you're worrying about not knowing when thunderstorms are immenent on the
Chesepeake? Why? You can see the clouds. The thunderstorm is north of you,
get your sails down and your engine running.

I'm relatively new to boating and a frequent reader of this group. Last
year was exceptionally hard to plan trips because the weather was
less than cooperative. I'm in Calvert county MD and spend most of my time on
the Chesapeake Bay Chance of showers and thunderstorms was the forecast for
most of the season. After my Startac took it's last drink during Isabel, I
picked up a new cell phone. I like Motorola products and Verizon has the
best coverage in my area. I was all set to use my new cell phone and a
laptop to dial up an ISP like, NetZero and get my weather/doppler images
there. What I discovered is that Verizon and other cell companies now have
services that provide you with weather data and radar images on your cell
phone. You can pan, zoom in and view a series of radar shots (radar in
motion). Check with your carrier for phone requirements, but Verizon
offers at least 5 weather related services which run $3.00 to $4.00 a month.
This is a subscription based service with no contractual obligations.
Airtime charges apply while in use.

This is exactly what I needed, perhaps you'll find value in this also.

http://getitnow.vzwshop.com/getgoing.list.do?subCatId=2

See you on the bay,

John

Just in case you're curious.. I do not work for Verizon, this is not a plug.

In article ,
(JAXAshby) wrote:

you're worrying about not knowing when thunderstorms are immenent on the
Chesepeake? Why? You can see the clouds. The thunderstorm is north of you,
get your sails down and your engine running.

Chesapeake squalls can move! 20-25 knots isn't unusual and they pack
50-70 knot winds at least once a season. They're usually from the SW,
but can blow up east or west of an obvious cell in minutes. (If the
squall is to the north, you're usually safe.) Sometimes you can see the
squall or line, sometimes it's imbedded, and it often doesn't include
thunder or lightning.

If I had a radar and a crew member to study it constantly, I'd add it to
the arsenal, but I have neither.

Personally, I depend upon the weather warnings as THEY can keep their
heads buried in their far superior radars while I handle the boat and
watch the sky.

They've gotten pretty good about tracking squalls. Last Labor Day
weekend, they announced one was going to hit Dove Cove, within eyesight
of our marina and where a friend of ours was anchored at the time. It
hit just where and when they predicted. I couldn't see any obvious
warning signs just 5 nm away.

The next weekend, we heard a warning while under bright sunshine. As we
were in an open anchorage with poorish holding, we (6-7 boats) unrafted,
moved to a better spot about 2 miles up the river and got our anchors
down just as the squall hit. A couple of miles south, 26 or 28 boats
didn't hear or act and wound up on the shore. (One of them was a
dockmate that WAS properly anchored but got dragged down on twice by the
same boat.)

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

jerry, what a yo-yo are.

while thunderstorms *move* from the sw to the ne, the ROUGHEST frickin' winds
come when the darkest (ya no, as in frickin' DARK) cloud are ta da north of ya.

jerry, you read waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many books without actually
gittin' out out on da watah to see WTF es happin'

In article ,
(JAXAshby) wrote:

you're worrying about not knowing when thunderstorms are immenent on the
Chesepeake? Why? You can see the clouds. The thunderstorm is north of
you,
get your sails down and your engine running.

Chesapeake squalls can move! 20-25 knots isn't unusual and they pack
50-70 knot winds at least once a season. They're usually from the SW,
but can blow up east or west of an obvious cell in minutes. (If the
squall is to the north, you're usually safe.) Sometimes you can see the
squall or line, sometimes it's imbedded, and it often doesn't include
thunder or lightning.

If I had a radar and a crew member to study it constantly, I'd add it to
the arsenal, but I have neither.

Personally, I depend upon the weather warnings as THEY can keep their
heads buried in their far superior radars while I handle the boat and
watch the sky.

They've gotten pretty good about tracking squalls. Last Labor Day
weekend, they announced one was going to hit Dove Cove, within eyesight
of our marina and where a friend of ours was anchored at the time. It
hit just where and when they predicted. I couldn't see any obvious
warning signs just 5 nm away.

The next weekend, we heard a warning while under bright sunshine. As we
were in an open anchorage with poorish holding, we (6-7 boats) unrafted,
moved to a better spot about 2 miles up the river and got our anchors
down just as the squall hit. A couple of miles south, 26 or 28 boats
didn't hear or act and wound up on the shore. (One of them was a
dockmate that WAS properly anchored but got dragged down on twice by the
same boat.)

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

In article ,
(JAXAshby) wrote:

jerry, what a yo-yo are.

while thunderstorms *move* from the sw to the ne, the ROUGHEST frickin' winds
come when the darkest (ya no, as in frickin' DARK) cloud are ta da north of
ya.

jerry, you read waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many books without actually
gittin' out out on da watah to see WTF es happin'


It's Jere, not jerry....

What I wrote was not "book reading". It was 20 years' experience on the
Chesapeake, easily 1000 days away from the dock.

