What is a Slick Line?
Slick lines form on water when a very thin layer of oil spreads out across the water. The oil dampens ripples creating calmer patches. Over…
Category: How To Read Water
What is swash?
Swash is the name given to the waves that rush up the beach after a wave has broken. They are intriguing little waves that inhabit…
The Point Key
The Point Key From ‘The Point’ chapter in the book, Wild Signs and Star Paths, “If we see two or more animals are standing still…
Natural Navigation with the Tuareg in the Libyan Sahara
The following article by Tristan Gooley was published in Navigation News in March 2010. My research to date has failed to uncover another soul who…
The Future of Celestial Navigation
A morning glance at a moody and cloudy twilight led me to laying down some of my thoughts about the key challenges facing celestial navigation…
Tidal Streams and Tidal currents
Some Thoughts on the difference between the terms ‘Tidal Streams’ and ‘Tidal Currents’ In the chapter, Currents and Tides, in my book, How to Read Water,…
Stick Charts at the Royal Academy
Last night I was invited by the very nice people at Tourism New Zealand to the opening of Oceania, a wonderful exhibition at the Royal…
The Colour of Water
The colour of water is determined by: A) What’s under it. B) What’s in it. C) What’s on it. D) And by light levels and…
Brendan the Navigator
Writing the sorts of books I do is hard work, at times dauntingly so. But emails like this make me want to charge out there…
Shadows on Water
I’m just back from a brief visit to Prague, where I witnessed many wonderful things. Included among the small delights were these views from the…
Beach Stripes
Can you work out the cause of the beach stripes in the picture above? There are 6 stages. ———— Answer: 1. As waves break, water…
How to Spot a Dangerous Sandbank or Reef
How to spot a dangerous sandbank or reef: Note the change in colour and the breaking waves. At night only the sound of the breakers…
What is Fetch?
The definition of the word ‘fetch’ is simple: The distance that wind travels over open water. But why do we need to know that? Spend…
The Skimming Effect
Have you ever enjoyed a good session of skimming stones at the beach? You know those times when the stone hits the water at the…
Poohsticks at the V&A
During a spare hour last week, I visited the Victoria & Albert museum. I believed I was there to investigate the Oceans Liners: Speed and…
Shark Teeth and Currents
A sample of fossil sharks’ teeth collected on Casey Key and Venice beach, Florida, by Mark Evans. — I have written about the way sea…
Cat’s Paws on Water
When a gust of wind touches the surface of calm water, it creates a localised patch of bigger ripples. These can be seen as a…
How to Read Water – Out in German
How to Read Water has been published in German, as ‘Die Geheimen Zeichen Des Wassers’.
Common Reed, Phragmites Australis
Every plant we see is an indication of how close we are to water. Some clues are weak, some are strong. A wall of common…
The Difference Between Waves and Swell
One of the commonest questions ocean watchers ask is: What is the difference between waves and swell? The concise answer is: “Swell is best thought…