Requirements for small craft advisory
From The Sun's print editions:
Baltimore Sun reporter Candus Thomson offers this guest post:A reader asks: When the National Weather Service issues a "small craft advisory," how small is small and how much wind is involved?
The Coast Guard generally assigns the label to vessels shorter than 33 feet. Advisories are issued when sustained winds are expected to be 25 to 38 mph, just below a gale.
But Chesapeake Bay mariners know the direction of the wind is almost as important as the speed, and that when wind and tide direction clash, waves tend to be higher and steeper.
Have weather questions? Ask them in the comments.
Patuxent Publishing file photo
Comments
You provided an incorrect answer to your reader.
Small Craft Advisory (SCA): An advisory issued by coastal and Great Lakes Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) for areas included in the Coastal Waters Forecast or Nearshore Marine Forecast (NSH) products. Thresholds governing the issuance of small craft advisories are specific to geographic areas. A Small Craft Advisory may also be issued when sea or lake ice exists that could be hazardous to small boats. There is no precise definition of a small craft. Any vessel that may be adversely affected by Small Craft Advisory criteria should be considered a small craft. Other considerations include the experience of the vessel operator, and the type, overall size, and seaworthiness of the vessel.
see this link for further details
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/faq.htm#13
Posted by: MarineWX | November 30, 2011 11:32 AM