This winter I'll be headed through the Canal and off to French Polynesia
and then to New Zealand for hurricane season. I'm not sure what sources
I'll have for radio weather faxes. Who transmits what and on what
frequencies/times/etc? Are their web sites that I can preview what I can
see what they're transmitting?

Thanks, Geoff

There are WFAX services from Hawaii, Guam, NZ and Aust - get the whole
global 2003 WFAX schedule from NOAA (300 kb file) at
www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/rfax.pdf


On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 13:39:34 GMT, "Geoffrey W. Schultz"
wrote:

This winter I'll be headed through the Canal and off to French Polynesia
and then to New Zealand for hurricane season. I'm not sure what sources
I'll have for radio weather faxes. Who transmits what and on what
frequencies/times/etc? Are their web sites that I can preview what I can
see what they're transmitting?

Thanks, Geoff

You might find some interesting information on Navy's WestPac METOC
site, Geoffrey. Look on:

https://207.133.112.37/cgi-bin/home.pl

If your browser warns of the secure certificate, just click YES. Navy
is a little paranoid these days but their weather is 1st class.

Click on "Contact the Command" and ask the USNavy for a WEFAX freq
list and sked of the broadcasts. I'm sure they can tell you what you
need to know about WestPac on the air transmissions.

The German HF FAX webpages may also have the information you seek.
It's massive databases are on:
http://www.hffax.de/
in English. I think he has every WEFAX transmission on the planet
documented on this website.

NWS lists Worldwide Marine Weather Fax Broadcast Schedules at:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/rfax.pdf
Read and print the pdf file with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
This pointer came off NWS site:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/radiofax.htm

I'm sure you'll find what you need from these sites.

Bon Voyage!.....We're all green with envy. See those boats trailing
you on the horizon? That's us all....(c;



On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 13:39:34 GMT, "Geoffrey W. Schultz"
wrote:

This winter I'll be headed through the Canal and off to French Polynesia
and then to New Zealand for hurricane season. I'm not sure what sources
I'll have for radio weather faxes. Who transmits what and on what
frequencies/times/etc? Are their web sites that I can preview what I can
see what they're transmitting?

Thanks, Geoff


Larry W4CSC

3600 planes with transponders are burning 8-10 million
gallons of kerosene per hour over the USA. R-12 car air
conditioners are responsible for the ozone hole, right?

You'll want a book called Metservice Yacht Pack, compiled by Bob
McDavitt, which has all you ever wanted to know about South Pacific
weather. (MetService is Kiwi for NOAA). I just did a search on
"metservice yacht pack" and came up with a number of vendors (not
Amazon). Pick your favorite.

Our copy (from 1995 -- we did our circumnav 1995-98) has 17 pages on
"Where to get weather forecasts" and 96 pages of other good stuff.
Essential.

Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com

"Geoffrey W. Schultz" wrote in message 04.17...
This winter I'll be headed through the Canal and off to French Polynesia
and then to New Zealand for hurricane season. I'm not sure what sources
I'll have for radio weather faxes. Who transmits what and on what
frequencies/times/etc? Are their web sites that I can preview what I can
see what they're transmitting?

Thanks, Geoff

I should add a standard comment -- that you look at charts other than
NOAA/NIMA and BA. Most seafaring countries have charting agencies --
the major ones chart the whole world, the minor ones only their own
waters.

In particular here, the SHOM (French) charts of French Polynesia are
much more recent and offer much more comprehensive coverage than
either NIMA or BA. AFAIK the only USA stocking agent is Captains
Nautical, in Seattle
http://www.captainsnautical.com/

You will also want to look at Fiji and New Zealand charts.

Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com

"Geoffrey W. Schultz" wrote in message 04.17...
This winter I'll be headed through the Canal and off to French Polynesia
and then to New Zealand for hurricane season. I'm not sure what sources
I'll have for radio weather faxes. Who transmits what and on what
frequencies/times/etc? Are their web sites that I can preview what I can
see what they're transmitting?

Thanks, Geoff

Thanks for that advice. I'm actively off looking for other charts as we
speak (urr...type)!

-- Geoff

(Jim Woodward) wrote in
om:

I should add a standard comment -- that you look at charts other than
NOAA/NIMA and BA. Most seafaring countries have charting agencies --
the major ones chart the whole world, the minor ones only their own
waters.

In particular here, the SHOM (French) charts of French Polynesia are
much more recent and offer much more comprehensive coverage than
either NIMA or BA. AFAIK the only USA stocking agent is Captains
Nautical, in Seattle
http://www.captainsnautical.com/

You will also want to look at Fiji and New Zealand charts.

Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com

"Geoffrey W. Schultz" wrote in message
04.17...
This winter I'll be headed through the Canal and off to French
Polynesia and then to New Zealand for hurricane season. I'm not sure
what sources I'll have for radio weather faxes. Who transmits what
and on what frequencies/times/etc? Are their web sites that I can
preview what I can see what they're transmitting?

