Welcome Tutorial

Welcome to the Client Panel.

Let’s run through some of the features so you get the most out of your experience. Here’s what we’ll cover:

  • 1 An Overview of Services
  • 2 Setting Up Your Account
  • 3 Communicating With Our Team
  • 4 Managing Your Account
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Quick Reference

Welcome to the Quick Reference Guide

From here, you can find helpful tips, answers to FAQs, service samples, and more. Select a topic below to get started.

Account Settings
Broadcast Schedule
Comms
Custom Forecasts
First Mate App
Forecast Credits
Journeys
Subscriptions
Vessels
Webcasts/SSB
Weather Handbook
Interpretation Guide
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Webcasts/SSB details

Vessel-specific weather forecast & routing advice, mornings (except Sundays), via SSB Voice Radio or simultaneous Internet Webcast.

Protocol:
"Nets". At the beginning of each Net, I pass emergency traffic to & from vessels, then move on to weather, starting with a 5 minute broadcast of current conditions and weather forecast for the target geographical area.

Then I open the Net up to subscribing vessels.  Subscribing vessels wishing to receive a weather forecast say their boat's name on the SSB radio. When I hear your vessel's name, I call your vessel name for traffic. You should respond by telling me:

  1. Where you are (a common place name or a Latitude/Longitude).  If giving Lat/Lon, please give in the form: Degrees-Minutes of Latitude, followed by Degrees-Minutes of Longitude.  If I have trouble copying you, PLEASE give me just the Degrees of Latitude & Longitude (NO Minutes!).
  2. (Optional) Wind speed & direction, and weather-related observations you feel are important to convey.
  3. Your weather-related question. PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE. General questions take forever to answer and do not serve anyone's purpose. I can answer your SPECIFIC question in a brief time, and you'll have a more-useful answer.
    1. Typically, you will tell me WHERE you are planning to go AND WHEN.
    2. If your question is more-specific, please say something like "I just want to know if I might see W wind at Cat Island Thursday night?"
  4. Anything else I should know about before giving you my forecast (such as equipment problems, hard deadline schedules, the need for particularly-mild weather, etc).
After I give you my forecast, I encourage you to ask questions.  While we do not always have time for off-topic discussions, when time allows I welcome all questions.  If you have a question, many others probably have a similar question.

SSB Receive-only?
Difficulty hearing me (or being heard by me)?

  1. Try Webcasts (info below).
  2. Feel free to ask for a relay.  You may want to line-up a relay ahead of time, but either you or I may call for a relay during a Net if we are unable to communicate directly.
  3. If I have trouble copying you, email me the above information PLUS which Net you'll be listening on, and I'll broadcast a forecast for you on that Net.  Unfortunately, we won't have a 2-way conversation/discussion, but at-least you'll get my vessel-specific forecast.  It's best if you email me within about 12-hours before the morning Nets, so your information is fresh, and at the top of my Inbox.
  4. I do work with vessels with varying/limited ability to communicate (just a handheld SSB receiver).  At the very least, provide the above information (where you are / where you're going & when / which Net you'll listen on), and I'll broadcast your weather forecast daily until you contact me telling me you've arrived safely.  If you have ANY means to provide me with updates underway (such as SPOT, test message via sat phone, hail another boat on the VHF & ask them to get info to me) – any updates help.

About Webcasts/SSB :

Vessel-specific weather forecast & routing advice, mornings (except Sundays), via SSB Voice Radio or simultaneous Internet Webcast.

Protocol:
"Nets". At the beginning of each Net, I pass emergency traffic to & from vessels, then move on to weather, starting with a 5 minute broadcast of current conditions and weather forecast for the target geographical area.

Then I open the Net up to subscribing vessels.  Subscribing vessels wishing to receive a weather forecast say their boat's name on the SSB radio. When I hear your vessel's name, I call your vessel name for traffic. You should respond by telling me:

  1. Where you are (a common place name or a Latitude/Longitude).  If giving Lat/Lon, please give in the form: Degrees-Minutes of Latitude, followed by Degrees-Minutes of Longitude.  If I have trouble copying you, PLEASE give me just the Degrees of Latitude & Longitude (NO Minutes!).
  2. (Optional) Wind speed & direction, and weather-related observations you feel are important to convey.
  3. Your weather-related question. PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE. General questions take forever to answer and do not serve anyone's purpose. I can answer your SPECIFIC question in a brief time, and you'll have a more-useful answer.
    1. Typically, you will tell me WHERE you are planning to go AND WHEN.
    2. If your question is more-specific, please say something like "I just want to know if I might see W wind at Cat Island Thursday night?"
  4. Anything else I should know about before giving you my forecast (such as equipment problems, hard deadline schedules, the need for particularly-mild weather, etc).
After I give you my forecast, I encourage you to ask questions.  While we do not always have time for off-topic discussions, when time allows I welcome all questions.  If you have a question, many others probably have a similar question.

