Weather Reports

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Larryo

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exMember
Joined
Oct 31, 2001
RO Number
6582
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86
Question.....

What is available to get weather reports, preferably from other boaters, while underway?

I know we have a lot of pilots on this forum and pilots can get pireps of what the other pilots have experienced.... weather, turbulence, etc.

Is there any options for the boater?
 
Not sure exactly what you mean. In addition to current weather and radar available by cell phone and satellite and NOAA broadcasts, you can always send out a page on VHF asking for weather and sea conditions in a particular spot. If someone is in that area, you will usually get a response. That has been my experience up and down both coasts of the US and most of the Gulf of Mexico.

George
Hatteras 56MY
Boston Whaler 130 Sport
 
quote:
.....Not sure exactly what you mean. In addition to current weather and radar available by cell phone and satellite and NOAA broadcasts, you can always send out a page on VHF asking for weather and sea conditions in a particular spot. If someone is in that area, you will usually get a response. That has been my experience up and down both coasts of the US and most of the Gulf of Mexico.

George

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George,
Yea, I've done that... I was hoping there was somewhere that reports could be saved for a short time. I've called a few times, when I really needed a report on seas, and no one was out there..... or at least no one answered. (Maybe that was a hint).
But this is not rocket science... I've got a small boat and really prefer to pass when the wave start pushing 4 feet... and some of the bigger boats can handle this. Just hard to get reports.
And the wave height is a forecast, not current. But I can get current winds, and get an idea... just looking for more.
Last week hit an area that was a fair amount worse that the forecast and current weather indicated and ended up turning around. Would have been great to have a report before running an hour.
But thx for the info.....
 
Buoy data? I've used it, and it is useful, though there is not always an appropriate buoy near where I am headed...

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To some extent, "local knowledge" can be quite useful. That is, ( for example, in my area ) if we have had a moderate ENE wind for several hours, then the Mississippi Sound in my area is guaranteed to be a mixed sea mess and brutal in a 20 ft ( or less ) boat, even though the wave height is fairly low ( 2-3 ft ).No need for a report, I already "know" it will be nasty.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Radioactive

Buoy data? I've used it, and it is useful, though there is not always an appropriate buoy near where I am headed...

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......

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Radio,
Bouy data would be great... can one receive it without internet? In the boat. I know XM has it, others?
 
quote:
Originally posted by November Charlie

Call them and ask?

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That is a very good use for your VHF radio. Of course with the range of the radio you proble are in the same weather that they are.

Garmin has a GDL 30A Marine Weather Radar/Audio Satellite Receiver that can put weather radar data on your plotter.

George
 
buoy data is a good source. the problem with asking others is that it's very hard to be objective when describing sea condition. what you consider a 4 footer may look like 3 footers to a guy sitting 20' up in a big boat or 6 footer to a guy in a smaller boat.

wave height isnt' the only thing that matters, wave steepnes and period is even more important, making hard to get accurate info.

if in your home area, the wind strength and direction, will probably tell you more than wave height.

if you have a computer on board with aircard you can book mark various buoys and marine forecasts, same with a smart phone.
 
Hey! There's an app for that. Buoy Data Reader. It was just a couple of bucks on iTunes.
You pick which buoys you want as your favorites. It works pretty well. Take a look at it.
 
http://www.grib.us/ Got a friend sailing to St. Maarten at this time. He's finding this program to be pretty useful and accurate.
 
The easiest local NOAA radio which I think almost every VHF FM radio has, next your radar can help, XM/SIRIUS marine weather subscription hooked to a chartplotter and a NAVTEX receiver as long as your not in the Great Lakes. Also most of the time the USCG will report bad weather on channel 16.
Bill
 
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