Weather Information.

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William Thomas

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 3, 2016
Messages
77
Fluid Motion Model
C-24 C
Non-Fluid Motion Model
Cut Water 28
Vessel Name
Dream Catcher
Has anyone subscribed to the sirius radio weather channel? If so, are you happy with it? any other systems that you might recommend? We are cruising Lk. Superior this summer and need accurate weather information.
Thanks,
Bill T.
 
This will undoubtedly spark a debate, but after years of listening to vague US and Canadian forecasts on our VHF, I found using the free app/website Windyty (windy.com) on an iPad to be much more reliable for wind and wave predictions and locations. And you can couple it with WeatherUnderground to look at individual reporting stations, it gives even better resolution.

Of course, you need cell service to make it work, which might be a challenge in some places unless you have access to satellite data.

Try it out. Right now (9:00 pm west coast time) in Thunder Bay the wind is out of the southwest a 8 kts, waves are 1 ft. out of the south with a 3 second period. And it is cold by California standards. Gawd, doesn't Canada know it is spring? You can then pinpoint a forecast for this location out as much as a ten days and look at four different weather models: the ECWMF (which is the more accurate European model and costs money), the GFS (free NOAA model), the NAM (high resolution, short-term equivalent of GFS) and a kind of cool NEMS model (NOAA model modified by Meteoblue). It is really good to look at multiple models because, when they agree, they usually have good skill. You will see reference to all four models when you click on a site and use the pull down menu. And the graphics are spectacular.

We have tested this site a lot in the PNW and really like the ability to compare models and to be bold when they agree and cautious when they don't. The traditional NOAA forecasts are notoriously low in skill, although they have a new upgrade that should improve things.

Jeff
 
I also love Windy, and another similar app, WindAlert. I would choose either of those services in a heartbeat where internet service is available, though best practice is of course to compare different sources as well as weather buoy info where available.

I have used a Sirius weather subscription for about a year. I was glad I had it for cruising in areas where internet service is not available, but it did not at all live up to my expectations. I was looking forward to having the weather overlay on my chartplotter, but it was nowhere near as detailed as the two apps already mentioned. When crossing the Georgia Strait from Nanaimo to Pender Harbor, for example, Windy showed varying wind velocities and differences in direction all across the strait (strongest wind by far right next to Nanaimo). Sirius weather, on the other hand, showed wind vectors that were much less detailed and did not seem to take into account locational differences except on a much larger scale. I think Sirius weather would be good for offshore cruising but I did not find it especially helpful for inland waters. Wave height predictions are apparently only for offshore use.

I even had trouble using Sirius to download standard written Marine forecasts for the areas I was cruising in. They were usually quite sparse and abbreviated and were not necessarily close to my actual location. The worst was when I was cruising in the Broughtons for a month (where internet was unavailable and I needed it the most). Half the time, instead of giving me the report for the Queen Charlotte Strait, which is what I asked for, it instead would only give me the report for the Gulf of Alaska, hundreds of miles away. This was maddening and not the least helpful. (Wow, sorry, I did not realize this would turn into a rant.)

So what I am planning to use instead is the Garmin InReach Explorer+ device. The satellite subscription is cheaper, you can use it for two way text messaging, it can be used to send out an official distress signal, and the responders can communicate with you in real time as they are mounting rescue efforts. AND, it can be used to download weather predictions for any area, including wind speed and direction. It is not as good as Windy, but I have been experimenting with it and it seems to be much more helpful than what I was getting from Sirius. Oh, and it is small enough so that if you leave your boat and go hiking, you can take it with you as a safety device.
 
I have the Sirius weather service but it's kinda useless. Partly cause I live in southern California and our weather isn't extreme. But like the others I use Windy - great app!
 
Thanks for the responses!
I do have the windy APP and used it last on Lk Huron and the North channel. Was good when close to shore. The way sirus advertises their product I thought it would be great to see on the chartplotter plus more reliable being satellite driven .
Will give the others mentioned a look see.
Thanks again,

Bill T.
 
I've crewed on several sailboats with Sirius weather, and found it most useful when offshore, where cell coverage is unavailable. The numerous cell enabled apps are just as good or better when you have coverage, but knowing when a line of thunderstorms is coming is critical when offshore sailing (and I presume motoring)!
 
Wee Venture":6cqi4kkl said:
InReach...AND, it can be used to download weather predictions for any area, including wind speed and direction. It is not as good as Windy, but I have been experimenting with it and it seems to be much more helpful than what I was getting from Sirius. Oh, and it is small enough so that if you leave your boat and go hiking, you can take it with you as a safety device....
Click to expand...

