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Catalina 25 Specific Forum

wind speed

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cat25
Navigator

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USA
140 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/11/2009 : 12:31:46

As im writing this the wind at execution rock on the long island sound is ne 29sustained and gusts 48 kts. Todayissept 11 2009. Amazing ill sit this one out. This reading is from the weather bouys on the sound ( NDBC-STATION 4022) unbelieveable to have this at your fingertips.

Ken
Chenango~
1990~TR~WK~C25~#6022
Candlewood Lake, Ct

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jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2009 : 08:26:35

Where do you go to get the information?

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5377 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2009 : 08:41:32

Ken
Welcome to the forum.
It's really nice to have an entire array of weather measurements literally at our fingertips on the internet, and with NOAA's hookups. You can get info from many places that you really would not want to physically be present, especially when winds are howling and waves are crashing.

One of the issues I look at on NOAA's National Weather Service site is wind. [www.weather.gov] For example, I always check the forecasted wind speed and direction, as well as currents and tides before planning a sail.

Within a day ahead, the wind predictions can often be quite accurate, however you will find notable exceptions, especially in New England. And there are a lot of stories about "NOAA predicted winds of 10-15 kts but we actually got 25-30s with gusts up to 40 kts"

It's also pretty cool to compare predictions to actuals. For example, last Tuesday they predicted strong Northeasterlies for Thursday during the day and evening, they did not really hit until Friday morning.

I created a Power Point presentation entitled <u>Trip Planning for Kayakers and Daysailers</u> where I included many of the factors affecting small boaters. I used it in my US Power Squadron Kayak Safety course (Paddlesmart).

I list the winds forecast website, the tidal and current forecast website, time of sunrise and sunset and the online nautical charts website.

Using the speed/distance/time equation (60D Street) and a little bit of "piloting", I put it all together with a methodology to allow folks to determine where they'll be at what points in time during a trip, what speed over ground they should be able to make based on currents and winds, and whether they will reach the destination before or after sunset for a given day.

I receive emails from kayak racers who want to know about expected conditions prior to an event. A woman I know paddled in a yearly event around Cape Ann north of Boston. Day before, she asked me for a forecast starting at Beach X at 10AM, passing through such and such canal between 11 and 12, then heading around the island out to the seaward side at 1pm, and coming back around the bays to the beach around 4pm.

She said my predictions were pretty good, at least she was not surprised when she hit 4 foot waves and 15kt winds coming out of the bay into the Atlantic. It was a shifty day and I let her know that winds would help in the morning, and hinder later in the day, so she should try to make as much speed as she could early. She won the ladies' division.

Like I said, pretty useful and amazing info right at our fingertips.

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2009 : 10:00:28

Jerry, try this one:

[url="http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/?lat=40.942564&lon=-72.718506&zoom=8&type=m&status=r&pgm=&op=&ls=false"]National Data Buoy Center[/url] for Long Island

Edited by - John Russell on 09/12/2009 10:01:05

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1776 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2009 : 18:10:04

Also check out Sailflow -- it offers equally impressive up to date data on windspeed. I agree, it is amazing what technology offers.

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fpill
1st Mate

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USA
51 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2009 : 14:32:33

Jerry,
I use Sailflow and sailwx.info . I get a reasonable idea of winds between the two sites. sailwx.info has reporting stations in West Islip and Fair Harbor. This link sends you to most of the Long Island reporting stations.

http://www.sailwx.info/wxobs/stationpick.phtml?lat=40.7811&lon=-72.8983&radius=15

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jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 09/14/2009 : 18:46:01

John - that's a great NOAA site - thanks! - in addition to Sailflow, which is the most accurate of any as far as I'm concerned, check out this aviation site:
http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi
Just drill down to an airport nearest your location.

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