Wind observation by ships is important for the understanding of weather and oceanographic
conditions and for the safe navigation of ships. Therefore, the accuracy of the observation is required.
In this study, the misalignment and scale factor of the wind speed and direction meter were verifi ed
based on the data accumulated by the Kanaya-Maru for 1.5 years, and calibration was performed based
on the verifi cation results. The results indicated that the wind speed and direction meter on the Kanaya-
Maru had a slight clockwise-misalignment angle from the course direction of the ship, and that the wind
speed may have been slightly overestimated. Based on the results of this verifi cation, the accuracy was
improved by the calibration of this wind speed and direction meter compared to before the correction.
Next, for general ships, the characteristics of the wind conditions, the number of data required, and
the index used in the validation were discussed to efficiently validate the wind speed and direction
meter, using the data from the Kanaya-Maru as simulation data. As a result, it was shown that the
moderate wind-speed on the ground and the unbiased wind direction are important to fi nd misalignment
angles and scale factors. The number of voyages can be reduced if the verifi cation is conducted under
appropriate conditions. In addition, it was shown that it is important to select an appropriate index
according to the conditions. Our results may contribute to more accurate atmospheric observations of
the Kanaya-Maru in the future and to more effi cient fi eld calibration of general ships.
Key words:Wind on ship, Wind on the ground, Mobile observation, Misalignment, Scale factor,On in situ calibration