Best Weather Apps for Ionian Sailors

by Editorial Team
Weather
  • weather
  • apps
  • technology
  • planning

Why You Need a Weather App

Even in the beginner-friendly Ionian, weather matters. A Force 6 forecast means you should stay put. A calm forecast means you might motor more than sail. Knowing what’s coming helps you plan each day.

Here are the best apps for Ionian sailing in 2025.

Cost: Free (Premium €19/year optional)
Platform: iOS, Android, Web
Best for: Visual wind forecasts, hourly updates

Why it’s best:

  • Beautiful visual interface showing wind speed/direction
  • Hourly forecasts for next 10 days
  • Multiple weather models (ECMWF, GFS, ICON)
  • Shows gusts, not just sustained winds
  • Works offline (download area before departure)

How to use it:

  1. Download app before trip
  2. Zoom to Ionian Sea area
  3. Tap “Wind” layer (shows wind speed and direction)
  4. Use time slider to see hourly forecast
  5. Look for: Wind speed (Force scale), direction, gusts

What to look for:

  • Green = Force 1-3 (light winds, might motor)
  • Yellow/Orange = Force 4-5 (good sailing)
  • Red = Force 6+ (stay in harbor or choose sheltered route)

Tip: Check evening forecast for next day. If it says Force 5+ by afternoon, plan an early start or pick a nearby anchorage.

2. PredictWind

Cost: Free basic, Premium €99/year
Platform: iOS, Android, Web
Best for: Detailed wind forecasts, departure planning

Why sailors use it:

  • Uses multiple weather models and combines them
  • More detailed than Windy for wind predictions
  • Shows wind forecasts for specific waypoints
  • Offshore forecasts (useful for longer passages like Lefkada-Paxos)

Free version limitations:

  • 3-day forecast (vs. 14 days in Premium)
  • One location at a time
  • Ads

Is Premium worth it?
For a 1-week charter: No, free version is fine.
For 2+ weeks or regular sailing: Yes, worth the upgrade.

3. Windfinder

Cost: Free (Pro €4/month)
Platform: iOS, Android, Web
Best for: Simple forecasts, wind statistics

Why it’s useful:

  • Simple interface (less overwhelming than Windy)
  • Good for checking “what’s typical for this time of year?”
  • Wind statistics for specific locations
  • Easy-to-read tables

Limitations:

  • Less visual than Windy
  • Forecasts not as detailed as PredictWind
  • Better for spot-checking than planning routes

4. Poseidon.hcmr.gr (Official Greek Service)

Cost: Free
Platform: Web only
Best for: Official Greek forecasts

Why it matters:

  • Run by Hellenic Centre for Marine Research
  • Official source Greek Coastguard uses
  • Includes warnings for Ionian Sea
  • Text-based forecasts in English

How to use it:

  1. Go to poseidon.hcmr.gr
  2. Click “Marine Weather”
  3. Select “Ionian Sea”
  4. Read 3-day text forecast

What you’ll see:

  • General conditions
  • Wind direction and force
  • Sea state
  • Visibility
  • Warnings (if any)

Tip: Check this alongside Windy. If Poseidon says Force 6+ and Windy agrees, believe it.

5. VHF Weather Broadcasts

Cost: Free (VHF radio on yacht)
Platform: VHF Channel 16
Best for: Daily spoken forecasts

Broadcast times: 08:00, 14:00, 20:00 local time

What you hear:

  • General synopsis
  • Wind forecasts by area (Ionian North, Ionian South)
  • Warnings
  • Sea state

Language: Greek first, then often English

Tip: Listen at 08:00 while having breakfast. Confirms what your app says.

How to Interpret Forecasts

Wind Speed (Beaufort Force)

  • Force 1-2: Light winds, you’ll motor or drift
  • Force 3-4: Perfect sailing, comfortable
  • Force 5: Good sailing if you’re confident, bit choppy
  • Force 6: Stay in harbor or very sheltered route
  • Force 7+: Don’t sail (rare in Ionian summer)

Wind Direction

  • NW (Maestro): Typical summer wind, sheltered in most anchorages
  • W: Less common, some west-facing bays get uncomfortable
  • S (Sirocco): Rare, warm, can create swell in southern anchorages
  • E: Very rare in summer

Gusts

Always check gusts, not just sustained wind:

  • If forecast says “Force 4 gusting 6”, treat it as Force 6 conditions
  • Gusts are what make docking difficult

Daily Routine

Morning (08:00-09:00):

  1. Check Windy for today + tomorrow
  2. Listen to VHF broadcast (Channel 16)
  3. Decide: sail or stay?

If sailing:

  • Light winds (F1-2): Plan short day or accept motoring
  • Perfect winds (F3-4): Great day ahead
  • Strong winds (F5-6): Sheltered route only or stay put

Evening (before bed):

  • Check Windy for tomorrow’s forecast
  • Plan next day’s destination based on forecast

What Apps Get Wrong

Apps aren’t perfect:

  • Local effects (land breeze, sea breeze) not well-modeled
  • Thunderstorms can appear quickly (apps give 3-6 hour warning at best)
  • Wind speed in sheltered bays can be very different from open water forecast

Use common sense:

  • If sky looks threatening, it probably is
  • If locals aren’t sailing, there’s a reason
  • When in doubt, stay put

Offline Access

Before you leave phone signal:

  1. Download Windy map area (Settings → Download Offline Maps)
  2. Screenshot key forecasts
  3. Check forecast at marinas (they have WiFi)

Mobile coverage in Ionian:

  • Good at all main harbors (Lefkada, Nidri, Vathi, Fiskardo, etc.)
  • Patchy in remote bays
  • 4G available across most islands

Which App Should You Use?

If you only download one: Windy (free, visual, accurate)

If you want belt-and-braces: Windy + PredictWind free

If you’re a weather nerd: All of them + VHF + Poseidon website

For beginners: Windy only (don’t over-complicate)

Real Example

Scenario: You’re in Meganisi Vathy, planning to sail to Kioni (Ithaca) tomorrow.

Check:

  1. Open Windy
  2. Look at tomorrow 10:00-16:00 (typical sailing window)
  3. See wind forecast: Force 4 NW, gusting Force 5
  4. Sea state: Slight to moderate

Decision: Perfect! Force 4-5 NW is ideal Ionian sailing. Go for it.

Alternative scenario:

  • Forecast shows Force 6+ or gusts to Force 7
  • Decision: Stay in Vathy, relax, swim, read a book, try again day after

Bottom Line

Weather apps are essential tools, not optional extras. Download Windy before you leave home, check it every morning while on charter, and adjust your plans accordingly.

The Ionian is forgiving, but Force 6+ winds are uncomfortable even here. Better to spend an extra day in a beautiful anchorage than fight through rough conditions to stick to a plan.

Remember: The islands will still be there tomorrow.