2017 Weather to the Azores

[barnakiel]

@ donradcliffe

PM sent to avoid discussing E-W and W-E passages within the same thread.

+Hugs,
b.

[Palarran]

Anybody use marinetraffic.com to verify their wind forecasts? We would use it in the Aegean just to see how strong the Meltemi was blowing outside a harbor. It's a really handy program.

From the times I've run Predictwind's forecaster, it shows that this would have been an excellent crossing with weather. No idea if that would have been the case, but in general the wind would have been favorable.

[Jwmaritime]

I probably should start a new thread, but I was just wondering if anyone has conducted some kind of roll call for boats headed to the Azores this year. We are en route and looking to connect with other cruising vessels headed there.

SV Patzo

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Jwmaritime

I probably should start a new thread, but I was just wondering if anyone has conducted some kind of roll call for boats headed to the Azores this year. We are en route and looking to connect with other cruising vessels headed there.

SV Patzo

Yep. You can start a new one and you can link to this one too if of any use. I know there is always a large group of boats sailing out. Some have departed, some are waiting till mid- or late- May.

When are you departing and from which Caribbean island?

Cheers,
b.

[Jwmaritime]

We are in Antigua and just kind of waiting on a favorable weather window.
I appreciate all of the research you have shared regarding the weather patterns in the Atlantic. It definitely is influencing our our float plan.

[conachair]

For a tiny bit of added interedt, marine traffic have added satelitte recieved ais positions to their website - just positions, no more info but might be of interest to this thread.

[Palarran]

Originally Posted by conachair

For a tiny bit of added interedt, marine traffic have added satelitte recieved ais positions to their website - just positions, no more info but might be of interest to this thread.

I don't know if your registered on marine traffic but if you are, and select one of the ships, it tells you what the wind speed is. That has been very helpful to me in the past.

[barnakiel]

Here,

National Data Buoy Center

You have reports from ocean buoys. Not many ;-( on the direct route to the Azores, but something useful for Carib - Bermuda route and for those departing from the US coat.

Ship reports from ships tend to be all over the place. Maybe their huge superstructures influence the flow this much? Ship reports from boats, where available, seem more in sync with what we get from the gribbed data.

Cheers,
b.

[barnakiel]

I am attaching today's chartlets from NOAA.

Have a close look at the 48hrs one and at how the system may evolve towards 96hrs.

Should these happen, this is yet another warning for small craft to consider not doing the passage too early.

While the radiofax looks threatening, the grib representation calls for periods of 35kts gusting 50kts for a time. The uncomfortable factors are sailing towards the center of that Low as well as the amt of variation that may step in over a 4 days' period.

Cheers,
b.

[barnakiel]

A vigorous Low / Front (-s) feature expected to wipe the approaches to the Azores in this 96hrs forecast.

Longest gribs show a possibly positive development afterwards. Boats already underway are reporting light conditions so this new feature should give them a quick ride to the E. But you must ride the face of it.

Conditions on the front to gust 45 knots for a limited 24hrs time. As the front is nested in between two Highs, we are expecting possible strong localized electrical storms. Rain and other frontal niceties not to go beyond what one can expect from a fast paced front.

Situation closest to the Azores not clear - one must watch the radiofax carefully and hope for the best. Present forecast is strong but not threatening.

Cheers,
b.