Marine Weather Resources

Jack DaleISPA Yachtmaster Offshore Instructor Evaluator

Sail Canada Advanced Cruising InstructorASA Advanced Coastal Cruising / Catamaran

InstructorIYT Yachtmaster Coastal Instructor

Sources of Weather Information Traditional

VHF Radio Newspaper Telephone

Electronic Internet Phone Apps

Sources of Weather Information Electronic

Internet Ethernet WiFi Cell Phone

Tethered Air card

Phone Apps

WiFi Many marinas Internet cafes Quality varies

Cell Phone Tethered

WiFi hotpsot USB cable

Air Card

Cell Service Coverage

Cell Phone Coverage

Good sites Marine Weather : Pacific - South

Coast http://

weather.gc.ca/marine/region_e.html?mapID=02

Choose area

Forecast Area Forecast Extended forecast Weather conditions Ice conditions Warning Synopsis

Weather Conditions Hourly updates Buoys Lightstations

Other Sites BIGWAVEDAVE.CA 

weather information for windsurfing and kiteboarding on Vancouver Island, BC.

Smartphone Apps Buoyweather Sail Flow Predict Wind mobileGrib

GRIB Files A widely used bit-oriented data

exchange scheme is the WMO GRIddedBinary (GRIB) format. GRIB is an efficient vehicle for transmitting large volumes of gridded data to automated centers over high-speed telecommunication lines using modern protocols.

Grib Readers Ugrib - free ZyGrib - free Ocens WeatherNet – subscription Open CPN – free (CHS charts $$$) Expedition – racing software

Optimal course Target speeds Utilizes polars

Acquiring Grib Data File Transfer Protocol

Built in to software Email

Saildocs

Saildocs Saildocs is an automated system

and the format for a grib request must be followed exactly.

The format for a basic grib-file request is:gfs:lat0,lat1,lon0,lon1|dlat,dlon|VTs|Params

Email To: query@saildocs.com

Subject: anything

send gfs:46N,52N,130W,121W|1,1|6,12..96|PRESS,WIND

NB – email may not be possible when using WiFi.

Weather Fax From NOAA

500 Mb Analysis & Forecast Surface Analysis & Forecast Sea State Analysis & Wave Period

Forecast / Direction Wind / Wave Analysis & Forecast Satellite Photos Gales, Storms and Hurricanes

Acquiring Weather Fax Internet SSB radio Weatherfax receiver Sat Phone (email)

Weather Fax Internet http://

weather.noaa.gov/fax/marine.shtml Email FTP Web

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/nepacificbrief.shtml

Weatherfax SSB

Pt.Reyes(NMC) 4346(except 19z,23Z), 8682, 12786, 17151.2, 22527(19z,23Z) kHz  Radiofax Broadcast

Start Broadcast 0140Z 0655Z 1120Z 1400Z 1840Z 2320Z

Broadcast Schedule

1124Z 2324Z

SSB to Modem to PC to Printer

Weatherfax Receiver PC Chartplotter

NAVTEX Used in Sea Area

A2 150 miles

offshore Synopsis Forecast Waves

NAVTEX Receiver Printer Display Keyboard

Studying Weather Marine weather courses Books

Anything by Owen Lange