GLEN JUSTICE

A new real-time global weather service offers boaters graphic data on everything from lightening and rainfall to tropical storms and hurricanes, downloadable to your computer almost anywhere in the world. 

QuickLink is a new product from Baron Services, the parent company of WxWorx, which powers XM WX Satellite Weather. (Full disclosure: WxWorz is an advertiser on Mad Mariner.)

The QuickLink service requires a PC with a bradband connection; the QuickLink software, which costs about $550; and a subscription to the serivce, which is priced at $99.99 a month.

QuickLink downloads data to your onboad computer and displayd it in a graphic format, as you can see in the photo above. Boaters can pan and zoom down to the level of one mile, and a GPS interface can be added to display vessel position. Citing compression technology, and the ability to download only the data that is needed, the company promises fast service. 

QuickLink splits weather data into 14 regions, and is making weather for the northern hemisphere available first. Boaters can download the data they need, including data on surface temperatures, wave height, winds and more (there's a list on the company's press release). Additional information, such as sea ice, will be added next year.

We haven't tested it, but QuickLink looks like it could be a cost-effective solution for many boaters looking for detailed weather data in the pilothouse.