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By the Great Neptune! A Mariner's Account of the Trade Winds
Avast ye, and listen close, for I'll spin ye a yarn about the very breath of the seas – the Trade Winds, as we call 'em. These steady breezes, found on either side of the doldrums, that cursed band near the equator, are a blessing to any seafaring man. The Spanish, bless their souls, gave 'em a finer name, but to us, they're the winds that fill our sails and carry our trade.
These winds blow from the Northeast in the northern seas, a fair wind for any vessel bound west. South of the line, they blow from the Southeast, a mirror image, ye might say. They rarely blow a gale, more often a steady Force 4 or 5, enough to keep a ship moving at a good clip. The heavens above are usually straightforward, a delicate blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds, a sight to gladden any sailor's heart.
The glass, the barometer as the learned men call it, stays steady in these latitudes, save for a slight rise and fall twice a day, like the ocean's gentle breathing. But mark ye well! If this daily dance of the mercury ceases or becomes too pronounced, then foul weather is brewing, a sign of a tropical disturbance, a storm to be reckoned with.
The whole system of these winds, including the doldrums betwixt them, shifts north and south with the sun's journey across the sky. Though there's often a delay of a month or two, the winds follow the sun's path, a celestial dance played out on the face of the waters. Near the Intertropical Convergence Zone, where the northern and southern trades meet, the winds become less predictable, a fickle mistress indeed.
Let me tell ye, these winds are the lifeblood of trade and exploration. They're a gift from Neptune, providing a natural engine for our ships. With the trades at our backs, we can sail west across the great oceans, making passages impossible otherwise. This has allowed for establishing well-worn trade routes, a circular pattern where we use the trades going west and other winds, like the westerlies in higher latitudes, to return east, a grand circuit connecting the world's ports.
These very winds carried us to the New World, enabling exploration and, alas, the unfortunate transport of souls across the Atlantic. And let us not forget the pirates, those sea rovers who prey upon honest merchants. They, too, rely on the trades, lurking along these established routes, using the winds to chase down their quarry and make a swift getaway.
Reference
JIMMY CORNELL, WORLD CRUISING ROUTES Second edition published by Adlard Coles Nautical 1995 ISBN 0-7136-4070-7