Do the conditions for announcing a small craft advisory vary by location or are they standard throughout the country? In breezy areas like SF Bay 20 knot winds are common yet 20 knot winds on the Chesapeake would probably result in an advisory. Is SF usually under an advisory?
Small Craft Advisory
- Thread starter Landlocked
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Specific to a region
Small Craft Advisories are localized: Eastern (ME..SC, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario) - Sustained winds or frequent gusts ranging between 25 and 33 knots (except 20 to 25 knots, lower threshold area dependent, to 33 knots for harbors, bays, etc.) and/or seas or waves 5 to 7 feet and greater, area dependent. Central (MN..OH) - Sustained winds or frequent gusts (on the Great Lakes) between 22 and 33 knots inclusive, and/or seas or waves greater than 4 feet. Southern (GA..TX and Caribbean) - Sustained winds of 20 to 33 knots, and/or forecast seas 7 feet or greater that are expected for more than 2 hours. Western (WA..CA) - Sustained winds of 21 to 33 knots, potentially in combination with wave heights exceeding 10 feet (or wave steepness values exceeding local thresholds). Alaska (AK) - Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 23 to 33 knots. A small craft advisory for rough seas may be issued for sea/wave conditions deemed locally significant, based on user needs, and should be no lower than 8 feet. Hawaii (HI), Samoa - Sustained winds 25 knots or greater and seas 10 feet or greater. Dave Crowley Wind Dreamer II
Small Craft Advisories are localized: Eastern (ME..SC, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario) - Sustained winds or frequent gusts ranging between 25 and 33 knots (except 20 to 25 knots, lower threshold area dependent, to 33 knots for harbors, bays, etc.) and/or seas or waves 5 to 7 feet and greater, area dependent. Central (MN..OH) - Sustained winds or frequent gusts (on the Great Lakes) between 22 and 33 knots inclusive, and/or seas or waves greater than 4 feet. Southern (GA..TX and Caribbean) - Sustained winds of 20 to 33 knots, and/or forecast seas 7 feet or greater that are expected for more than 2 hours. Western (WA..CA) - Sustained winds of 21 to 33 knots, potentially in combination with wave heights exceeding 10 feet (or wave steepness values exceeding local thresholds). Alaska (AK) - Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 23 to 33 knots. A small craft advisory for rough seas may be issued for sea/wave conditions deemed locally significant, based on user needs, and should be no lower than 8 feet. Hawaii (HI), Samoa - Sustained winds 25 knots or greater and seas 10 feet or greater. Dave Crowley Wind Dreamer II
Regional data
Dave, Just out of curiousity, what is your source for that data. I've often wondered what the exact definition was. Is it on the NOAA site somewhere?
Dave, Just out of curiousity, what is your source for that data. I've often wondered what the exact definition was. Is it on the NOAA site somewhere?
I googled small craft advisories and got this:
Small Craft - A small craft advisory is a warning issued by the National Weather Service to alert mariners to sustained (more than two hours) weather or sea conditions, either present or forecast, that might be hazardous to small boats. If a mariner notices a Small Craft Advisory pennant displayed he should determine immediately the reason by tuning his radio to the latest marine broadcast. Decision as to the degree of hazard will be left up to the boatman, based on his experience and size and type of boat. There is no legal definition of "small craft". The Small Craft Advisory is an advisory in Coastal Waters and Nearshore forecasts for sustained winds, frequent gusts, or sea/wave conditions, exceeding defined thresholds specific to geographic areas. A Small Craft Advisory may also be issued when sea or lake ice exists that could be hazardous to small boats.. It is issued when winds have reached, or are expected to reach within 12 hours, a wind speed up to 38 mph (33 knots). This is from the coast guard page.http://www.uscg.mil/d1/units/gruwh/stachatham/Flags.htm
Small Craft - A small craft advisory is a warning issued by the National Weather Service to alert mariners to sustained (more than two hours) weather or sea conditions, either present or forecast, that might be hazardous to small boats. If a mariner notices a Small Craft Advisory pennant displayed he should determine immediately the reason by tuning his radio to the latest marine broadcast. Decision as to the degree of hazard will be left up to the boatman, based on his experience and size and type of boat. There is no legal definition of "small craft". The Small Craft Advisory is an advisory in Coastal Waters and Nearshore forecasts for sustained winds, frequent gusts, or sea/wave conditions, exceeding defined thresholds specific to geographic areas. A Small Craft Advisory may also be issued when sea or lake ice exists that could be hazardous to small boats.. It is issued when winds have reached, or are expected to reach within 12 hours, a wind speed up to 38 mph (33 knots). This is from the coast guard page.http://www.uscg.mil/d1/units/gruwh/stachatham/Flags.htm
If it matters
In the text book from the boating course I took years ago, for the purpose of insurance reduction, it definded a small craft as any boat under 60'.
