Weather

The most important point of a cruisers day is the weather report. Knowing where to tune in for accurate weather reports can sometimes be a challenge when cruising. I’ve listed the ones for the Abacos below.

The Abacos Cruise Net meets every morning at 8:15 AM on VHF channel 68. The strongest signals of the net are in the marsh Harbor area. Listening to the Cruisers Net provides information on weather, local events, boat departures to the states, wanted items and important e-mail. To send emergency or important e-mail to the Marsh Harbor area and contact a boat send message to: Cruisers@oii.net Subject: boat name

Keep messages short, as they will be read over the morning Cruisers Net.

For additional weather: FM Radio Abaco 93.5 get weather at 8 AM.

For Northern Abaco weather listen between 7 and 8 AM on VHF 16, you will be given a working channel to switch to.

Weather Ham/ SSB

Operating on SSB lower sideband channels various nets provide weather and safety information as well as relaying communications. Anyone having a short-wave digital receiver with BFO can tune into these frequencies.

At 720, Carolyn Wardle runs the Bahamas Weather Net on 3696kHz. She gives the NOAA Florida Coastal report and Bahamas weather from Nassau. She also receives data from Ham operators in the out islands.
At 745 most Hams switch to 7268 for the Waterway Radio and Cruising net.
The best-known forecaster for cruising boats is Herb Hilgenberg on 12359.0kHz. He covers the Bahamas weather around 1515 to 1530. Although there have been rumors that Herb is retiring, we haven't heard anything official. You can check out his web site: http://www3.sympatico.ca/hehilgen/vax498.htm

Weather Web Links

Florida: www.nws.noaa.gov/

Weather Buoy West End Grand Bahamas:

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.phtml?$station=spgf1

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