Bob Blog 25 April

Bob McDavitt's ideas for sailing around the South Pacific.
Disclaimer: Weather is a mix of pattern and chaos; these ideas are from the
patterned world.
Compiled Sunday 25 April (ANZAC day in Australia and NZ. My Dad escaped as a
POW in WW!! (but not for long).
Getting followed and following the Weather for CRUISING SAILORS
Fingers crossed and conditions permitting, there will be several sailors
planning to depart Opua and head for Fiji in May.
So, this is a good time to review ways to obtain weather information and
provide position reports.

The COVID 19 pandemic and port closures
Things keep changing. The best source I know for the latest information is
www.noonsite.com

A: Getting Followed
YiT (Yachts in Transit) unfortunately closed in December 2020. Pacific
Maritime Radio (was known as Northland Radio) ZMH292 is closed until 2022
(Peter is relocating).
If you wish your friends to be able to follow your path at sea then arrange
registration for this before departure.
If you have AIS then your friends can see your path on tracking sites such
as marinetraffice.com (they charge a fee for satellite updates).
1.SHORTWAVE/Marine Radio
Do you have a Radio Operator License/Callsign in NZ starting with ZM?
ZLM/Taupo Maritime Radio has a continuous Trip reporting service see
www.maritimenz.govt.nz/about/what-we-do/safety-and-response/maritime-radio.a
sp
Gulf Harbour Radio ZMH286 offers a SSB radio check in service with weather.
Patricia and David keep track of boats that listen to their rollcall/weather
service.
You may register before travel and then email your reports in via
ghradio@xtra.co.nz or weather@ghradio.co.nz
FROM 1 MAY to 25 NOV 2021 Patricia/Dave intend to be on air on ZMH286 on
8752Khz or 8779KHz or 8297KHz in that order depending on interference.
Mon-Fri. Patricia tells me the timing may be later than last year's
0715NZST. The ghradio.co.nz website offers live streaming and has several
good background weather& radio & comms articles.
2. AMATEUR/Ham RADIO
Do you have an Amateur Radio Operations Certificate? Callsign in NZ starting
with ZL?
PACSEANET or The Pacific Seafarers' Net is a ham (amateur radio) network
providing a free of charge check in service on amateur frequency 14300kHz
USB in the 20metre band at 0300UTC. Position reports are received and
reported in the well-know YOTREPS format (but missed calls may not be
followed up). The net features 12 listening station dotted between Australia
and Alabama. See pacseanet.blogspot.com
WinLink (winlink.org) Is a well-known, reliable amateur radio link that
works via Internet and via radio, supporting email with attachments,
position reporting using YOTREPS, and weather and information bulletins. It
runs by connecting a Pactor modem to your ham radio.
Tony's Maritime net, a ham net, is on 14315kHz USB at 2100UT for check-in
and general chit chat. Everyday. It is a lot less formal than PacSeaNet and
has relay stations on both sides of the Tasman to handle boats between us
and in the SW Pacific
3. Smart phone apps: Some satellite phones now provide wifi that allow
nearby smart phones to use apps. Predictwind (www.predictwind.com) offers
access to weather forecasting (6 global models and 5 regional models),
observations, tracking and routing. Other Apps are
https://www.weathertrack.us/, https://www.weather4d.com/,
https://www.sailgrib.com/, http://pocketgrib.com/, https://inavx.com/, and
windy.app
4. TXT messages Satellite phones Garmin inReach and Iridium Go allow SMS
text messages. If that's you then consider followingsea.net, this site
offers both position reporting and weather information.

B: Following the Weather
1. Internet. When you are in the marina and have WiFi connection to the
Internet and are seeking a reasonable weather pattern for a good departure,
use windy.com to review the weather as seen by three global models covering
the next ten days. It's basic services are free of charge and has a planned
route plot option using EC model (Menu, distance & planning, start and
finish, boat, select speed--- assumes constant speed, no polars, click more
options (bottom left) and ensure wind is "north up")
2. HF Radio: Anyone can LISTEN to the HIGH SEAS warnings and forecasts
for the area SUBTROPIC FOURTIES and PACIFIC from MetService is read out in
English via ZLM at 0903hr, and 2103hr NZST/NZDT on 6224 and 12356KHz and
repeated an hour later on 8297 and 16531 KHz.
A copy of the Radiofax sked is at
https://www.metservice.com/marine/radio-schedule
Here is a current map of the forecast boundaries.

