Mariners Weather Log
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Mariners Weather Log Vol. 42, No. 3 December 1998 The USS REGULUS, a U.S. Navy ship, aground in the harbor area of Hong Kong with rocks penetrating the hull as a result of Typhoon Rose (August 1971). This incident initiated the requirement for assistance in severe weather port decision-making as described in the article by Sam Brand, page 4. Photograph courtesy of the U.S. Navy. Mariners Weather Log Mariners Weather Log From the Editorial Supervisor The Mariners Weather Log is now available on the World Wide Web. Beginning with the August 1998 issue, you can find the Log at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/mwl/mwl.htm. You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader (available from the web site) to view the magazine. U.S. Department of Commerce William M. Daley, Secretary We are privileged to have another article on the Automated Mutual- assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) program, with several dramatic National Oceanic and accounts of rescues at sea. In one notable incident, a fishing vessel, Atmospheric Administration the SEA LION, adrift without engine power in the North Pacific Dr. D. James Baker, Administrator during August 1998, began taking on water. In heavy seas, all ten crew members abandoned ship into a lifeboat. U.S. Coast Guard National Weather Service rescue coordinators located the AMVER vessel SOLAR WING a John J. Kelly, Jr., few miles away, and a boat-to-boat transfer was soon completed Assistant Administrator for Weather Services without loss of life. National Environmental Satellite, We encourage all mariners to participate in the AMVER program. Data, and Information Service Now in its 40th year, AMVER has 12,000 participating ships from Robert S. Winokur, 143 nations. Over the last five years alone, AMVER has rescued Assistant Administrator over 1,500 people, most of whom would have perished were it not for this extraordinary program. It’s very easy to join AMVER. United States Navy Simply complete an SAR Questionnaire (SAR-Q), available by fax Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command from the AMVER Maritime Relations Office. You then provide RADM Kenneth E. Barbor USN, Commander AMVER with your sail plan before leaving port and update your position once every 48 hours while underway. Should you require Editorial Supervisor assistance at sea, alert the nearest rescue coordination center in one Martin S. Baron of several ways, including INMARSAT, Radiotelex, EPIRB, or the distress button on your satellite or DSC terminal. Editor Mary Ann Burke For Voluntary Observing Ships, the special AMVER/SEAS software is now available to simplify preparation of weather and AMVER messages. When COMSAT receives weather messages formatted by this software, your vessel call sign and position is The Secretary of Commerce has determined that the publication of this forwarded to the AMVER center (eliminating the need to send a periodical is necessary in the transaction of the public business required by law of this department. Use of funds for printing this periodical has been approved separate AMVER position update), while the weather message goes by the director of the Office of Management and Budget through December to the National Weather Service. There is no cost to vessels using 1999. AMVER/SEAS software. The Mariners Weather Log (ISSN: 0025-3367) is published by the National Weather Service, Office of Meteorology, Integrated Hydrometeorological A Y2K compliant version of the AMVER/SEAS software is now Services Core, Silver Spring, Maryland, (301) 713-1677, Ext. 134. Funding is available (AMVER/SEAS version 4.51), and vessels are encour- provided by the National Weather Service, National Environmental Satellite, aged to obtain free copies. You can download this software from the Data, and Information Service, and the United States Navy. Data is provided by web at http://seas.nos.noaa.gov/seas.html. the National Climatic Data Center. For more information about AMVER, contact Mr. Rick Kenney, Articles, photographs, and letters should be sent to: U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Relations Officer. For more information about the AMVER/SEAS software, contact Mr. Steve Cook, SEAS Mr. Martin S. Baron, Editorial Supervisor Program Manager. Both are listed in the back of this publication. Mariners Weather Log Port Meteorological Officers and SEAS Field Representatives can National Weather Service, NOAA also provide information about these valuable programs. 1325 East-West Highway, Room 14108 By the time this issue is in print, Mariners Weather Log readers Silver Spring, MD 20910 with complimentary subscriptions will have received questionnaires through the mail. This is to update our mailing list. Please fill out Phone: (301) 713-1677 Ext. 134 and return the questionnaire promptly, no later than May 30, 1999. Fax: (301) 713-1598 h E-mail: [email protected] Martin S. Baron 2 Mariners Weather Log Mariners Weather Log Table of Contents Severe Weather Port Evaluation Effort at the Naval Research Laboratory .......................................... 4 Great Lake Shipwrecks—The Sinking of The Argus ................................................................... 11 The National Hurricane Center Weathers the Storm ......................................................................... 12 AMVER Program—Rescues Up and Down the Pacific Ocean Demonstrate the Value of AMVER Participation ............................................................................................ 18 Departments: Physical Oceanography ..................................................................................................................................... 21 Fam Float—S/S ARCO FAIRBANKS .............................................................................................................. 28 National Data Buoy Center................................................................................................................................ 30 Marine Weather Review North Atlantic, April–July 1998 .......................................................................................................... 32 North Pacific, April–July 1998............................................................................................................ 36 Tropical Atlantic and Tropical East Pacific, May–August 1998 ......................................................... 43 Climate Prediction Center, May–August 1998 .................................................................................... 50 VOS Program .................................................................................................................................................... 52 VOS Cooperative Ship Reports ......................................................................................................................... 69 Buoy Climatological Data Summary ................................................................................................................. 85 Meteorological Services Observations ......................................................................................................................................... 94 Forecasts ............................................................................................................................................... 97 December 1998 3 Naval Research Laboratory Severe Weather Port Evaluation Effort at the Naval Research Laboratory Sam Brand Naval Research Laboratory 7 Grace Hopper Avenue Monterey, CA 93943 E-mail: [email protected] Abstract This article will describe the ship captains. A number of “local” development strategy for these wind events, including the Mistral, The U.S. Navy operates through- port studies, provide insight into Bora, Levante, etc., are character- out the world and many of the the details of the presentation of ized by rapid onset and cessation U.S. Navy ships are in port at any the information, and discuss the and greatly varying spatial varia- instant in time. Environmental future direction and enhance- tions. These winds can cause an phenomena such as strong winds, ments. unprepared ship captain to drag high waves, storm surge, restric- anchor or part mooring lines. tions to visibility, and thunder- 1. Introduction storms can be hazardous to these For over 20 years, the Naval ships while in these ports, or U.S. Navy ship captains operating Research Laboratory Marine maneuvering in or out of port. throughout the globe often find Meteorology Division (formerly Because the U.S. Navy recognized themselves in new port locations, Naval Environmental Prediction this as a serious concern to Navy with experience providing the Research Facility and Naval ship captains, the Marine Meteo- cornerstone of operational safety, Oceanographic and Atmospheric rology Division of the Naval whether in peacetime or in time of Research Laboratory) has been Research Laboratory, Monterey, conflict. Severe weather decision developing severe weather port California, was asked to evaluate making can be extremely challeng- guidance for the U.S. Navy. The the severe weather suitability of ing for these ship captains. For guidance research efforts can be numerous ports and document the example, when faced with an categorized as follows: results. The resulting analyses approaching tropical cyclone, a provide decision-making guidance timely decision regarding the 1) Tropical Cyclone Haven for ship captains as well as necessity and method of evasion Studies environmental information for must be reached. In complex 2) Mediterranean Severe operational forecasters. Well over regions such as the