Your area may have different characteristics, probably does. What you
have learned may not serve you well if you wander onto the Bay.

Related story from a friend: He befriended a UK family just starting
onto the Bay for a season's cruising before they completed their
circumnavigation. He warned them of squalls. They pooh-poohed the
warnings. After all, they had 20-30k miles under that stout boat's keel,
had been brushed (once hard) by several hurricanes or cyclones, and had
experienced lots of "weather". Simple thunderstorms didn't bother them
much.

A week or so later, they left the Potomac north bound. North of the
Solomons, they found out what the warnings were all about. They were SO
shaken that they returned to the Potomac that they knew rather than the
Solomons that seemed tight under the conditions.

Our friend didn't pay for any drinks when next they met.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

right, jerry, in the Chesey the REALLY strong winds in a thunderstorm are in
the NW quadrant, and the storms move in from the NE. The rest of the n.
hemisphere follows its own path.

In article ,
(JAXAshby) wrote:

jerry, what a yo-yo are.

while thunderstorms *move* from the sw to the ne, the ROUGHEST frickin'
winds
come when the darkest (ya no, as in frickin' DARK) cloud are ta da north of

ya.

jerry, you read waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many books without actually
gittin' out out on da watah to see WTF es happin'


It's Jere, not jerry....

What I wrote was not "book reading". It was 20 years' experience on the
Chesapeake, easily 1000 days away from the dock.

Your area may have different characteristics, probably does. What you
have learned may not serve you well if you wander onto the Bay.

Related story from a friend: He befriended a UK family just starting
onto the Bay for a season's cruising before they completed their
circumnavigation. He warned them of squalls. They pooh-poohed the
warnings. After all, they had 20-30k miles under that stout boat's keel,
had been brushed (once hard) by several hurricanes or cyclones, and had
experienced lots of "weather". Simple thunderstorms didn't bother them
much.

A week or so later, they left the Potomac north bound. North of the
Solomons, they found out what the warnings were all about. They were SO
shaken that they returned to the Potomac that they knew rather than the
Solomons that seemed tight under the conditions.

Our friend didn't pay for any drinks when next they met.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Hmm.. I have rarely seen T-storms at night, course my eyes are not that good
as some.

Foregoing Vitriol, raving and puffery deleted..

As part of keeping your log with regular observations at say even bells.
SOP in Lioness is to plot position and sweep the radar to look for vessels
and thunderclouds.

With 48 mile range you do get a good warning. A cell phone that gave you a
message on weather would be nice, yet does not work offshore.


Course if all you do is sail in category 4 water it is no biggie.

Sheldon

I have never seen a thunderstorm offshore at night, either, but have seen them
on land (way inland) on more than a couple occassions.

Hmm.. I have rarely seen T-storms at night, course my eyes are not that good
as some.

Foregoing Vitriol, raving and puffery deleted..

As part of keeping your log with regular observations at say even bells.
SOP in Lioness is to plot position and sweep the radar to look for vessels
and thunderclouds.

With 48 mile range you do get a good warning. A cell phone that gave you a
message on weather would be nice, yet does not work offshore.


Course if all you do is sail in category 4 water it is no biggie.

Sheldon

I have never seen a thunderstorm offshore at night, either, but have seen them
on land (way inland) on more than a couple occassions.

Hmm.. I have rarely seen T-storms at night, course my eyes are not that good
as some.

Foregoing Vitriol, raving and puffery deleted..

As part of keeping your log with regular observations at say even bells.
SOP in Lioness is to plot position and sweep the radar to look for vessels
and thunderclouds.

With 48 mile range you do get a good warning. A cell phone that gave you a
message on weather would be nice, yet does not work offshore.


Course if all you do is sail in category 4 water it is no biggie.

Sheldon

One of the most serious squall line events I've seen was in a category 4 race -
but by definition they are usually not at night.

"Sheldon Haynie" wrote in message
...
Hmm.. I have rarely seen T-storms at night, course my eyes are not that good
as some.

Foregoing Vitriol, raving and puffery deleted..

As part of keeping your log with regular observations at say even bells.
SOP in Lioness is to plot position and sweep the radar to look for vessels
and thunderclouds.

With 48 mile range you do get a good warning. A cell phone that gave you a
message on weather would be nice, yet does not work offshore.


Course if all you do is sail in category 4 water it is no biggie.

Sheldon

One of the most serious squall line events I've seen was in a category 4 race -
but by definition they are usually not at night.

"Sheldon Haynie" wrote in message
...
Hmm.. I have rarely seen T-storms at night, course my eyes are not that good
as some.

Foregoing Vitriol, raving and puffery deleted..

As part of keeping your log with regular observations at say even bells.
SOP in Lioness is to plot position and sweep the radar to look for vessels
and thunderclouds.

With 48 mile range you do get a good warning. A cell phone that gave you a
message on weather would be nice, yet does not work offshore.


Course if all you do is sail in category 4 water it is no biggie.

Sheldon