Hello.
Learn to sail!!! In addition to the "Observation" list below the boaty version will give observations based on water movement, spray and appearance of white horses on the wave ridges etc
This is how you can estimate wind speed by looking at stuff on the ground, see
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A876864:
Edited to put a boaty one in:
http://www2.metoffice.gov.uk/weather...fortscale.html