Practical Options for Marine Weather forecasts in remote areas

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by thannever

I believe you can use your InReach to get its forecast feature for a location remote from your current location. I am currently off my boat without my device so I cant test that, but I know that in the past I have used it to get the forecast for an area 100 miles away that I was about to return to. when you go through the steps for requesting the marine feature there is a step where you select locations..

If I remember correctly, you just add the lat and long. It's very simple. We did that a few times, mostly for multi-day passages.

[thannever]

I also have a number of friends and family members who are boaters, but not cruisers who follow my travels and enjoy sending detailed forecasts via inreach when asked. I choose people who are already experienced in following the weather and are experienced with an ocean or at least Lake Superior.

[Paul Elliott]

Here's a NOAA link that shows how to retrieve buoy reports in text format via email:
https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/email_access.shtml

[eheffa]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

NOAA bouy data is accessible with a standard browser (assuming you have Internet service).

See: https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov


NOAA bouy data can also be access by phone.

See: https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/dial.shtml

Thanks for the links.



When travelling the Northern BC Coast one might also add this link:



https://weather.gc.ca/marine/region_e.html?mapID=01




The problem is that much of the BC and Alaska Coastline has no Cell service and the VHF weather broadcasts are unattainable. Accessing the internet is simply not an option; thus, my original query.



The InReach allows for texting and email but then you are dependent on family or friends to feed you the data.



-evan

[eheffa]

Originally Posted by Paul Elliott

Here's a NOAA link that shows how to retrieve buoy reports in text format via email:
https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/email_access.shtml

Thanks Paul.


That could be a very useful tool.



It's too bad they don't also allow access to the forecasts for various marine regions via the same methodology e.g. Dixon Entrance East or Chatham Strait South for the next 24-48 hours...etc.


- or do they?

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by eheffa

Thanks Paul.


That could be a very useful tool.



It's too bad they don't also allow access to the forecasts for various marine regions via the same methodology e.g. Dixon Entrance East or Chatham Strait South for the next 24-48 hours...etc.


- or do they?

They do!

Marine Text Forecasts by Zone

http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/fax/ftpmail.txt

It's been a while since I used this service, so I will give it a test and post my results. I've also received these files via saildocs.com email.

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by eheffa

Thanks Paul.
...
It's too bad they don't also allow access to the forecasts for various marine regions via the same methodology e.g. Dixon Entrance East or Chatham Strait South for the next 24-48 hours...etc.


- or do they?

Evan, The Wx products you are asking about are absolutely are available via email... [FTP queries]

When in SE Alaska, here are the 4 NWS text reports we routinely pull down twice daily [along with other products of choice depending upon conditions, plans, etc...]

These are the same info you would hear on VHF Wx if you could receive it.

Using UUplus and our Iridium Extreme sat phone, these 4 take less than 30 seconds from call initiation to hang-up. [Our Iridium plan is billed in 20 second increments...] The UUplus/Iridium pbnone combo is so efficient it still prevents us from taking the plung to Iridium GO since if we did the same things for a year with the GO, it would cost us 3+x what we pay per year now... [Assuming full time use...]

Here are the links I use in UUplus to receive these 4 reports in text format as needed. [They are typically updated twice daily, so that is how often we download...]

http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/raw/f...jk.cwf.ajk.txt
http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/raw/f...jk.afd.ajk.txt
http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/raw/f...jk.cwf.aeg.txt
http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/raw/f...jk.zfp.ajk.txt

There are of course many more reports to choose from. It is worth noting UUplus has a database of worldwide reports available, and you can build you own 'queries' for sources not included in their database.

If you can perform FTP queries with your InReach, you could have the same data...

In case this is useful.

Cheers! Bill

[Paul Elliott]

I'm still waiting for my NOAA ftpmail, but email to query@saildocs.com sent me this:

URL: http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/forec.../pk/pkz041.txt
Date: 19 Sep 2018 17:31:23 -0000
Last-Modified: 19 Sep 2018 10:23:44 -0000

Expires:201809200430;;876715
FZAK52 PAJK 191023
CWFAEG

COASTAL WATERS FORECAST FOR SOUTHEAST ALASKA
National Weather Service Juneau AK
223 AM AKDT Wed Sep 19 2018

Southeast Alaska Coastal Waters from Dixon Entrance to
Cape Suckling out 100 NM

Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction
expected. Seas forecasts represent the average of the highest
one-third of the combined windwave and swell height.


PKZ041-200430-
Dixon Entrance to Cape Decision-
223 AM AKDT Wed Sep 19 2018

TODAY...SW wind 10 kt becoming NE in the morning. Seas 5 ft.
TONIGHT...NW wind 15 kt. Seas 4 ft.
THU...N wind 15 kt. Seas 4 ft.
THU NIGHT...N wind 15 kt. Seas 3 ft.
FRI...NW wind 15 kt. Seas 5 ft.
SAT...W wind 15 kt. Seas 4 ft.
SUN...W wind 15 kt. Seas 6 ft.

$$

=====

The body of my email request was this: "get pkz041"

pkz041 came from the url filename for the web-displayed NOAA text forecast that I found on this page: Alaska Marine Text Forecasts by Zone

[Boston Blackie]

Hi Evan

ConverJence just completed a 3 month 3000 mile circumnavigation of Newfoundland from Marion MA with a leg up the Eastern Quebec shore to Red Bay in the Labrador. We sailed with my wife Linda in an air cast as she fractured her left fibula on a wet aluminum gangway an hour before planned departure.

Obviously weather routing was mission critical for us for the first 6 weeks while Linda had to avoid all weight bearing. We were blown away by the power, simplicity and accuracy of Predict Wind on our iPad Pro through the Iridium Go with the PW unlimited data $137/mo SIM card.

