diurnal lunar constituent at $28.984^\circ/\text{hr}$; $S_2$ principal semi-diurnal solar constituent at $30.000^\circ/\text{hr}$).
Our engine processes the 10 most critical tidal constituents ($M2, S2, N2, K1, O1, P1, M4, MS4, K2, Q1$) to deliver minute-resolution tide curves.
Wave Spectrum & Sea State Analytics
We model wave energy using deep-water spectral wave density functions. The dashboard displays three key metrics:
$$Hs \approx 4.004 \sqrt{m0} \quad \text{where} \quad mk = \int{0}^{\infty} f^k S(f) \, df$$
$$Tp = \frac{1}{fp}$$
Ingestion Pipeline & Cloud Resolution
Our backend systems aggregate data from two primary marine intelligence agencies every 60 minutes:
* NOAA WaveWatch III (WW3): Delivers global high-resolution directional wave spectra and ocean currents at a $0.5^\circ$ spatial grid.
* Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS): Supplies high-accuracy coastal bathymetric tide models and localized sea-surface temperature data.
Events
A collapsible list of active weather alerts for your area — gale
warnings, storm watches, small-craft advisories. Each alert shows the
issuing authority, the affected area, and the time window.
A comfort index badge gives a one-glance sea-state rating (e.g.
"Moderate Sea State"). Use it as the quick "is tonight workable" answer.
Alerts are color-coded by severity and grouped by type so you can scan
quickly.
Meteogram
A 10-day graphical forecast in stacked panels:
Time runs along the bottom; each variable has its own row. Tap (or hover
on iPad with a pointer) to read exact values at any time.
Time-range filter & plan tiers
Above the panels is a time-range filter — 6h · 12h · 24h · 3d · 7d.
On a Free plan the 3d and 7d buttons show a lock and a PRO chip;
tapping either opens the Store so you can upgrade.
Where the data comes from
Marine Weather and Events combine open marine data services and national
weather feeds. The full list of providers is in
Settings → Data Sources & Partners.
Guidance & Actionable Tips: Weather-Based Decision Making
Weather is the single most critical factor for safety at sea. AnchorQueen provides advanced instruments to help you make informed decisions before leaving the dock or dropping anchor.
1. Reading the 10-Day Meteogram
The Meteogram stacked panels display a synchronized timeline of micro-weather factors. To plan your crossing window:
* Locate the Wind Drop: Scan the Wind and Gusts panel for a period where the solid line (sustained wind) and dashed line (gusts) decline below your vessel's operational comfort limits (typically under 15 knots for family cruising).
* Correlate with Swell: Look at the Wave Height and Swell Period panels. Even if the wind is calm, a long swell period (e.g. 12 seconds) combined with significant wave height can create uncomfortable rolling. You want to see wave height declining and swell period stabilizing.
* Monitor Pressure Trends: A rapid drop in the Pressure panel (more than 1 millibar per hour) is a reliable indicator of an approaching frontal system or squall line.
2. Utilizing Localized Tide Curves
Tidal fluctuations can limit your ability to enter shallow harbors or pass under low bridges.
* Check the Table: The Tide Table displays high and low water times relative to Mean Sea Level (MSL=0).
* Compute Clearance: Add the predicted tide height to the charted sounding depth. For example, if the charted depth is 1.8m and the tide is +0.6m, your total depth is 2.4m. If your draft is 1.8m, this gives you a safe 0.6m clearance.
* Time Your Passage: Plan to cross shallow inlets during slack water (the brief period around high or low tide when water movement stops) to avoid strong tidal currents.
3. Events & Comfort Index Gates
Use the Events and Comfort Index as quick go/no-go gates:
* Red Alerts: If a Gale Warning or Storm Watch is listed in the Events sub-mode, stay in port.
Comfort Rating: A Moderate or Rough* Sea State rating indicates waves and wind that will challenge novice crew members.
Pairing with Merconi: If scouting a dive site in Merconi, look for a station where wave height is under 0.5m and wind is blowing offshore* (from the land toward the sea) — this guarantees flat, clear water for maximum visibility.
If something goes wrong
try a saved one.
are shown until you reconnect. See