Keeping an eternal vigilance on weather advisories is an essential part of living aboard a boat. Nowadays there are phone apps describing present and future local conditions. Knowing what to expect in the next day or two lets you plan accordingly. You must plan when to go ashore when running low on food and water.
When docked at a marina for a few days, local weather conditions are not much of a concern. During hurricane season even marina dwellers get nervous. Mariners who are hooked to a mooring field ball may also be lulled into a false sense of security. When living at anchor, it’s easy to get overly concerned about coming weather.
Some upscale yachts have their own weather radar, but this is beyond most sailing budgets. Keeping a boat hatch locked whenever leaving a boat is a must, as any rain getting in the cabin is bad news. Law enforcement may even ticket you for leaving any hatch open while away.
When first moving into my sailboat, I never took the tide charts seriously. What did tides have to do with anything, I thought. Keeping track of tides and how it will affect you becomes a daily ritual after a while. A lot depends on being tied to a dock or being anchored out. Anchoring too close to shore seems convenient until your boat hits bottom. Beyond hitting bottom, your boat begins leaning to either side, making staying on the boat difficult if at all.
Anchoring out means having to row or motor your dinghy to the dock, maybe for over a mile. Incoming and outgoing tide either helps or slows your journey to and from the shore.
Getting ready for a voyage from your local area, getting a heads-up on coming weather advisories is essential before setting off. Having to cut short a planned trip because of incoming storms can delay plans for days or weeks.