We updated the routing multiple times a day and found the Euro ECMWF model was better on the North and East sides of the Island, while the GFS model was better on the South shore and the Eastern shore of Nova Scotia. Satellite passage often required the app to redial several times to complete its download, but that is automatic and totally seamless. We saw no real issues getting forecasts going out a week or more even in the deep fjords. We were able to plan our lay days to avoid slugfests that only the boat would enjoy.

Now that we are home we have turned off the monthly subscription.

We did enjoy a Gam with Morgans Cloud in Moreton Harbor in Notre Dame Bay.

Cheers
Bill
SV ConverJence

[RaymondR]

For simplicity, ease of use and reliability HF radio for receiving weather forecasts is hard to beat.

[Paul Elliott]

For ease of use and reliability I prefer Iridium data services. Definitely more system-wide moving parts that *could* go wrong with the satellite. That's one reason I still have and occasionally use my SSB and pactor modem -- as a backup.

I suppose we could debate the practical definition of reliability.

[Sv_ponyo]

There's also another service offering wind forecasts from GFS model and Wave/Swell forecast from Wavewatch III model for Gamin inReach devices and it's free. https://cruisersat.net/docs to read more about the functionality. It is as simple as sending a message to weather@cruisersat.net to get the forecast. You have an option of getting forecast for one spot (say if you are anchored there) or you can set speed and course and get forecast along your planned route.

Full disclosure – I'm the developer of the service, I have developed it after our first offshore passage with Garmin inReach and I found it to be a bit useless at sea without proper swell/wind forecast ability.

[eheffa]

Originally Posted by wrwakefield

Evan, The Wx products you are asking about are absolutely are available via email... [FTP queries]

When in SE Alaska, here are the 4 NWS text reports we routinely pull down twice daily [along with other products of choice depending upon conditions, plans, etc...]

These are the same info you would hear on VHF Wx if you could receive it.

Using UUplus and our Iridium Extreme sat phone, these 4 take less than 30 seconds from call initiation to hang-up. [Our Iridium plan is billed in 20 second increments...] The UUplus/Iridium pbnone combo is so efficient it still prevents us from taking the plung to Iridium GO since if we did the same things for a year with the GO, it would cost us 3+x what we pay per year now... [Assuming full time use...]

Here are the links I use in UUplus to receive these 4 reports in text format as needed. [They are typically updated twice daily, so that is how often we download...]

http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/raw/f...jk.cwf.ajk.txt
http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/raw/f...jk.afd.ajk.txt
http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/raw/f...jk.cwf.aeg.txt
http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/raw/f...jk.zfp.ajk.txt

There are of course many more reports to choose from. It is worth noting UUplus has a database of worldwide reports available, and you can build you own 'queries' for sources not included in their database.

If you can perform FTP queries with your InReach, you could have the same data...

In case this is useful.

Cheers! Bill

Thank you Bill.


These sorts of reports would be very useful and pretty much satisfy our needs. I'm not sure but with the 160 character limit and the way InReach limits email replies to those using their atypical specific "Reply" function, I am guessing the InReach would not work for this.

To use this service it looks like one would need a Sat Phone or the Iridium Go! setup. Your cost analysis is interesting. The choice for the Iridium Go! vs an Iridium Sat phone is not so simple seemingly.




Does you know if the Canadian marine forecast service has a similar FTP query? (I tried to find the equivalent functionality on the Canadian side & struck out.)




-evan

[eheffa]

Originally Posted by Boston Blackie

Hi Evan

ConverJence just completed a 3 month 3000 mile circumnavigation of Newfoundland from Marion MA with a leg up the Eastern Quebec shore to Red Bay in the Labrador. We sailed with my wife Linda in an air cast as she fractured her left fibula on a wet aluminum gangway an hour before planned departure.

Obviously weather routing was mission critical for us for the first 6 weeks while Linda had to avoid all weight bearing. We were blown away by the power, simplicity and accuracy of Predict Wind on our iPad Pro through the Iridium Go with the PW unlimited data $137/mo SIM card.

We updated the routing multiple times a day and found the Euro ECMWF model was better on the North and East sides of the Island, while the GFS model was better on the South shore and the Eastern shore of Nova Scotia. Satellite passage often required the app to redial several times to complete its download, but that is automatic and totally seamless. We saw no real issues getting forecasts going out a week or more even in the deep fjords. We were able to plan our lay days to avoid slugfests that only the boat would enjoy.

Now that we are home we have turned off the monthly subscription.

We did enjoy a Gam with Morgans Cloud in Moreton Harbor in Notre Dame Bay.

Cheers
Bill
SV ConverJence

Thank you Bill.



This is very helpful and interesting to boot. It sounds like you had quite the adventure in some pretty gnarly waters where access to good weather forecasts would be vital. I hope your wife's fracture is healed.



It's good to hear from actual users as to their real use experience.



Are there any/many penalties in placing the Iridium GO! Predict Wind plan into the dormant state?



-evan

[Boston Blackie]

Thanks Evan

Linda got two thumbs up from our orthopedist yesterday that callus formation is robust and all looks fine in the XRay.

The PW Departure Planning and using real time Routing running in Comfort Mode with our J42 speed polar slider set at 80-90% did allow us to complete the voyage without sailing in winds above 35k or waves above 2m.
We crossed the super gnarly Belle Isle Straight between the Labrador and the ND North Cape with a 25k wind broad reach and favorable current. A comfortable Nantucket sleighride with speeds of 9-13k over the bottom under single reefed main, single reefed poled out Yankee, and staysail bladed flat to damp rolling.

As far as I know there is no penalty for resetting the 3 month or 1 year suscription back to free mode and reupping for the next cruise or leg. Predict Wind is tailored to voyaging with extended layovers.

Cheers,
Bill