In the text book from the boating course I took years ago, for the purpose of insurance reduction, it definded a small craft as any boat under 60'.
Interesting. The CG has another definition
Somewhere else on the USCG website they have a slightly different definition for a Small Craft Advisory. Its not contradictory, just different. "Small Craft Advisory: To alert mariners to sustained (more than two hours) weather or sea conditions, either present or forecast, that might be hazardous to small boats. The threshold conditions for the Small Craft Advisory are usually 18 knots of wind (less than 18 knots in some dangerous waters) or hazardous wave conditions." http://www.uscg.mil/news/stormcenter/
Somewhere else on the USCG website they have a slightly different definition for a Small Craft Advisory. Its not contradictory, just different. "Small Craft Advisory: To alert mariners to sustained (more than two hours) weather or sea conditions, either present or forecast, that might be hazardous to small boats. The threshold conditions for the Small Craft Advisory are usually 18 knots of wind (less than 18 knots in some dangerous waters) or hazardous wave conditions." http://www.uscg.mil/news/stormcenter/
NOAA was my source
Phil, Weather.GOV is the NOAA site, where I found those definitions: http://www.weather.gov/om/marine/cwd.htm Dave Crowley Wind Dreamer II
Phil, Weather.GOV is the NOAA site, where I found those definitions: http://www.weather.gov/om/marine/cwd.htm Dave Crowley Wind Dreamer II
SMA's Usually Mean Good Sailing!!!!
In my experience some of the best sailing is when they issue SMA's. Especially if you are sailing on protected waters. Conditions that make small fishing boats unhappy are the same conditions that sailers often love. Even in my Laser sailing days a SMA was cause for excitment. A Laser in 25 knots of wind is about as much excitement as I can stand. With a SMA I listen to the actual forcast conditions. I think that waves that make it hazardous for small stinkpots are easily handled by a coastal sailboat. Even on a lake a chop that sends the small stinkpots into coves means it's time for the sailboats to come out and play. Thank god for SMA's in the summer!!!
In my experience some of the best sailing is when they issue SMA's. Especially if you are sailing on protected waters. Conditions that make small fishing boats unhappy are the same conditions that sailers often love. Even in my Laser sailing days a SMA was cause for excitment. A Laser in 25 knots of wind is about as much excitement as I can stand. With a SMA I listen to the actual forcast conditions. I think that waves that make it hazardous for small stinkpots are easily handled by a coastal sailboat. Even on a lake a chop that sends the small stinkpots into coves means it's time for the sailboats to come out and play. Thank god for SMA's in the summer!!!
Hazardous Seas
Off coastal Califorina, SCAs are sometimes issued for "hazardous seas" even when wind velocities are not high enough to trigger one. BEO
Off coastal Califorina, SCAs are sometimes issued for "hazardous seas" even when wind velocities are not high enough to trigger one. BEO
Local Knowledge
Yes the SMA's need to be teamed with local knowledge. But many times at Panama City Florida they issued SMA's and the sailing was great!!! Mobile bay is shallow about 12' average and has about 30 miles of fetch and can get very rough. With SMA's there if the wind was out of the north the sailing would be good on the upper bay and the southern bay very rough. When in South Carolina and the ocean was too rough for my Laser I knew a small lake where I would sail. It was wild!!! One time I flipped and the wind was so strong that it blew the laser across the lake faster than I could swim. But it wasn't a problem..I just walked around the shore to get my boat. It is always good to have an "out" when going sailing when it's rough. My favorite is to have a small cove to run into if it gets too rough. I have had to sit out some weather anchored in a small cove when it got too rough. But usually an SMA just means fun or at worse a reef in the mainsail. In Panama city if the wind was out of the south we would get hammered going across the open stretch of Andrews Bay....rail in the water. But in the ICW on either side of the main bay it was much calmer. So we would just broad reach across the open and then tack and catch our breath in the ICW
Yes the SMA's need to be teamed with local knowledge. But many times at Panama City Florida they issued SMA's and the sailing was great!!! Mobile bay is shallow about 12' average and has about 30 miles of fetch and can get very rough. With SMA's there if the wind was out of the north the sailing would be good on the upper bay and the southern bay very rough. When in South Carolina and the ocean was too rough for my Laser I knew a small lake where I would sail. It was wild!!! One time I flipped and the wind was so strong that it blew the laser across the lake faster than I could swim. But it wasn't a problem..I just walked around the shore to get my boat. It is always good to have an "out" when going sailing when it's rough. My favorite is to have a small cove to run into if it gets too rough. I have had to sit out some weather anchored in a small cove when it got too rough. But usually an SMA just means fun or at worse a reef in the mainsail. In Panama city if the wind was out of the south we would get hammered going across the open stretch of Andrews Bay....rail in the water. But in the ICW on either side of the main bay it was much calmer. So we would just broad reach across the open and then tack and catch our breath in the ICW
