Weather

Weather
  • Weather runs your life in the Bahamas. No land-based experience is like it. It is not unusual to spend an hour or more a day listening to weather reports and reviewing weather data wether in an anchorage with some exposure, preparing to move, or in transit.
  • While there are many sources of weather data available, weather data alone is insufficient - advice of an experience forecaster / router is a necessity as the “bad stuff” often evolves from subtleties beyond the analytical powers of most cruisers.
  • The best source of weather advice in the Bahamas, as attested to by most cruisers, is from Chris Parker / Marine Weather Center. Daily SSB forecasts are provided. Listening is free. Asking questions about your specific needs requires a subscription to the service. Email forecast summaries are also available for a subscription fee. Phone: 863-248-2702 Email: chis@mwxc.com. Advice: pay a subscription fee and become a sponsoring vessel!

Weather Sources for the Bahamas

Weather Sources on SSB
  • BASRA; weather broadcast at 0720; 4003 kHz, USB.
  • Waterway Net; weather broadcast at 0745; 7268 KHz LSB Simplex (A General FCC license in required to transmit on this frequency); commodore@waerwayradio.net
  • Marine Weather Center. Chris Parker; 863-248-2702; chris@mwxc.com. Provides weather for the Bahamas and Caribbean via SSB, email, and webcast.

NOAA Weather Data

Weather for Crossing between Florida & Bahamas
  • Costal and Offshore Weather, the Essential Handbook, Chris Parker, 4th Edition, 2007, The Marine Weather Center. Chris does a superb job of describing the principal factors that drive weather patterns in the Bahamas. He also provides an excellent review of weather communication technology and services.
  • GRIB Files and Viewers
  • Free GRIB service and ENC chart viewer for the Mac from PolarNavy for downloading GRIB files over the internet. Both GFS and NWW3 data sets are available.
  • Free GRIB service and viewer (Windows only at the moment) from grib.us for downloading GRIB files over the internet.
Updated 15 Jan 13