Beaufort was a man of the sea, but when he was on land he called this fine old central London house his home for most of his life. A great naval officer and Hydrographer Beaufort will always be remembered for his creation of the Beaufort Scale. Although originally only used by others at sea, the Beaufort Scale has worked its way into the consciousness of most people, being taught in schools across the world as the backbone of geography classes. The scale gives numbers to the velocity of wind, starting with no breeze at all moving up to a hurricane.