About Custom Forecasts :

Custom Email / Fax:

You tell me where & when you'd like to go, and I email (or fax) you detailed vessel-specific weather forecast & routing advice. Allow 24hrs for your 1st forecast.  For subsequent forecasts, contact me with your location, conditions & plan in the morning & I'll email (or fax) your forecast later in the day.

Format:
Plain-text forecast averaging 3k-or-less in length for easy reception via HF radio email or sat phone email, even SkyMate.  Graphical (images) forecasts available at extra cost.

Geographical Coverage:
Throughout the entire Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Coast of C America, Bahamas, entire US E Coast, Bermuda, and Atlantic waters N of the Equator, INCLUDING Trans-Atlantic vessels in both directions to/from ports such as Great Britain, Azores, Portugal, Gibraltar, Canaries, etc.

Content, cost:
Typical 5-day forecast, $70:

  1. Synopsis of major weather features
  2. Sea Surface Current analysis & suggested waypoints based on sea surface currents
  3. Detailed forecast for your expected location at 12-hr intervals (shorter intervals during expected significant weather events) for the next 5-7 days, then a general outlook to 10 days.  Detailed forecast includes:
    1. Wind speed & direction
    2. Tactical advice (such as sail as close a reach as is possible, in order to stay N of 32N).
    3. Sea State forecast, including height & direction & interval of wind-driven seas & swells.
  4. Summary, reinforcing key points in the forecast.

Typical 2-day forecast, $40: similar to 5-day forecast, but only a detailed 2-day forecast.

Typical 10-day outlook, $40: only a general weather outlook & general weather-based advice over next 10-15 days. Usefulness? Vessels monitoring long-range weather patterns for an upcoming trip, or Trans-Atlantic vessels in settled weather patterns looking to positions themselves at an optimum Latitude for Trades.

Package of (10) 10-day General Outlooks, $299: same as above, appropriate for trans-Atlantic passages where vessel is handling their own short-term forecasts, but requires guidance (including specific waypoints) for optimum long-term positioning.

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About Regional Forecasts :

Regional Email:

Weather forecast for a region, emailed to you daily (except Sundays). 

Format:
Plain-text forecast averaging 5k-or-less in length for easy reception via HF radio email or sat phone email, even SkyMate.

Regions:
E Caribbean (E of 72W) / W Caribbean (W of 72W) / Bahamas-Florida (and W Atlantic & US E Coast in season).

Content:
Sufficient detail to help you make weather-related decisions, and may offer insights we don't have time for on SSB Nets (and do provide updated info in the event of severe/Tropical or rapidly-changing weather).
But Regional Email forecasts focus on coastal / cruising areas, and are NOT intended for use while offshore passagemaking.

Always in 5 sections:

  1. Satellite Wind observation summary from past 12hrs.
  2. Averaged BUOY observations from the past 6-12hrs.
  3. Satellite / RADAR Imagery summary.
  4. Synopsis of significant weather features.
  5. Specific 5-day forecasts for the following parameters at various spots (breakdown of spots varies, with finer detail when warranted) in popular Cruising grounds:
    1. Precipitation, including a wind-velocity estimate ("squalls to 40k" means squalls with total wind to 40k / "squalls with 5-8k enhanced wind" means add 5-8k to the gradient wind forecast in squalls), and coverage estimate (from isolated to scattered to numerous).
    2. Wind, usually given in degrees True, and a specific velocity (while I do NOT suggest my forecast is this precise, forecast TRENDS are vitally-important, and giving you specific numbers helps you identify relevant trends.
    3. Seas, including height & direction & interval of both the wind-driven wave, and any significant swells.
  6. Occasionally SUGGESTIONS when I feel they're appropriate.
ALL Regions include details on all Tropical weather events.