Weather Info on Gulfstream Crossing

[Autumns Wind]

While this might be controversial to opinons. What is the best/most reliable online weather resource for the Gulf stream. looking for wind, current, and wave, heights. Thanks

[s/v Moondancer]

Passageweather.com

I use it all the time for crossings.

[pete33458]

For wind I use a combination of SailFlow and NOAA; for sea surface conditions I find that the NOAA marine forecasts are usually right on the money.

Current: very difficult to get accurate up-to-date info, you can just ballpark for your region of interest, for us in FL you can estimate an average of 2.5-3kt throughout the stream (of course it is faster in the center and slower at the edges). pete

[boatman61]

I like Passage weather and Magic seaweed I like for swell patterns/forecasts.. also like to compare..

[estarzinger]

Two of several excellent gulf stream charts available: Ocean Prediction Center - NCOM Model Ocean Currents in Gulf Stream Region and Gulf Stream Tools

The very best way to get wind and waves from the net is to get a grib reader (several good ones like viewfax and ZY grib are free) that can download and display data from multiple grib files. These are not at all complex, just download them and you immediately have all the weather info you could want (some of them can also download gulf stream current data - from the RTOFS model) With a grib viewer you can define and see exactly what you want (almost any weather data almost anywhere in the world at almost any resolution you could want), and compare the output from several models. If you have e-mail on board, you can then also get updates underway.

The ECMWF model is statistically the most accurate, but most of the weather web sites (like passage weather) primarily use GFS (because it is completely free and easy to get), and GFS is typically pretty good (just a little worse than the ECMWF).

[ka4wja]

Autumns Wind,
Evans beat me to it....

Originally Posted by Autumns Wind

What is the best/most reliable online weather resource for the Gulf stream. looking for wind, current, and wave, heights.

But, here are some more pages that I find to be some of the best resources:

1) For currents:
For all ocean currents...
Ocean Prediction Center - Global and Regional Ocean Model Currents

For the Gulf Stream currents in particular...
Ocean Prediction Center - NCOM Model Ocean Currents in Gulf Stream Region


2) For wind / wave forecasts, the US NWS/NOAA Marine weather pages can't be beat....
National Weather Service Marine Forecasts
There you will find links to just about every marine weather forecast/source available....including all the weather charts, wind/wave charts, upper level charts, satellite imagery, text weather data/forecasts, etc.



3) As I see you're in SW Florida, if looking for Gulf Stream info for a crossing to the Bahamas, etc. there are many ways to get up-to-date Gulf Stream info...
Not the least of which is broadcast 24 hours a day, for free, over NOAA weather radio, right on your VHF radio.....

Specifically for the south Florida area / Florida Coastal area, you can always get updated Gulf Stream data from the NWS/NOAA coastal and near-offshore forecasts....
South Marine Text Forecasts by Zone
National Weather Service Marine Forecast

Here's this morning's SE Florida (and Bahamas) broadcast....

AMZ600-GMZ606-172130-
SYNOPSIS FOR JUPITER INLET TO OCEAN REEF FL OUT TO 60 NM AND FOR EAST
CAPE SABLE TO BONITA BEACH FL OUT TO 60 NM-
417 AM EDT WED APR 17 2013


.SYNOPSIS...LIGHT TO MODERATE EASTERLY WINDS WILL BEGIN TO SHIFT
TO THE SOUTHEAST THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING
FRONTAL BOUNDARY. THE COLD FRONT WILL LEAD TO INCREASING RAINFALL
CHANCES FRIDAY THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND AS THE BOUNDARY STALLS
NEAR OR OVER THE AREA. WINDS WILL SHIFT BACK TO THE EAST LATER IN
THE WEEKEND AND INTO THE UPCOMING WEEK AS THE FRONT WEAKENS AND
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS BACK OVER THE REGION.

.GULF STREAM HAZARDS...NONE.

THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF THE WEST WALL OF THE GULF STREAM AS OF
APR 15, 2013 AT 1200 UTC...

9 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHEAST OF FOWEY ROCKS.
11 NAUTICAL MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF PORT EVERGLADES.
10 NAUTICAL MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF LAKE WORTH.
10 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHEAST OF JUPITER INLET.

