WEATHER AWARENESS The US Sailing Basic Keelboat certification prepares you
to sail on familiar waters, during daylight hours, in light to moderate breezes. For sailing in such conditions, you will need the area’s short-term weather forecast. There are many sources of this information; an app on your phone, local radio and television broadcasts, and the nationwide broadcasts by the National Weather Service (NWS) on the marine VHF-FM radio. Many harbormasters also post the forecast at their office and display various pennants and flags (see below) to warn of strong winds. It is also worthwhile to learn about any regional or local weather patterns, such as the shifty winds of lake sailing, the strong afternoon breezes on San Francisco Bay, or the mid-west’s afternoon thunder showers.
National Weather Service Marine Forecast
PZZ133-090045- Northern Inland Waters Including The San Juan Islands- 334 AM PST Fri Dec 8 2023
TODAY...W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. A chance of showers in the morning.
TONIGHT...SE wind to 10 kt becoming E 10 to 20 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft after midnight. A slight chance of rain after midnight.
SAT...SE wind 20 to 30 kt rising to 30 to 40 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft building to 5 to 7 ft in the afternoon. A chance of rain in the morning then rain in the afternoon.
SAT
NIGHT...SE wind 25 to 35 kt easing to 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft subsiding to 2 to 4 ft after midnight.
FORECAST OF WIND STRENGTH AND DIRECTION A complete marine weather forecast will include
both the
l Wind Strength & Direction - Identify wind strength and direction using a forecast.
l Weather Forecast - Identify multiple resources to obtain a forecast.
l Foul Weather- Determine from a weather forecast when it is safe to go out on the water.
predicted wind speed
and direction. (Note that wind is named for the direction from which it comes.) Both of these pieces of information, i.e., speed and direction, are needed to properly plan your sail. They influence whether you are going sailing or not, your dock departure and arrival plans, where you can raise and lower sails, as well as where there is protected water, and the location of lee shores.
FOUL WEATHER One of the more difficult dilemmas for the new sailor is recognizing when the conditions are beyond (or are likely to soon be beyond) their limited knowledge and experience or, as it has been succinctly stated, “when to say when”. Sailing is supposed to be fun, and it ceases to be when you are in conditions beyond your comfort zone. Remember: When in doubt, don’t go out!
Small Craft Advisory
91 Table of Contents
Gale Warning
Storm Warning
Hurricane Warning
SKILL EVALUATION
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123