3. EMAIL: Saildocs (saildocs.com) can relay the text details of a
webpage even if you only have email and no access to the Internet.
See weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Home, and read how to download and
view GRIB files.
A good reference showing how saildocs can be used to obtain GRIB data and
weather maps is at https://tinyurl.com/FPweatherComp (section 31).
Saildocs allows you, for example, to obtain the text of the latest edition
of MetService NZ Coastal forecasts
by sending an email to query@saildocs.com, subject: anything you like, with
message body: SEND https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/weather/coastal
For latest Fiji land area forecasts SEND
https://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/10040.txt
For latest Fiji marine forecast SEND
https://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/10060.txt
For South West Pacific High Seas Forecast or ISLANDS area SEND
https://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/10140.txt
For Meteo France New Caledonia Blue water High Seas in French SEND
https://www.y2ksail.com/newcal/latest-large-meteo.htm
For MetService subtropics High Seas area use SEND
http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/raw/fq/fqps43.nzkl..txt
They also use code words. For High Sea forecasts use SEND nz.subtrop or SEND
nz.forties or SEND nz.pacific
Fiji Fleet code. This is a code that can be sent as an EMAIL and then
decoded into a manually constructed weather analysis map.
To download the latest Nadi Fleet code send an email to query@saildocs.com,
no subject needed, saying SEND nadi-fleetcode or SEND fleet.nadi
Or SEND https://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/raw/as/asps20.nffn..txt This can be
viewed within the Fleet Code plug in OpenCPN (opencpn.org/)
Open the email and (on a PC) select and <Right> click the data, then <copy>
or CTRL-C. Then, in OpenCPN's IAC Fleet code plugin, there are 4 option:
Files, Text, Raw and Downloads. Select Raw and then <paste> or CTRL-V.
Voila!, the map appears. I still have a copy of the old, no longer
supported Fleet code viewing program call PhysPlot. If you want to try it,
let me know.
Saildocs can also send small attached weather maps of satellite images and
weather maps
Satellite images: Fiji infrared image updated every 10 minutes SEND
https://www.y2ksail.com/himawari/latest-fiji-small.jpg
Area 10-40S and 160E to 160W updated every hour SEND
https://www.y2ksail.com/imagesfijisat/latest.jpg
MSL Analysis maps: Fiji SEND
https://www.y2ksail.com/imagesfijimet/3AM-small.jpg also
6AM,9AM,12PM,3PM,6PM,12AM available around 3 hours after timestamp.
NZ latest SEND https://www.y2ksail.com/imagesnzmet/actual.gif updated
0200&0800&1400&2000UTC, also h30, h48, h72.gif
New Caledonia area SEND https://www.y2ksail.com/newcal/anafax-small.jpg
updated 0335&0835&1335&2035UTC+11

4. MetBob. Weather is a mix of pattern and chaos.
See my website at www.metbob.com to study my forecasting services.
WEATHERGRAM: These blogs are usually issued on a Sunday night NZ time with
my evaluation of weather patterns around the South Pacific.
They comment on what to AVOID and help pick windows of opportunity for good
sailing weather.
It is available in several different ways:
Internet illustrated edition is at metbob.wordpress.com, this has a
click-to-follow option.
Internet translator and archive is at weathergram.blogspot.com
On Facebook at www.facebook.com/metbobnz
Via Saildocs For a one-off: Send an email to query@saildocs.com, subject:
anything you like, with message body: SEND nz.wgrm or SEND nz-weathergram
To subscribe: use SUB nz.wgrm (or SUBSCRIBE nz.wgrm), To cancel: use CANCEL
nz.wgrm or UNSUB nz.wgrm or UNSUBSCRIBE nz.wgrm
Via SMS text. There are two options. For full text (Ok for Sat Phone or HF
SSB with sailmail/winlink) use weathergram@followingsea.net,
and for it reduced to 4 SMS text messages, (for Satellite messengers such
as Garmin inReach) use weathergram_short@followingsea.net
To subscribe, email to one of those email addresses, no subject needed with
message: subscribe boatname (where boatname is name of your vessel, up to 20
characters).
To unsubscribe, send the word UNSUBSCRIBE from your email address, or, if
you have access to Internet you can login and go to followingsea.net/Nets
and click on "Leave" button next to the net you want to leave. if you wish
to only receive the weathergram (and not be disturbed by messages from other
users) you can mute other calls by sending MUTE ON to the net address. To
unmute, send MUTE OFF.
See followingsea.net/docs for more info and info about location reports,
getting weather warnings and forecasts.

The Tropics
The latest cyclone activity report is at tropic.ssec.wisc.edu and Tropical
Cyclone Potential is from www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/TCFP/index.html
TC SURIGAE continues to travel to the NE across the northwest Pacific.
There are some zones of potential development north of Australia and around
Vanuatu.

WEATHER ZONES
Weather Zones Mid-week GFS model showing isobars, winds, waves(magenta),
Rain (Blue), STR (Subtropical Ridge), SPCZ (South Pacific Convergence Zone)
and CAPE9 (in pink)

Predict wind CAPE mid-week gives two possibilities for SPCZ.

SPCZ=South Pacific Convergence zone.
The SPCZ is expected to stretch across the Coral sea /northern Vanuatu
/Fiji/Southern Tonga.
Low is expected to form over Fiji mid-week and travel southeast across tonga
around local Thursday.

Rain Accumulation next five days from windy.com
Subtropical ridge (STR)
HIGH in the Aussie Bight is expected to travel east along 40S, stall in
mid-Tasman and finally fade over northern NZ early next week.
This is expected to make a squash zone of enhanced SE winds off the northern
Queensland coast on Wednesday.
Aussie/Tasman/NZ troughs
Trough over North Island on Monday, followed by a trough over South Island
late Monday and North Island on Tuesday,
then a west to SW flow over the South and a S to SE flow north of 40S
- good for getting from NZ to tropics or Australia
--- but note that departures from NZ this week are likely to encounter a
trough near 20s next week.
Panama to Galapagos/Marquesas
Northerly winds over Panama to 5N until mid-week then light winds or
southerlies. S to SE winds between 5N and Galapagos.
In spite of these southerly winds, when taking the current into account, it
looks better to get to Marquesas via SOUTH of Galapagos this week.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
If you would like more detail for your voyage, then check metbob.com to see
what I offer.
Or Facebook at /www.facebook.com/metbobnz/
Weathergram with graphics is at metbob.wordpress.com (subscribe/unsubscribe
at bottom).
Weathergram archive (with translator) is at weathergram.blogspot.co.nz.
Contact is bob@metbob.com or txt 64277762212
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>