SSB Weather routing in the Atlantic West to East

[john_q]

I will be helping to deliver a boat from Caribbean side of Mexico to Gibraltar in May/June this year

Any suggestions for SSB Weather routing in the Atlantic West to East now Herb has retired?

 

[KellysEye]

If you sign up with SailMail you could get a friend/family to email weather forecasts to you. Another option is an Inmarsat C terminal that gives weather and email, short incoming emails are free.

 

[capnsensible]

I will be helping to deliver a boat from Caribbean side of Mexico to Gibraltar in May/June this year

Any suggestions for SSB Weather routing in the Atlantic West to East now Herb has retired?

Have taken several yachts on delivery on the route from the Caribbean. As part of the package I ask the owner to rent an Iridium phone for the trip.

Two fold, one is quick calling in an emergency and the other for weather by text. I can text my position to my shore contact daily and they reply by email text (think its up to 110 characters per message) daily or as arranged.

Personally, my wife is very good at this, being a Yachtmaster Ocean and having sailed with me on 4 transatlantics i.e. someone who understands what goes on.

Again, personally, having made the trip that way 5 times, later is better! Best trip I had was leaving late June, generally too early for TRS and had no problem with Insurers.

Have a good trip!

 

[GHA]

I found weatherfax was ample. New Orleans, Boston then Northwood/Offenbach.

 

[KellysEye]

>I found weatherfax was ample. New Orleans, Boston then Northwood/Offenbach.

I forgot that one we had weather fax software, thanks for pointing it out.

 

[john_q]

Thanks for all the answers, very useful.

I have to wait until someone has inspected the boat to see what comms equipment is on board which will be around the end of this month.

I have a Sony receiver and a PC so WeatherFax is certainly an option.

Any suggestions on Fax software?

 

[GHA]

I have a Sony receiver and a PC so WeatherFax is certainly an option.

Any suggestions on Fax software?

Jvcomm is my favorite on windows. There's an android app which is surprisingly good as well.
Wfax schedule here..

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/marine/rfax.pdf

 

[KellysEye]

We had Jvcom it's 32 bit program and most 32 bits work on a 64 bit machine be worth trying it out. I looked for a 64 bit weather fax program and can't find one, I suppose it's old fashioned now but still works well.

 

[bjl]

Try (Google) Chris Parker at the Marine Weather Center. He can deliver exactly what you're asking for: SSB weather routing by voice for your Atlantic crossing.

 

[franksingleton]

I suggest that if you taking a routing service or using a routing package, that you do a daily update. Slavish adherence to a routing could be OK. Conversely, it could leave you in a poorer position in 5 days time than if you had just tried to sail a rhumb line or GC..

 

[Gerry]

Never used them myself, but find their forecasts mostly accurate http://passageweather.com/ offer a routing service. No idea what they charge though.