Tech & Gear Review: Yachting Times Magazine, Summer 2014 by Nancy Birnbaum

Here’s my latest Tech Review in Yachting Times Magazine – America’s Bilingual Boating Magazine – Always available online!

YTM-Summer-2014-tech

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Finally, A Mobile Weather App For Safe, Serious Boating

WSI Launches Interactive Intellicast Boating Mobile App for Safe Fun On The Water

**Now available for a limited time at an introductory price!**

WSI (Weather Services international), the global weather authority, has released a new mobile app called Intellicast Boating. Being billed as the first application to integrate NOAA navigational charts with the most advanced weather data available in a rich interactive, customizable map environment, this one appears to me the latest must-have app for the more than 12.5 million registered boaters in the U.S.. Intellicast Boating is an essential tool to help ensure a safe and enjoyable boating experience on the water. 

The app cleverly combines sophisticated, meteorological sensing data, NOAA navigational charts and highly skilled forecasts. Intellicast Boating provides complete coverage for all those anticipating water-based activity in the continental US, Alaska, Hawaii and the Caribbean. The new tool is also the first professional marine application to include full North American Mosaic Radar with coverage throughout the United States, large sections of Canada and the Caribbean. 

The technology tools used to create the hourly forecasts for Intellicast Boating provide point-specific, localized, short- and long-term weather updates for all ports-of-call. In addition, all National Weather Service watches and warnings can be viewed either as text bulletins or overlaid within the marine interactive map.

Screenshot from my iPad showing the SF Bay Area
chart with precip.

“Blending state-of-the-art forecasting and leading-edge radar tools with the latest NOAA navigational charts, Intellicast Boating is an easy-to-use, always-available mobile app that enables all boaters — weekend fishermen, commercial ferry operators, harbor masters, water EMS personnel and all other on-the-water enthusiasts — to gain access to expert-level tools and stay a step ahead of changing or threatening weather,” said Jim Menard, WSI’s Vice President of Digital Initiatives. “Now boaters can receive marine forecasts, severe marine watches and warnings, tides, storm and hurricane tracking, buoy updates and C-Man (Coastal-Marine Automated Network) reports in a few simple screen taps. You won’t want to go on the water without it.”

I appreciate how well WSI designed the app for anyone to navigate easily. There are a number of icons at the bottom of the chart  (you can also choose not to view) that give you direct access to such things as Buoy information, Marine Forecasts, Tides and Small Craft Advisory in your area. You can toggle these to create various Map layers or overlays, including Alert overlays – handy for the SF Bay!

The Blog tab provides up-to-date weather info from around the world. Touching the CITY tab zeroes in on the weather in whichever cities you choose to view, including your “home” area. This is also where you’ll find the Moon phases along with sunrise/sunset times. 

Note: A cellular or Wi-Fi internet connection is needed, NOAA Navigational Charts are provided to reference weather and tide information and should not be used specifically for navigation. Over all, the new Boating Weather app from Intellicast/WSI is quite handy and worth the money, in my humble opinion. 

The new app, providing expert-level content without advertisements, is available from iTunes at special introductory prices for the iPad ($6.99) and the iPhone ($4.99) until August 10th*. Intellicast.com is WSI’s expert consumer web and mobile service.

The Intellicast Boating app provides:

 

– NOAA Navigational Maps

•       Current NOAA navigational charts integrated into a rich interactive map environment

– North American Radar Coverage

•       First marine app to include a full North American mosaic radar covering all or parts of:

–      CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, PR, Bahamas, and Caribbean

•       Forecast radar for CONUS 

– Interactive weather overlays

•       Decoded buoy and C-Man reports

•       National Weather Service Marine forecasts

•       Marine and severe watch and warning bulletins and map overlays

•       Severe storm and tropical cyclone tracking

•       Tides

•       Several other layers including temperature, wave heights, and satellite imagery

•       Wind speeds

–Highly Skilled Forecasts

•       Port-of-call observations and expert forecasts

– Additional tools for all the cities and ports on the selected route include:

• Latest observations and almanac
• UV forecasts
• Sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset times
• Detailed short term nowcasts for locations within CONUS
• Global hourly and 10-day forecasts
• Textual National Weather Service watch and warning bulletins for the United States

*After August 10th, pricing for the Intellicast Boating iPhone app will be $9.99 and for the iPad app, $14.99.

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Fiji declares disaster as Cyclone Tomas Devastates Islands

Tropical Cyclones Ului and Tomas cross the Pacific Ocean Photo: REUTERS

Cyclone Tomas, classified as a category-four cyclone (the second most destructive on a five-point scale) is battering Fiji, with winds averaging up to 95 knots ( 175km/hr).

