why isnt wind and current direction the same?

[ranga7]

Hope this makes sense but i find it strange that a say a southerly wind comes from the south and heads north but a current doing the same thing is a northerly current. Does anyone know why or who come up with.
If your in your boat heading north thats what your compass would say and that makes sense, and if you had a wind going the same way it would be a southerly and if the current was also going the same way it would be a northerly. i think i got that right. i need a panadol:-[

[Noelm]

I would reckon it was just a "throw back" to some referrence back in the "olden days" how winds and currents and said to be moving would date back eons, so maybe (say) a farmer hundreds of miles from the water will still have winds and the direction will be related to others, but a sailor will need to relate wind and direction of travel, that may be aided by a current (say) FROM the north, hence a "northerly" current. now I have no idea if that has anything to do with it, but that is something I just pulled out of my bum to give an example.

[theoldlegend]

I would reckon it was just a "throw back" to some referrence back in the "olden days" how winds and currents and said to be moving would date back eons, so maybe (say) a farmer hundreds of miles from the water will still have winds and the direction will be related to others, but a sailor will need to relate wind and direction of travel, that may be aided by a current (say) FROM the north, hence a "northerly" current. now I have no idea if that has anything to do with it, but that is something I just pulled out of my bum to give an example.

I'm not sure if I'd like to see that Noel.


TOL

[Boat Hog]

It's Friday. This is more of a Tuesday Question. Now I'm going to get a beer.;D

Cheers,

[ranga7]

i look forward to your answer on tuesday, enjoy your beer

[wayno60]

hang on im at work.....ill google it.

[The_Tub]

i thihk it depends on where you are,i fish from ballina and evens,how far out you fish they can be different,tide,moon,time of year,prelonged wind direction,EAC

[wayno60]

tub, i think he ment that when the wind blows from the south its a southerly but when the swell comes from the south its a northerly and i cant find any reason why it is that way.

[Boat Hog]

i look forward to your answer on tuesday, enjoy your beer

Off course this is also an excellent question for a saturday when I should be out doing the gardening!;D

Apart from the language used to describe such things ... 'the wind is out of the south' 'the wind is coming from the east' 'the current is going north' the current is running to south', there has to be a reason why they are described thus.

I believe it comes down to historically, how wind and current were measured. Or more importantly the method used by ancient seafarers to determine their direction. Weather is still recorded today as a series of 'observations'. How did they observe such things back in the days of sailing ships?

Imagine standing on the deck of a ship at anchor. You are at the helm, right next to the compass. There is a light wind blowing. How do you tell which direction it is? You face into the wind ... much easier to tell its 'direction' this way then trying to feel the wind on your back. The wind is now blowing directly on your face and it is in the direction of north on the compass. Okay, it's a northerly wind.

What about the current? You throw a stick (or as we now do, half a pilchard) into the water. You observe the direction the current takes the stick away from the ship. The stick is moving south, you are facing south on the compass, the current is southerly.


This is just how I see it. If you really want to know everything then just ring my ex wife!:P

[ranga7]

Off course this is also an excellent question for a saturday when I should be out doing the gardening!;D

Apart from the language used to describe such things ... 'the wind is out of the south' 'the wind is coming from the east' 'the current is going north' the current is running to south', there has to be a reason why they are described thus.

I believe it comes down to historically, how wind and current were measured. Or more importantly the method used by ancient seafarers to determine their direction. Weather is still recorded today as a series of 'observations'. How did they observe such things back in the days of sailing ships?

Imagine standing on the deck of a ship at anchor. You are at the helm, right next to the compass. There is a light wind blowing. How do you tell which direction it is? You face into the wind ... much easier to tell its 'direction' this way then trying to feel the wind on your back. The wind is now blowing directly on your face and it is in the direction of north on the compass. Okay, it's a northerly wind.

What about the current? You throw a stick (or as we now do, half a pilchard) into the water. You observe the direction the current takes the stick away from the ship. The stick is moving south, you are facing south on the compass, the current is southerly.


This is just how I see it. If you really want to know everything then just ring my ex wife!:P

I agree with the stick thing, but if the wind was blowing the same way as the stick it would be a northerly wind. And if you did it on anchor your boat and compass would actually be facing north. I just found it weird/interesting how they can both be going the same way but one will be a northerly and the other a southerly.

[theoldlegend]

I reckon you might have nailed it BH.

Just as an aside, and I know it's a bit off topic, but how does the ex wife scrub up?


TOL

[Boat Hog]

I reckon you might have nailed it BH.

Just as an aside, and I know it's a bit off topic, but how does the ex wife scrub up?


TOL

Dude .. aghhh can you not use the phrase "nailed it" in the same post as my ex!!:o::)

... and TOL, trust me you don't want to go there .....

Cheers,

[xjonox]

ok so just to add my 2 cents,,,
Wind is called from the direction of which it is coming.
A tidal direction would be called on which direction it is flowing. (although ive only given a rats about it if its running in or out personally)
Cant we just be happy with that? Stop thinking outside box and just conform already! :)

[Noelm]

the direction of curren reference does vary, wind is always from the direction it is blowing FROM, but current is often related to either coming from, or going to, depending on who and what it is being referred to.