Atlantic SSB weather forecasts

SvenglishTommy

SvenglishTommy

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sailingawayforayearandaday.blogspot.com
I'm setting off tomorrow from the Canaries to the Cape Verdes and have discovered that the fools at Iridium have cancelled the sim for my sat phone.

As I dont have time to get a new one I'll have to use the SSB receiver for weather info. I have software to decode the weatherfaxes, but I cant find any clear info on when it is broadcast and on which frequency.

Does anyone have some recommendations for good sources of SSB stations that broadcast weatherfax and/or voice weather forecats.

Any help much appreciated.

Tom
 
SvenglishTommy said:
I'm setting off tomorrow from the Canaries to the Cape Verdes and have discovered that the fools at Iridium have cancelled the sim for my sat phone.

As I dont have time to get a new one I'll have to use the SSB receiver for weather info. I have software to decode the weatherfaxes, but I cant find any clear info on when it is broadcast and on which frequency.

Does anyone have some recommendations for good sources of SSB stations that broadcast weatherfax and/or voice weather forecats.

Any help much appreciated.

Tom
Click to expand...

Have a look at www.passageweather.com and if it’s okay for the next week, well, just go anyway
 
Looks as if you might have an extra day or 2 to get it going. Understand that the ARC have delayed the start unless you are part of the racing class.

"It was announced at noon today at the Skippers' Briefing in Las Palmas that the start of the ARC will be delayed for the cruising divisions.

For the first time since 1989, the start of the ARC has been delayed due to predicted high winds. A low pressure system is predicted to bring winds of 25 knots or more on Sunday night, making uncomfortable conditions in the wind acceleration zone south of Gran Canaria. Cruising and Multihull division skippers have been offered two start dates; one as planned on Sunday 25, and one on Tuesday 27 November.

The low pressure system is predicted to bring southerly winds of 25 knots or more, with 35 knots plus in the wind acceleration zone to the south of Gran Canaria. Boats are expected to be in this area for their first night at sea on Sunday night, and while not unmanageable, the conditions are likely to be uncomfortable for the majority of the family cruising boats.

All cruising skippers were offered the choice of starts; to take the original start on Sunday 25, or a rescheduled start on Tuesday 27 November. The majority of skippers elected to wait until Tuesday 27, remaining in habour in Las Palmas while the winds blow through."

Which puts a lie to the suggestion that the ARC start happens come hell or high water. Often given as a reason for not joining the ARC.

WCC also delayed the Rally Portugal start last year because of weather conditions.
 
Last edited:
SvenglishTommy said:
I'm setting off tomorrow from the Canaries to the Cape Verdes and have discovered that the fools at Iridium have cancelled the sim for my sat phone.

As I dont have time to get a new one I'll have to use the SSB receiver for weather info. I have software to decode the weatherfaxes, but I cant find any clear info on when it is broadcast and on which frequency.

Does anyone have some recommendations for good sources of SSB stations that broadcast weatherfax and/or voice weather forecats.
Click to expand...

Metarea II voice bulletins are broadcast in French (very slow and readable) at 0930UTC by MOnaco Radio, in that area they can usually be received on 8728 and 13146 kHz, if you have a good receiver the audio quality can be similar to vhf. 24h bulletin and 48h outlook.

Also, there is some ship traffic on that route, they are usually happy to share their bulletins by vhf :)


fair winds
 
SvenglishTommy said:
I'm setting off tomorrow from the Canaries to the Cape Verdes and have discovered that the fools at Iridium have cancelled the sim for my sat phone.

As I dont have time to get a new one I'll have to use the SSB receiver for weather info. I have software to decode the weatherfaxes, but I cant find any clear info on when it is broadcast and on which frequency.

Does anyone have some recommendations for good sources of SSB stations that broadcast weatherfax and/or voice weather forecats.

Any help much appreciated.

Tom
Click to expand...

This guy is the very best http://www3.sympatico.ca/hehilgen/vax498.htm
 
Chalker said:
Looks as if you might have an extra day or 2 to get it going. Understand that the ARC have delayed the start unless you are part of the racing class.

"It was announced at noon today at the Skippers' Briefing in Las Palmas that the start of the ARC will be delayed for the cruising divisions.

For the first time since 1989, the start of the ARC has been delayed due to predicted high winds. A low pressure system is predicted to bring winds of 25 knots or more on Sunday night, making uncomfortable conditions in the wind acceleration zone south of Gran Canaria. Cruising and Multihull division skippers have been offered two start dates; one as planned on Sunday 25, and one on Tuesday 27 November.

The low pressure system is predicted to bring southerly winds of 25 knots or more, with 35 knots plus in the wind acceleration zone to the south of Gran Canaria. Boats are expected to be in this area for their first night at sea on Sunday night, and while not unmanageable, the conditions are likely to be uncomfortable for the majority of the family cruising boats.

All cruising skippers were offered the choice of starts; to take the original start on Sunday 25, or a rescheduled start on Tuesday 27 November. The majority of skippers elected to wait until Tuesday 27, remaining in habour in Las Palmas while the winds blow through."

Which puts a lie to the suggestion that the ARC start happens come hell or high water. Often given as a reason for not joining the ARC.

WCC also delayed the Rally Portugal start last year because of weather conditions.
Click to expand...

I'm not going with the ARC though, and I'm nicely set up to leave El Heirro with North Westerlies forecast from noon :)
 
oldvarnish said:
Can you remember which station you tuned to to get ITCZ faxes?
Click to expand...

Sadly, no. Cape Verde - Brazil I had a sat phone and remember the gribs not being up to much round the itcz, and only downloading a small area to keep costs down so couldn't see the bigger picture. Then heading north from Suriname was watching the itcz position with wfax on the internet waiting for it do dip south before heading north again. Might have been here - http://weather.noaa.gov/fax/gulf.shtml
Brazil heading north was so utterly perfect I probably didn't even think about forecasts :D Didn't have a receiver then anyway.

So not much help east - west atlantic or south of the equator.
 
SvenglishTommy said:
. . . . . It looks pretty calm for the next week anyway, . . . . .
Click to expand...

No, No NO!! Even the ARC start has been postponed! A very active LOW is rattling south east from the Azores and will hit the Canaries area and be very rough certainly until the end of November.

We are talking 30knot (mean) to 50 knot winds and the exact track is unpredictable!
 
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