Oriental, North Carolina

... Understanding a marine forecast...

The following is a safe boating message from the National safe
boating Council and the National Weather Service for this year's
National safe boating week.

Understanding a marine forecast is critical to safe boating.
Weather and wave conditions can change suddenly... catching boaters
off guard and creating life threatening conditions.

Typical marine forecasts predict wind speed and direction... wave
heights and periods... roughness of near shore waters... and
significant weather. Marine forecasts cover large areas and the
forecast elements are often given in ranges. The significant
weather may not occur over the entire area or during the entire
forecast period. The ranges represent average conditions over a
period of time... usually 12 hours... and the actual conditions may
be lower or higher than the forecast range. Boaters should plan
for conditions above and below the predicted ranges.

Take particular note of any current advisories and
warnings... including small craft advisories... gale or storm
warnings which alert mariners to either high winds or waves
occurring now or forecast to occur up to 24 hours from now.
Special marine warnings are issued for sudden increase in winds to
over 35 knots... waterspouts... and hail of three quarter inch or
greater and indicate a more immediate threat. Marine weather
statements bring attention to significant rapidly changing
conditions on the water including increase in winds... non severe
thunderstorms... development of dense fog and even snow squalls or
strong and gusty rain showers.

You should have a marine vhf transceiver with built-in NOAA
Weather Radio channels. If you venture beyond about a 25 nautical
mile range from shore... you should consider buying a good quality
hf single sideband transceiver and satellite phone.

Before setting out... obtain the latest marine forecast and warning
information from www.Weather.Gov/marine or NOAA Weather Radio.
Several days ahead of time you can begin listening for extended
outlooks which give general information out to the next five days
in both graphical and text format.

To learn more... visit the National safe boating Council
online... at www.Safeboatingcouncil.Org.