• Sailing is all about the Weather.

    Big into the exploration of Atlantic Hurricanes since Katrina came uninvited into his world, James (Jim) Gurley (JamesG161) has followed every Tropical Storm birthed in Atlantic, Gulf and Caribbean waters since. Being a boater, he knows that we often need more time to prepare than we get from the TV weather folk. Jim relies on the science of storm development to share early warning info with friends and fellow boaters.

    Early in 2018, Jim and John Shepard, (JSSailem) started to chat about the weather data available. John asked Jim to help forecast Pacific NW storms, and this morphed into discussions on weather forecasting.

    For John, sailing in the PNW is sometimes hit and miss. One day is ugly, then a string of beautiful days but no wind, followed by a series of blue-sky days and 12 knot breezes. Being ready for those great sailing days means you need to look to the Pacific Ocean and what is brewing. John has been into Pacific NW Weather since the 1970’s when his first PNW November storm hit bringing more than 40 days and 40 nights of continual rain.

    Together we want to share information, new APPs, safety, and thoughts about letting the weather help you. Identify some of the resources for sailors and help prepare you for your next sailboat outing.

    It is far better to go out on the water knowing what to expect in weather terms, than to be out on the water and see dark ominous clouds suddenly appear, unprepared.

Weather can be more than clouds.

Oct 22, 2014
20,992
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I was browsing the yachting magazines, passing the time between phone calls, when I spied this Yachting Monthly article on The UK's 11 fiercest tide races.

We up here in the PacificNW believe we have some fierce water. Reading the article and looking at the charts, I began to think about this is an issue where weather becomes an important factor in considering your sailing plans around inlets and tidal races.

For instance, New Jersey's Barnegat Bay Inlet can be a be a pussycat to transit from the safe bay waters and adventure in the Atlantic. But the pussycat can grow teeth and look angry should your morning departure on a slack tide have you returning to the evening ebb tide while you try to escape a building Easterly Squall.

While out on the Atlantic that Easterly will carry you over the moderate swell with plenty of time for your craft to ride down the wave and rise to meet the next wave.

But as you approach the inlet, just 0.75NM distance to pass through, you may look out and see large square waves that rise 6 or more feet in the air, breaking and look like there is no room between them.

That is what can happen when an out going tide meets an incoming sea being blown onto shore.

It is the time to don your PFD's, batten down the hatches and hold on. When you thoughts go to "I sure hope that motor starts and the fuel is clean".

The article shares some interesting strategies to deal with tidal races and foul seas.

What do you do when mother nature conspires to mess up your sail?

I hope you consider the weather in your planning.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,992
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
@Michael Davis yes it is. The sea is a pass/fail teacher.

The Nawhitti Bar came to mind when I thought about this issue. While I have yet to experience this bar, the information about the area and the weather conditions that is reported can make the passage gentle breeze or a maelstrom adventure.
 
Feb 14, 2014
7,399
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
But the pussycat can grow teeth:yikes::yikes:
VampCat2.png


Yes Sir, the Atlantic this time of year was hardly traveled in the Days of "Iron Men and Wooden Ships".
They traveled in the Late Fall.
_____
We are seeing the Dips in the Polar Jet Stream, which result in Stormy LOWs off the Eastern Atlantic Seaboard.

These LOWs are pulse training every 4-5 days.
Plus La Niña it now affecting the Pacific North West weather, that bring a lot of snow and sleet north of the Carolinas.
Jim...
 
  • Ha
Likes: Rob Benson