Thanks, Geoff

Geoff,

Recommend you also visit http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/home.htm
for lot's of information about marine weather.




"Geoffrey W. Schultz" wrote in message
4.17...
Thanks for that advice. I'm actively off looking for other charts as we
speak (urr...type)!

-- Geoff

(Jim Woodward) wrote in
om:

I should add a standard comment -- that you look at charts other than
NOAA/NIMA and BA. Most seafaring countries have charting agencies --
the major ones chart the whole world, the minor ones only their own
waters.

In particular here, the SHOM (French) charts of French Polynesia are
much more recent and offer much more comprehensive coverage than
either NIMA or BA. AFAIK the only USA stocking agent is Captains
Nautical, in Seattle
http://www.captainsnautical.com/

You will also want to look at Fiji and New Zealand charts.

Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com

"Geoffrey W. Schultz" wrote in message
04.17...
This winter I'll be headed through the Canal and off to French
Polynesia and then to New Zealand for hurricane season. I'm not sure
what sources I'll have for radio weather faxes. Who transmits what
and on what frequencies/times/etc? Are their web sites that I can
preview what I can see what they're transmitting?

Thanks, Geoff

I should add a standard comment -- that you look at charts other than
NOAA/NIMA and BA. Most seafaring countries have charting agencies --
the major ones chart the whole world, the minor ones only their own
waters.


Good comment! FWIW, I think you'll want French charts for FP and New
Caledonia, New Zealand charts for NZ and Tonga (also "Western" Samoa
and the Cooks). You'll need to mix Fijian and BA charts for Fiji.
Most NOAA/NIMA/DMA charts may be copied legally and copies are okay,
but outside of the American territories are often very, very out of
date. For places like Vanuatu and the Solomons that's no big deal as
there aren't any nav aids or any better charts available, for FP and
even Tonga and Fiji the US charts do not show the current nav aids.
Also, get the sailing instructions (US pubs 120, 125 & 127 I think,
but look it up). They too are out of date, but a lot of the cruising
guides are based on them anyway and they are full of great
information. Most of the charts you will be using are not corrected
(and may not be correctable) to wgs84. Avoid gps assisted groundings
by using good light and eyeball piloting! Any good chart agent will
be able to get any of these charts for you (I use Pacific Map Center
in Honolulu). BA charts are the same price the world around
(expensive!), NZ and Fijian charts are about $16 us bucks depending on
exchange rates in NZ or Fiji (more here). It is generally hard to get
charts in the islands, so buy them before you make landfall. US
planning charts are a bargin. Pilot charts are of pretty limited use
in this age of weather fax and e-mail. For parts of Tonga and FP the
Moorings charter company prints very good cruising guides and charts.

Cheers,

-- Tom.

For a long voyage like Use to Australia.
The number of charts needed is enormous. and if originals are purchased the
total cost is in the $1000s.
I used Bellingham reproductions supplied in portfolios for each area. and
had no trouble.
see Bellingham at http://www.tidesend.com/index.htm

Barry
"Jim Woodward" wrote in message
om...
I should add a standard comment -- that you look at charts other than
NOAA/NIMA and BA. Most seafaring countries have charting agencies --
the major ones chart the whole world, the minor ones only their own
waters.

In particular here, the SHOM (French) charts of French Polynesia are
much more recent and offer much more comprehensive coverage than
either NIMA or BA. AFAIK the only USA stocking agent is Captains
Nautical, in Seattle
http://www.captainsnautical.com/

You will also want to look at Fiji and New Zealand charts.

Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com

"Geoffrey W. Schultz" wrote in message
04.17...
This winter I'll be headed through the Canal and off to French Polynesia
and then to New Zealand for hurricane season. I'm not sure what sources
I'll have for radio weather faxes. Who transmits what and on what
frequencies/times/etc? Are their web sites that I can preview what I
can
see what they're transmitting?

Thanks, Geoff

I found the USA weather fax from Pt Reyes useful for a few hundred miles.
Then Honolulu until I got to Papette
see. It was not always easy to receive faxes but I relied on the twice daily
verbal weather broadcast from WWV time at Honolulu
http://www.blackcatsystems.com/radio/fax.html#SCHEDULES
After that I got faxes from Australia

Weatherfax are transmitted by Australian BOM see
http://www.bom.gov.au/marine/marine_weather_radio.shtml

Regards

Barry

"Geoffrey W. Schultz" wrote in message
4.17...
This winter I'll be headed through the Canal and off to French Polynesia
and then to New Zealand for hurricane season. I'm not sure what sources
I'll have for radio weather faxes. Who transmits what and on what
frequencies/times/etc? Are their web sites that I can preview what I can
see what they're transmitting?

Thanks, Geoff