Storms

sailaway78 · Oct 19, 2011

Lots of answers

There are more answers to this than I can even mention here. As to the weather forecasts. Depends on what you like, or have faith in. I try to use all readily available sources. The NOAA weather bouys are the best indication of what is actually going on. Most of the forecasts are at least decent out to 24 hours. Except of course when they are totally wrong. After that it's a crap shoot. If your a long distance cruiser, there are some paid sites that are pretty good.
As to what to do, that to has many answers, and I am sure you will get a bunch. I don't think that any answer you get will suffice for all situations. Depends as much on the boat, and the experience of the skipper as anything, but it will be interesting to see the answers.

Ross · Oct 19, 2011

Re: Lots of answers

It will depend on where you sail. NOAA weather radio updates several times each day on VHF. That will work for coastal sailing . Of course very local conditions may differ from the general forecast.

Charisma · Oct 19, 2011

We use the "WeatherBug" app on our iphone. Charisma

zeehag · Oct 19, 2011

NOAA was excellent at helping us find thun der stoms in gulf of mexico---- i prefer passage weather and making sure my passage isnt more than 4 days out. after 4 days is a lil iffy, as we learned with some of our named storms here....i also like storm pulse, and eebmike and conaagua for mexico.

once i gt my ssb up and going with a tuner i can receive weatherfax.

David in Sandusky · Oct 20, 2011

Weather sources

We always check NOAA and/or the Canadian service on the iPhone or radio. Weather bug provides another look several days ahead. Then we check the weather radar on the AccuWeather app or an internet site. During our cruise up the Bruce peninsula to the North Channel last summer, we were able to get a radar picture of local "pop-up" thunder storms even when 5 miles off shore.

stephen Penny · Oct 20, 2011

www.windfinder.com/forecast provides current and 7 day weather forecast at 3 hour intervals of wind speed, gust and direction, air temperature and pressure, cloud cover and precipitation.

WayneH · Oct 20, 2011

It depends. My response to heavy weather is "It depends." Am I on a time table and have to forge on? Am I just kicking around? Where's the nearest hidey hole? Can I reach it in these conditions?

At sea, we listen to NOAA at least once a day to get an idea of the day's weather. I'd like to put in a plug for my VHF radio here. We replaced the 30 year old VHF in the boat with a Standard Horizon GX2150 because it has the AIS receiver built in. We also added the RAM to the boat so we could actually hear the radio in the cockpit. Separate volume controls means the internal radio is quiet while the off watch is sleeping but the on watch can still hear all the traffic and see the AIS display when it activates.

Where all this is headed: We were not totally familiar with the radio on our first cruise. We were watching some dark clouds piling up astern and inshore of us outside of Vermillion Bay, LA. I was already concerned when the wind shifted on us and we started reducing sail. In the midst of this, the radio suddenly starts wailing an alarm. When the helmsman acknowledged the alarm, the weather channel comes on instead of channel 16 and informs us that the storm headed our way had "60 mph winds, hail, heavy rain and deadly lightning." *yks We dropped sail and started the engine because my crew isn't ready for those conditions under sail yet and started making for the Southwest Pass. Of course, we don't beat the storm to the pass and it pounds us pretty good. When the GPS speed dropped to 0.3 knots, I decided to anchor because I wasn't sure if that was forward or backwards 0.3 knots.

The Normally Wrong Service completely missed the actual storm. Nobody died from the deadly lightning, we didn't see any hail, the rain was not all that heavy and the winds only got up to 45 mph according to the masthead sensor.

But without that alert from the radio and the NWS, the story might have had a different outcome. Now I'm glad I spent the money on the radio.

RichH · Oct 20, 2011

funirishboy said:
What is the best way to keep track of weather in the waters you are sailing in? What is on your check list when you know you are in for a blow? Does someone have to stay at the wheel. Do you run with a storm or into one? When do you put out a sea anchor?

Thanks

Keeping track:
1. Professional weather routers via HF/SSB radio - most accurate
2. NOAA GRIB files that are overlayed onto a chartplotter, computer screen with charting, etc. Needed - SSB/HAM with email capability + laptop, etc. XM/Sirius radio when in applicable coverage areas.
3. Your own weather predictions based on prior study of meteorology ... as best you can.
4. NOAA OPC (Ocean Prediction Center) WeatherFAx downloads by SSB or HF radio ... minimalists simply use a portable shortwave radio, a 'decoder'/demodulator (program), and a laptop to download/read WeFAX or WeatherFAx charts. see. www.WEFAX.de for more info.
5. WIFI, etc. when in port -- www.passageweather.com, etc. for GRIB type charts for weather / wind / waves predictions .... usually good for 3-5 days out.

Check list:
1. rigging integrity
2. Stowage ... so that nothing gets loose, etc.
3. Condition and testing of bilge pumps and backups, etc.

Helm:
1. Your choice ... but nothing beats a human being at the helm, unless its too damn dangerous to be outside ... waves breaking 'over' the boat, etc.

Run to/from
1. better to sail AWAY from a storm and soon enough before the storm actually 'forms'/intensifies .... thats where a pro weather router is of the best help to get the hell out of the way long before it actually happens.
2. All depends if there are overwhelming 'breaking waves' conditions with the storm. If no breaking waves then 'keep moving' and far away from the 'eye' or low pressure center .... the more you get sucked into the low pressure center the worse the conditions will be. If breaking waves then heave-to and drag a 'turbulence slick' caused by the keel skidding sideways or sea anchor ..... the turbulence from the keel/sea anchor will cause the waves to break before they hit the boat - you hope. Fast boats can run under bare poles, slow boats will heave-to and be about 45 deg. to the oncoming waves, only fools 'lie a-hull' (boat is more easily 'rolled'/broken in breaking wave conditions when lying 'beam-to'.).

Its not the wind that makes deep ocean sailing a problem, its the waves and the condition/shape,etc. of the waves that make for 'instant decisions'.

Weather routing, by pros, takes most of the guesswork out of passages. NOAA forecasts are generalized and cover 'wide area' forecasts; routers will be much more 'precise'/accurate. (And NOAA broadcasts seems to needlessly 'exaggerate' a lot for coastal forecasts ... probably a liability/lawyer issue. If you use NOAA forecasts exclusively, youll miss out on a lot of 'fine' sailing.)

Learn how to augment broadcast info with your own knowledge/forecasts .... "Mariner's Weather Handbook" - Dashews, is a deeply technical and very good way to learn to make your own forecasts. Apply pro-router and GRIB info on top of that and youll avoid a lot of 'slop'.

rgranger · Oct 20, 2011

... these are all good. I mostly use my VHF radio once I'm on the water but check passageweather.com before I leave for a coastal cruise. It is a bit of overkill since I'm making a passage but it does let you look out 5 days and see how winds are likely to change.