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Interpreting Multi-Modal Sea States: Reading Complex Wave Patterns
Introduction: Why This Matters I was planning a passage from San Francisco to Half Moon Bay when the forecast caught my attention. The report showed 3-foot wind waves combined with 6-foot northwest swell at 14 seconds. Total wave height: 7 feet. But those numbers alone didn’t tell the real story. What the forecast was describing
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Swell Windows: Finding Calm Between Storm Systems for Safe Passage
Introduction: Why Timing Matters More Than You Think I was planning a 220-mile coastal passage from San Francisco to Monterey Bay when I noticed something interesting in the seven-day wave forecast. A powerful storm was currently hammering the coast with 15-foot northwest swell at 17 seconds. Three days later, another significant system would arrive, bringing
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Interpreting Multi-Modal Sea States: Reading Complex Wave Patterns
Introduction: Why This Matters I was planning a passage from San Francisco to Half Moon Bay when the forecast caught my attention. The report showed 3-foot wind waves combined with 6-foot northwest swell at 14 seconds. Total wave height: 7 feet. But those numbers alone didn’t tell the real story. What the forecast was describing
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Cross Seas: Identifying Dangerous Wave Patterns Before They Find You
The waves hit from two directions at once. Our bow rose over a six-footer from the northwest while simultaneously rolling to a four-footer from the southwest. For three seconds, the vessel hung suspended in confused water—neither rising nor falling, just twisting. Then both waves released us, dropping the hull into a trough that appeared from
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Wave Forecasting Accuracy: What to Expect from Marine Predictions
The forecast called for three-foot seas. Standing at the helm in six-foot swells with occasional eight-footers sweeping past, I understood the gap between prediction and reality. This wasn’t a failure of forecasting—it was a lesson in understanding what wave models can and cannot tell us. Wave forecasting has transformed marine navigation over the past three
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When Wave Data Isn’t Available: Understanding Coverage Limits
Why wave data coverage matters You’ve planned your route through an unfamiliar harbor approach. You open Mariner Studio’s weather forecast to check wave conditions for your arrival time. Instead of the familiar wave height cards and swell data you expect, you see a simple message: “No Marine Data Available.” This moment catches many mariners off
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Wave Direction Compass: Reading the Visual Display
Wave Direction Compass: Reading the Visual Display – Mariner Studio The mate points to the port bow. “Waves are coming from about 310 degrees. We’re taking them at a 40-degree angle off the bow.” You glance at the sea state—confused cross-seas making the ride uncomfortable. But is she right about that angle? More importantly, should
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Wave Period: Why Time Between Waves Matters
Introduction Two boats leave port on the same morning. Both check the forecast showing 5-foot seas. One returns early, crew exhausted and boat taking a beating. The other completes a comfortable passage with minimal drama. What made the difference? Wave period—the measurement most recreational mariners ignore and every professional watches closely. Wave period is the
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Swell vs Wind Waves: The Critical Difference
Introduction You’re checking the marine forecast before an offshore passage. The display shows “Total Wave Height: 6 feet.” Sounds manageable, right? But when you arrive at the departure point, the reality is different than expected. Sometimes those 6-foot seas are comfortable long-period swells rolling underneath the boat. Other times, they’re steep, chaotic wind waves that
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Weather Favorites: Building Your Personal Monitoring Network
I check weather at seven different locations before leaving the dock. Not because I’m paranoid, but because coastal weather changes dramatically over just 20 nautical miles. That headwind at the harbor entrance? It might be a perfect beam reach by the time you round the point. Mariner Studio’s Weather Favorites system lets you monitor all