Getting Started with Weather Favorites

Understanding the Feature

Weather Favorites in Mariner Studio allow you to save any location on Earth and quickly access its current conditions and 7-day forecast. Each favorite is stored by precise GPS coordinates along with a location name for easy identification.

The system works seamlessly with the app’s powerful weather engine, providing comprehensive data including temperature, wind speed and direction, gusts, visibility, barometric pressure, humidity, precipitation, and detailed 7-day forecasts.

How to Add Your First Favorite

1. Navigate to the Weather Section Open Mariner Studio and tap the Weather icon from the main menu to access the weather interface.
2. Find Your Location Use the weather map or search function to navigate to the location you want to save. You can search by name, enter specific coordinates, or tap and hold on the map.
3. View the Weather Details Tap on your location to open the detailed weather view showing current conditions and the 7-day forecast.
4. Tap the Star Icon Look for the star icon in the weather display. Tap it once to add this location to your favorites. The star will fill in to indicate it’s been saved.
5. Location Name Auto-Generated The app automatically generates a location name based on the nearest identifiable feature or uses coordinates if no nearby feature is found.
6. Access from Favorites View Return to the Weather menu and select Weather Favorites to see your saved locations, ready for quick access anytime.

Building Your Monitoring Network

Strategic Location Selection

The power of Weather Favorites lies in choosing locations that give you a comprehensive view of conditions across your operational area.

Geographic Coverage Strategies

The Triangle Method

For a comprehensive view of weather patterns in a region, save three locations forming a triangle around your operating area. This lets you see how weather systems are moving through the region and identify localized conditions versus widespread patterns.

The Corridor Approach

If you regularly transit between two points, save favorites at intervals along your route. For a 100-mile passage, consider favorites at the departure point, destination, and 2-3 points along the way.

The Contingency Network

Always include alternative destinations and weather refuges in your favorites. When conditions deteriorate, you need quick access to backup options without fumbling with searches in challenging conditions.

Daily Use Workflows

The Morning Weather Brief

Professional mariners develop a routine for checking weather. With Weather Favorites, your morning brief becomes efficient and comprehensive:

1. Open Weather Favorites From the main menu, tap Weather then Weather Favorites to see your complete list of saved locations.
2. Scan Current Conditions Tap each favorite sequentially to review current conditions. The weather view loads instantly since these are predetermined locations.
3. Note Patterns and Trends Look for patterns—is wind increasing across all locations? Is visibility decreasing in a particular direction? Are pressure trends consistent or diverging?
4. Check 7-Day Forecasts For locations relevant to your upcoming plans, scroll down to review the detailed 7-day forecast.
5. Make Decisions With comprehensive data across your monitoring network, make informed decisions or adjust timing and routing plans.

Rapid Comparison Technique

When choosing between alternative anchorages, fishing spots, or routes, Weather Favorites enables rapid comparison:

• Save all options as favorites beforehand
• Quickly tap through each favorite to see conditions
• Compare wind direction relative to protection
• Check swell direction for rolly versus calm anchorages
• Note visibility if fog is a concern
• Choose the best option based on comprehensive data

Managing Your Favorites

Removing Favorites

As your cruising plans change or seasons shift, you may want to remove favorites you no longer need:

1. Navigate to Weather Favorites from the menu
2. Tap on the favorite you want to remove
3. In the weather detail view, tap the filled star icon
4. The star becomes unfilled, and the location is removed from your favorites

Multi-Device Sync

One of the most powerful features is automatic cloud synchronization. Any changes you make on one device automatically appear on all your devices logged into the same account:

• Add a favorite on your phone, access it on your tablet
• Remove outdated locations from your iPad, they disappear from your iPhone
• Your entire monitoring network follows you across devices

Advanced Techniques

Weather Window Planning

For longer passages, Weather Favorites becomes a critical planning tool:

1. Save favorites at 50-100 mile intervals along your planned route
2. Check the 7-day forecast for each location
3. Look for a day when favorable conditions align across all points
4. Note the timing—will the weather window hold for your entire passage?
5. Identify potential weather refuges along the route if conditions deteriorate

Pattern Recognition Monitoring

By checking the same favorites daily, you develop an intuitive sense of weather patterns:

• Recognize how frontal systems track through your region
• Notice local wind patterns like sea breezes and land breezes
• Identify fog formation tendencies in different locations
• Understand how topography affects conditions