SMA's defined by NOAA
"SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY: An advisory issued by coastal and Great Lakes Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) for areas included in the Coastal Waters Forecast or Nearshore Marine Forecast (NSH) products. Thresholds governing the issuance of small craft advisories are specific to geographic areas. A Small Craft Advisory may also be issued when sea or lake ice exists that could be hazardous to small boats. There is no precise definition of a small craft. Any vessel that may be adversely affected by Small Craft Advisory criteria should be considered a small craft. Other considerations include the experience of the vessel operator, and the type, overall size, and sea worthiness of the vessel. There is no legal definition of "small craft". The Small Craft Advisory is an advisory in Coastal Waters and Nearshore forecasts for sustained winds, frequent gusts, or sea/wave conditions, exceeding defined thresholds specific to geographic areas. A Small Craft Advisory may also be issued when sea or lake ice exists that could be hazardous to small boats. Eastern (ME..SC, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario) - Sustained winds or frequent gusts ranging between 25 and 33 knots (except 20 to 25 knots, lower threshold area dependent, to 33 knots for harbors, bays, etc.) and/or seas or waves 5 to 7 feet and greater, area dependent. Central (MN..OH) - Sustained winds or frequent gusts (on the Great Lakes) between 22 and 33 knots inclusive, and/or seas or waves greater than 4 feet. Southern (GA..TX and Caribbean) - Sustained winds of 20 to 33 knots, and/or forecast seas 7 feet or greater that are expected for more than 2 hours. Western (WA..CA) - Sustained winds of 21 to 33 knots, potentially in combination with wave heights exceeding 10 feet (or wave steepness values exceeding local thresholds). Alaska (AK) - Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 23 to 33 knots. A small craft advisory for rough seas may be issued for sea/wave conditions deemed locally significant, based on user needs, and should be no lower than 8 feet. Hawaii (HI), Samoa - Sustained winds 25 knots or greater and seas 10 feet or greater. Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands - Sustained winds 22 to 33 knots and/or combined seas of 10 feet or more. “Frequent gusts”are typically long duration conditions (greater than 2 hours)."
"SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY: An advisory issued by coastal and Great Lakes Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) for areas included in the Coastal Waters Forecast or Nearshore Marine Forecast (NSH) products. Thresholds governing the issuance of small craft advisories are specific to geographic areas. A Small Craft Advisory may also be issued when sea or lake ice exists that could be hazardous to small boats. There is no precise definition of a small craft. Any vessel that may be adversely affected by Small Craft Advisory criteria should be considered a small craft. Other considerations include the experience of the vessel operator, and the type, overall size, and sea worthiness of the vessel. There is no legal definition of "small craft". The Small Craft Advisory is an advisory in Coastal Waters and Nearshore forecasts for sustained winds, frequent gusts, or sea/wave conditions, exceeding defined thresholds specific to geographic areas. A Small Craft Advisory may also be issued when sea or lake ice exists that could be hazardous to small boats. Eastern (ME..SC, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario) - Sustained winds or frequent gusts ranging between 25 and 33 knots (except 20 to 25 knots, lower threshold area dependent, to 33 knots for harbors, bays, etc.) and/or seas or waves 5 to 7 feet and greater, area dependent. Central (MN..OH) - Sustained winds or frequent gusts (on the Great Lakes) between 22 and 33 knots inclusive, and/or seas or waves greater than 4 feet. Southern (GA..TX and Caribbean) - Sustained winds of 20 to 33 knots, and/or forecast seas 7 feet or greater that are expected for more than 2 hours. Western (WA..CA) - Sustained winds of 21 to 33 knots, potentially in combination with wave heights exceeding 10 feet (or wave steepness values exceeding local thresholds). Alaska (AK) - Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 23 to 33 knots. A small craft advisory for rough seas may be issued for sea/wave conditions deemed locally significant, based on user needs, and should be no lower than 8 feet. Hawaii (HI), Samoa - Sustained winds 25 knots or greater and seas 10 feet or greater. Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands - Sustained winds 22 to 33 knots and/or combined seas of 10 feet or more. “Frequent gusts”are typically long duration conditions (greater than 2 hours)."
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