Weather
Changing of the guard in the skies
Dec 12, 2011 12:00 amThose who watch television weathercasts on the West Coast of the U.S., or in Alaska or Hawaii, or anywhere else around the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, may not have noticed any difference in the presentation between Dec. 5 and 6 of this year, but there was a significant change.
The demise of hurricanes and tropical storms
Oct 19, 2011 12:00 amAs I write this newsletter in October, the hurricane season, while certainly not over, is on its inevitable downhill slide. So I thought it would be interesting to write about how tropical storms and hurricanes can weaken and dissipate. Frequently we talk about how these systems form, the conditions that are required for their formation, the potential detrimental effects of these systems, and safety precautions and avoidance techniques which should be employed.
Higher profile ocean current data
Aug 09, 2011 12:00 amThe Ocean Prediction Center website (http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov) is an excellent first stop for ocean voyagers looking for weather information tailored toward their pursuits, and I have written frequently about the website and the products available there. Those who visit the site regularly have noticed a recent change in the front page of the site, and I thought I would write about that this time.
Some changes on tropical surface charts
Jun 14, 2011 12:00 amRecently a couple of changes have been made to surface analysis charts and surface forecast charts generated by NOAA that cover the tropical latitudes in the Atlantic and Pacific. While these changes are subtle, they do include the use of some new symbols on the charts, and also provide mariners with some additional information.
The mother of all ocean waves
Apr 12, 2011 12:00 amFor ocean voyagers, one of the most important factors that impact travel on the sea is the sea state. There are waves of all sizes and shapes on the ocean, from small locally generated wind waves to larger, longer period swells which propagate away from their generation area.
Tropical Cyclone Names Retired
Mar 22, 2011 6:00 pmThe World Meteorological Organization has decided to retire the names of two tropical cyclones because of the death and destruction they caused in 2010. The names Igor and Tomas, originally due to appear again in 2016, will instead be retired and replaced by Ian and Tobias, according to this report on the NOAA Web site. Igor was a Cape Verde hurricane that eventually crossed the Atlantic to strike Bermuda and Newfoundland last September.
Time to learn
Mar 01, 2011 12:00 amHere we are at the beginning of March, and for most folks across the U.S. it has been a rather difficult winter. Snow amounts have been well above normal over many areas, and unusually cold temperatures have affected much of the nation as well. News stories about paralyzed travel, both in the air and on the ground have been common over the past couple of months, and anyone who travels frequently has likely endured delays or cancellations. Collapsed roofs due to large amounts of snow have also occurred in some areas.
Ocean effect
Dec 21, 2010 12:00 amOver the past couple of weeks, winter weather has made plenty of headlines in the central and eastern U.S. We have seen blizzard conditions affecting portions of the north central U.S., cold temperatures penetrating very far south into the southeastern U.S., including Florida where there have been impacts on agriculture, and strong winds along the East Coast and in the adjacent Atlantic waters.
Wind and current
Oct 25, 2010 12:00 amLast time I talked about the meteorological effects on tides, and by extension, tidal currents. This time, I thought I would focus on a different aspect of this interaction, and talk about how wind and current affect the sea state. I will include not just tidal currents, but all ocean currents in the discussion.
Evaluating weather maps
Dec 14, 2009 12:00 amWeather work at sea typically involves three components: knowing what the resources are and how to get them onto your vessel, evaluating the dependability of the data given to you, and finally, using this data to make decisions. When it comes to doing the best job possible, all three parts are equally important.
Weather by the yard
Dec 14, 2009 12:00 amThere are numerous ways to obtain a weather “briefing” for a voyage. You can listen to the full cycle of a broadcast on the local VHF/FM National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather channel. That will usually suffice for a day trip or even for a sail of a few days duration — unless things are forecast to change rapidly, in which case multiple checks will be in order.
Potential traps in the Gulf Stream
Oct 06, 2009 12:00 am
Phyllis Nickel & John Harries, ocean voyagers and owners of Attainable Adventure Cruising Ltd., have just posted a piece to the "What's New" area of their blog on the potential traps in the Gulf Stream and the importance of not blindly following shore-based weather router's recommendations.
Real time wind modeling
Aug 07, 2009 12:00 am
Try this cool wind-modeling web sight (offered by sailflow.com). Plug in your region in the upper left corner of the page to get wind predictions for your area.
Free ship report service for voyagers
Jun 26, 2009 12:00 am
At sea in your voyaging boat you're often surrounded by merchant ships (within, say, a hundred miles surrounded). And many of those vessels are reporting weather information to theVoluntary Observing Ship program. What if you could receive their reports directly? Now you can with the help of Starpath School of Navigation. Very cool, see below.
Marion Bermuda race weather analysis
Jun 19, 2009 12:00 am
Meteorologist Ken McKinley of Locus Weather, who writes our weather email newsletter, provides us with his forecast for the Marion Bermuda Race.
2009 Marion Bermuda Race Weather
Wednesday June 17
Diesel dodges waterspout
Nov 10, 2008 12:00 am
For most sailors, a diesel auxiliary engine's main purpose to to flee from areas of no wind. For Bernadette Hoban of New York City, her Yanmar diesel performed the exact opposite function: Hoban used it to flee too much wind. A waterspout chased her in her Catalina 32 in Oyster Bay, New York on Long Island Sound. Her trusty Yanmar gave her the power to get away.
Super slow mo lightning
Sep 18, 2008 12:00 am
Lightning is definitely a subject that gets people charged up. Just got a response to my recent lightning piece from Rick Viggiano who owns Pro-Tech Marine in Newport, R.I. Having been struck and nearly struck several times and with plenty of customers whose boats have been hit, Viggiano is definitely interested in the subject of lighting.
Lightning leaves its mark
Sep 18, 2008 12:00 am
Here's a follow up to my recent article on lightning strikes affecting marine electronics. Darcy Scott, who was at the helm of Cleave Horton's boat Skater when it was struck by lightning, sent along a picture of her damaged MP3 player screen along with a comment: "The MP3 player was fried when lightning struck us during our Bermuda crossing in June. I was at the helm at the time, though the player wasn't on.
Weather newsletter is johnny on the spot
Sep 05, 2008 12:00 am
Sometimes when you need something, it shows up at your doorstep. Recently, Ocean Navigator subscriber Chuck Bishop received our weather newsletter on fog just before he had to deal with fog in San Diego for the first time. The info that our weather newsletter writer Ken McKinley at Locus Weather provided helped Bishop through the experience. Here is his email:
Voyaging weather communications
Sep 04, 2008 12:00 am
By Josh Warren-White
In today’s world one need not be a meteorologist in order to gather weather data and utilize it to make informed decisions for offshore passagemaking. In the information age there is a wealth of just that — information. So where are voyagers getting their weather information and how are they using it?
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