I've messed about in boats but only done one coastal passage out of sight of land in Wight, Portland , Plymouth. Listening to the Shipping Forecast was like taking the sacrament. Your hopes and fears were all there as they gave the information about the sea area you were venturing into. Those brief few minutes with your ear glued to the radio gave a vast amount of information with beautiful brevity. Like the London Underground map, it's a masterpiece.
Next time you bite into a fish finger or a battered cod piece , offer up thanks that you're not in Southeast Iceland with a falling barometer and a freshening wind.
