What Is The ITCZ And Why Does It Matter?
Ocean Navigator|November/December 2017

What Is The ITCZ And Why Does It Matter?

Robin Urquhart
What Is The ITCZ And Why Does It Matter?

We were warned about the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) well before we left on our Pacific crossing. It was constantly brought up in discussions with other cruisers. We were given strategies for getting through as quickly as possible and cautioned by tales of voyagers from previous years who had not been so lucky. “Took years off my life,” was how one sailor described ghosting through thunderstorms.

So, it was with no small degree of trepidation that we began our approach to the ITCZ. We checked weather forecasts religiously. The ITCZ seemed to jump all over the place: One day it was at 8° N and the next 5° N. We stayed north and went farther west than we had originally intended in order to stay above it. At 10° N, 131° W, we saw it starting to drop and ducked south. We were lucky — the ITCZ stayed a few degrees ahead of us the whole way down to the equator, at which point it jumped right over us and set up at 6° N again. We were through without having to cross it. In a way I was disappointed, but in another and more honest way, I was very relieved. It was as much luck as it was route planning.

The experience raised a few questions: What exactly is the ITCZ, why are sailors so afraid of it and why is it so hard to predict?

In order to understand the ITCZ, it is important to understand a little about pressure and wind. Wind is nothing more than the movement of air from high pressure to low pressure.

This story is from the November/December 2017 edition of Ocean Navigator.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November/December 2017 edition of Ocean Navigator.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM OCEAN NAVIGATORView All
Stay Connected
Ocean Navigator

Stay Connected

Satellite phones have evolved a full ecosystem of gear and services

time-read
9 mins  |
July - August 2021
Respecting Paradise
Ocean Navigator

Respecting Paradise

Thoughts on voyaging responsibly

time-read
6 mins  |
July - August 2021
Yankee sails on
Ocean Navigator

Yankee sails on

The steel ketch Yankee in the Connecticut River.

time-read
3 mins  |
July - August 2021
TRANSPAC RACE PREP
Ocean Navigator

TRANSPAC RACE PREP

How a group of determined mostly military veterans built a race team

time-read
7 mins  |
July - August 2021
NOAA upgrades its global weather model
Ocean Navigator

NOAA upgrades its global weather model

More data and a better global weather model should make for improved weather distributed to users, like this temperature gradient map.

time-read
3 mins  |
July - August 2021
From North Sea fishing to Sea of Cortez voyaging
Ocean Navigator

From North Sea fishing to Sea of Cortez voyaging

The former Dutch fishing vessel turned power voyaging yacht Varnebank in Mexican waters.

time-read
4 mins  |
July - August 2021
Chatter Chartroom
Ocean Navigator

Chatter Chartroom

IN 2019, MY HUSBAND, DOUG PASNIK, AND I RACED OUR first Transpac together with a team of 10 on our Andrews 70, Trader, comprised primarily of military veterans (see story on page 22). This year we are doing the race again and inviting four mentees from The Magenta Project to race with us.

time-read
7 mins  |
July - August 2021
Doing it all with one screen
Ocean Navigator

Doing it all with one screen

The steering station on this Gunboat cat is equipped with large-screen B&G Zeus MFDs.

time-read
8 mins  |
May - June 2021
Don't scrimp when it comes to the crimp
Ocean Navigator

Don't scrimp when it comes to the crimp

Solid crimp connections make your power voyager’s electrical system more reliable.

time-read
5 mins  |
May - June 2021
Chartroom Chatter
Ocean Navigator

Chartroom Chatter

Maritime Publishing acquires Ocean Navigator

time-read
7 mins  |
May - June 2021