Hi John,

We have an InReach Explorer+ and used it last year in the Broughtons. Unfortunately, it appears only the Basic weather forecast is available unless we are 5 miles offshore, only then can we get the marine forecast. The basic forecast is still useful but pretty limited.

We are going to Alaska on our boat starting next month and are interested in your experience using the weather forecast feature on the Garmin InReach. Have you been able to get the Marine forecast? Has the basic forecast met your needs?

Curt
 
Curt, great to hear from you again. We also are heading to Alaska in a couple of weeks or so, but can’t keep up with you “fast boat” people.

I am currently in Seattle, but can request weather on the Garmin InReach for anywhere that I set a waypoint. I just tried requesting weather for the southern Queen Charlotte Strait, near Port McNeil, and was able to get both the basic and premium forecast - seven days out. For places exposed to the open ocean, such as rounding Cape Caution and the Dixon Entrance, I just now downloaded the marine forecast onto my InReach, which includes the additional information of wind gust velocity, wave height/period and visibility, which is nice.

By contrast, I tried accessing Sirius weather, for which I still have an offshore subscription, and requested weather for the same spots - near Pt McNeill and west of Cape Caution. All it would serve up is the coastal synopsis for SE Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. It did briefly show me a screen for the Queen Charlotte Strait forecast (no way to tell if it was northern or southern, which could be very different), but then that disappeared and I couldn’t get it back. This is the same problem I was having last summer in the Broughtons and it is very frustrating. (If anyone thinks it is “operator error” or knows of a workaround, I’d love to hear from you.)

So I guess my plan is to keep my subscription for both services for the Alaska trip, and see which is more helpful, accessible, and accurate. Early indications are that the Garmin InReach will be the most useful.
 
Thanks John! I think maybe you have the more premium subscription plan. Maybe that would make the difference.

Curt
 
I have SiriusXM aviation weather that I use on my boat as well as in an airplane. I like not having to depend on cell coverage. Of course, it doesn’t provide marine-specific information, but almost all of my boating is in protected waters. I get tide information from my chartplotter.
 
My InReach subscription plan is the “Freedom” (pay by the month as you go) “Recreation” plan. This is next to cheapest of the four plans offered, just above the bare bones “Safety” plan. You have to pay $1 every time you request premium or marine weather but in the larger scheme of things this seems like a small price to pay. The key for getting marine weather is to choose a forecast location that is slightly offshore, regardless of your current location when you request it. You do this by setting a waypoint, then requesting weather for the waypoint you just selected. You also need to toggle on the “Marine Weather” option, which I think is in the settings. You follow the same procedure for “Premium” weather, including toggling it on, except that the waypoint does not have to be offshore. Please forgive all the detail if you know all of this already. I’m new to this and just wanted to explain how I managed to download premium and marine weather.
 
Wee Venture":33348z0k said:
My InReach subscription plan is the “Freedom” (pay by the month as you go) “Recreation” plan. This is next to cheapest of the four plans offered, just above the bare bones “Safety” plan. You have to pay $1 every time you request premium or marine weather but in the larger scheme of things this seems like a small price to pay. The key for getting marine weather is to choose a forecast location that is slightly offshore, regardless of your current location when you request it. You do this by setting a waypoint, then requesting weather for the waypoint you just selected. You also need to toggle on the “Marine Weather” option, which I think is in the settings. You follow the same procedure for “Premium” weather, including toggling it on, except that the waypoint does not have to be offshore. Please forgive all the detail if you know all of this already. I’m new to this and just wanted to explain how I managed to download premium and marine weather.
Click to expand...

Thanks John,

I actually have the Freedom Expedition plan (one level higher). I figure I’ll be using it a lot up in Alaska and only for a couple months so I splurged on the better plan. 😀 Now I understand better what you are doing by selecting a waypoint from a different area and getting a forecast there. I can get the same. Unfortunately, The weather and wave conditions 5 miles offshore can be significantly different than what is going on inside (which could be many more miles yet from the coast) which was what we would usually be interested in. Having said that, the marine forecast will definitely be useful for Cape Caution and Dixon Entrance which are the most important crossings. I think the Basic and Premium forecast will be just fine for the inside.

Thanks for your help. Perhaps we will cross paths. We are traveling with a slow boat and will be staying around 7.5 knots or so. Have a great trip!

Curt
 
You’re welcome, Curt! I agree with your conclusions about the weather info. We also will be traveling with another “slow” boat (if all goes well) heading north from the Broughtons about May 1. I hope we can connect somewhere on the journey. Smooth seas and clear skies to you!

John
 
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