THIS DATA COURTESY OF THE NAVAL OCEANOGRAPHIC OFFICE.

AMZ651-671-172130-
COASTAL WATERS FROM DEERFIELD BEACH TO OCEAN REEF, FL OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM DEERFIELD BEACH TO OCEAN REEF, FL EXTENDING FROM
20 NM TO THE TERRITORIAL WATERS OF THE BAHAMAS-
417 AM EDT WED APR 17 2013


TODAY
EAST NORTHEAST WINDS 8 TO 13 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FEET.
DOMINANT PERIOD 4 SECONDS. INTRACOASTAL WATERS A MODERATE CHOP. SLIGHT
CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

TONIGHT
EAST WINDS 11 TO 16 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FEET. DOMINANT PERIOD
4 SECONDS. INTRACOASTAL WATERS A MODERATE CHOP.

THURSDAY
EAST SOUTHEAST WINDS 9 TO 14 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO
3 FEET. DOMINANT PERIOD 4 SECONDS. INTRACOASTAL WATERS A MODERATE CHOP.

THURSDAY NIGHT
EAST SOUTHEAST WINDS 13 TO 18 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO
4 FEET WITH OCCASIONAL SEAS UP TO 5 FEET. DOMINANT PERIOD 4 SECONDS.
INTRACOASTAL WATERS CHOPPY IN EXPOSED AREAS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF
SHOWERS.

FRIDAY
SOUTHEAST WINDS 11 TO 16 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET WITH
OCCASIONAL SEAS UP TO 5 FEET. INTRACOASTAL WATERS A MODERATE
CHOP. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY
SOUTH SOUTHEAST WINDS 13 TO
18 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET WITH OCCASIONAL SEAS UP TO 5 FEET.
INTRACOASTAL WATERS A LIGHT CHOP. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS.

SATURDAY NIGHT
SOUTH SOUTHEAST WINDS 6 TO 10 KNOTS ALONG THE
COAST TO SOUTH SOUTHEAST 8 TO 13 KNOTS IN THE GULF STREAM. SEAS
2 TO 3 FEET. INTRACOASTAL WATERS A MODERATE CHOP. CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS.

SUNDAY
SOUTHEAST WINDS 7 TO 12 KNOTS. SEAS AROUND 2 FEET.
INTRACOASTAL WATERS A LIGHT CHOP. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


.SYNOPSIS...MEANDERING STATIONARY FRONT ALONG 30N WILL DISSIPATE
THIS MORNING. STRONG HIGH PRES BUILDING S IN THE NW ATLC THU
NIGHT AND FRI WILL STRENGTHEN TRADE WINDS S OF 25N THIS WEEKEND.



SEAS GIVEN AS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT...WHICH IS THE AVERAGE
HEIGHT OF THE HIGHEST 1/3 OF THE WAVES. INDIVIDUAL WAVES MAY BE
MORE THAN TWICE THE SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT.


AMZ117-172200-
BAHAMAS INCLUDING CAY SAL BANK-
431 AM EDT WED APR 17 2013


TODAY
E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT.

TONIGHT
E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.

THU
E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT ATLC EXPOSURES...AND
2 TO 3 FT ELSEWHERE.

THU NIGHT
E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT ATLC
EXPOSURES...AND 3 TO 5 FT ELSEWHERE.

FRI
E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT.

SAT
SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT.

SUN
E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.

I hope this helps......(if not please advise what specifically you're looking for..)

Fair winds..
John
s/v Annie Laurie

[FLLCatsailor]

Just look for the elephants on the horizon...

[Autumns Wind]

Thanks for all the imput. Were hoping to set off early next year for a two year around the carib tour. So the planning begins.

[AnchorageGuy]

John, That Bahamas forecast reads 10 to 15 every day, even when it's blowing 25 or even 5. So I wouldn't depend on the NWS forecasts for anything in the Bahamas. I know because we have been here since February. We use Passageweather, Sailflow, Swellinfo, windfinder, and buoyweather, plus a few others. Chuck