PACIFIC WEATHERย  | CARIBBEAN WEATHER | ATLANTIC WEATHER |ย CLIMATOLOGYย  | LIGHTNINGย  DENSITY | CLOUDS

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ผ Aruba ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น Azores ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ธ Bahamas ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฟ Belize ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฒ Bermuda ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ถ Bonaire ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡จ Canary Islands ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡พ Cayman Islands ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ California ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ป Cape Verde ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ท Costa Rica ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡บ Cuba ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ผ Curacao ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ด Colombia ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ด Dominican Republic ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฒ Dominica ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡จ Ecuador ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ป El Salvador ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ฎ Gibraltar ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ต Guadeloupe ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡น Guatemala ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ณ Honduras ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Italy ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ฒ Jamaica ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น Madeira ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ถ Martinique ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ Mexico ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ธ Montserrat ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Morocco ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฎ Nicaragua ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฆ Panama ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น Portugal ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ท Puerto Rico ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ถ Saba ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ณ St. Kitts and Nevis ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Spain ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡จ Turks and Caicos ๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ฎ US Virgin Islands ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ USA East Coast ๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ช Venezuela

Click here for the ENHANCED DIGITAL Marine Graphical Composite Forecast Map for Eastern North Pacific >>

National Hurricane Center https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

SYNOPTIC WEATHER MAP PACIFIC

PREDICT WIND – predictwind.com

CALIFORNIA – TURTLE BAY

TURTLE BAY – CABO

UPPER SEA OF CORTEZ

LOWER SEA OF CORTEZ

CABO – BANDERAS BAY

 

 


2) Cabo Corrientes
As you head towards Barra de Navidad – rounding this Cape has the usual negative effects on sailing – watch for gust currents a.m.o

Swell along the coast


3) Tehuantepec

We’ll discuss these strategies over then next few month – our goal is to cross when conditions are favorable or alternatively hug the beach well reefed – when in doubt we’ll chat up the local port captain in Huatulco or Chiapas MX. Hug the beach and you’ll be fine – this very localized wind

But watch out for wind gusts more than the steady forecast models


4) El Salvador Bar Crossing
Many have had issues with swells over 3 feet so watch the bar like a hawk – new dredging may improve the entry




Swell Forecast

5) PAPAGAYOS

Last year’s fleet has plenty of experience with these sustained gusts of wind up to 55 knots ! The most successful strategy was day sailing – near shore – in 20 – 30 nm hops with one foot on the beach (less than 1/2 nm off shore). These Papagayo winds are designed to test you – your vessel and your crew. But once you make it to Costa Rica your wind blasted faces will have some good stories to tell.ย  If you look at the forecast models look at the wind gusts and use those as your guide as these gusts occur 50% of the time.

5) PUNTA MALA – PANAMA

Another key stop on your way into the bay of Panama – Wait for favorable conditions to round the point and watch for square waves due to the tidal range – best rounded around slack low tide – wait at Playa Venao before you round up. Your only out is to ease off and head for the Las Perlas or tough it up to Isla Iguanas.

6) LIGHTING, SQUALLS AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY

We recommend you to carry insurance for your vessel as each season – vessels get struck by lightning along the central American coast. There are no blind spots – from Chiapas, MX – to Panama is an area affected by lighting.
Costa Rica’s lighting season starts in late April – deploy any and all lightning and grounding strategies you deem relevant including wrapping and grounding the base of your mast with unused anchor chain when anchoring and praying to Neptune. It ends in late October early November. Participants in the Panama Posse develop their own strategies based on prior reports of vessel which have succumbed to lightning strikes in the past.
Even partial and side strikes in marinas or moorings can cause damage to sensitive electronics and systems.

 

"Density

Density of lighting strikes in_central America

density of lighting strikes in central america legend

7) PANAMA CANAL TRAFFIC

As you get closer to the heavy traffic canal zone – here is a live snapshot of AIS signals

GALAPAGOS