The storm was classified as a category-four cyclone – the second most destructive on a five-point scale – with winds averaging up to 109 miles an hour, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) said. The cyclone was expected to intensify in the next 48 hours, with average wind speeds rising significantly.An estimated five thousand people have fled their homes to take refuge in 90 hurricane-proof buildings in the northern part of Fiji’s second-largest island Vanua Levu.

Pajiliai Dobui, Fiji Disaster Management Office director, said the storm was the most powerful the country had seen for several years. Officials said communications had been lost with smaller islands closer to the eye of the cyclone. There were reports of damage to homes, other buildings and crops, and Vanua Levu was without power. The Fiji Times reported that at least one person had died since the cyclone hit the Pacific nation.

The National Disaster Council, led by military leader and self-appointed prime minister Voreqe “Frank” Bainimarama, met as the category four Cyclone Tomas continued to batter the South Pacific nation.

“The National Disaster Council has declared a state of disaster in the northern division and eastern division,” National Disaster Management Office operations officer Anthony Blake said.
“We have so far got a tally of over 50 homes destroyed – a very serious issue. We expect these figures to increase for the next few days,” Mr Blake told reporters.

Fiji authorities had received reports of “a few” deaths in the devastating cyclone, National Disaster Management Office director Pajiliai Dobui said

“I think some lost their lives but it is just a few but what we have been hearing from some of the islands is the devastation and the wind and the storm surges were too much.

“Those who have experienced other cyclones say this is the longest and the strongest they have come across – and the most destructive,” Mr Dobui said.

He said the number of dead could not be confirmed by police until communications were restored with affected islands in the Lau group and the island of Taveuni, to the east of the main islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. “We had a report this morning from Lakeba, one of the larger islands in the Lau group, that two villages were flooded and some people had to be moved to higher ground,” he told Radio New Zealand.

A sea wall also collapsed on another island in the group, he said.

“A lot of sea flooding is occurring and it’s causing a significant impact in the northern and eastern parts of the Fiji group this morning,” he said.

In a report filed by CC Contributor Jim Bandy (ALSO II), on ALSO Island, located in the Lau Group, he describes the devastation:

ALSO Island in 2006 / Jim Bandy

“The ALSO II has a big hole in the port side, and we can’t see the starboard side. Many of the boats we’ve built with and for the local fisherman have been destroyed. The Koko our 16 foot punt has broken up and we need to go look for the outboard. The ALSO V is still upside down in the water, and fortunately some of the others appear to be OK, as some were up on the hard. We have not been to the villages but, understand that all of the houses in Cawaro are down. Maybe most in Lagi too; what we can see of Qaranivia is still standing. The Police and Red Cross are using ALSO Island as Communication Central as there is no phones working and our email is the only way to get a message out. The Police boat is out on a tour to Cawaro, the School (Duavata) and Nukusa.In short it has devastated the place.  A lot trees down, almost all vegetation damaged. Fortunately we have 20,000 liters of fresh water collected. We maybe can send the Lady K to Labasa later this week and get food supplies.  Jim.”

Director of Meteorology Rajendra Prasad, said Tomas has continued to intensify a little more from this morning, with momentary gusts up to 125 knots (230 km/hr) close to the center. The cyclone is expected to reach peak strength in the next 12 hours.

TC Tomas was estimated to be generating waves of up to 24 feet (7.2 meters) near its centre, mariners were warned through the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre.

Pajiliai Dobui, Fiji Disaster Management Office director, said the storm was the most powerful the country had seen for several years. Officials said communications had been lost with smaller islands closer to the eye of the cyclone.

He said damaging gale force winds extended to about 150 nautical miles (280km) from the center.
“TC Tomas has maintained a very slow southward movement all day today and is expected to continue moving south at this slow pace for the next 24 hours. Thereafter, it should curve south-eastwards and accelerate,” he said.

He said after the core of the hurricane force winds passed over Cikobia Island, Tomas should move southward onto eastern Vanua Levu, Rabi, Kioa, Taveuni, Laucala, Qamea and nearby islands overnight, before spreading to the Northern and Central Lau group tomorrow.

“High winds and very heavy rain is expected as the eye of the cyclone passes overhead or nearby,” he said. “Most of the Northern Division and almost whole of the Eastern Division should experience severe effects of the Hurricane including flooding from the sea due to storm tide (storm surge+ high astronomical tide) and wave effect (phenomenal seas and swells generated from high winds).”

Future Track:

Route: http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/warnings/sh1910.gif

TC Tomas is to continue drifting southwards (average speed of 05-07 knots) for the next 24 hours and thereafter curve slightly south-southeast, towards southern Tonga. It is expected to reach peak intensity tonight or early tomorrow, maintain it for about 12-18 hours, and undergo a very gradual weakening trend afterwards.

The projected path of TC Tomas takes it right across the Lau group tomorrow after its center passing just east of Vanua Levu and Taveuni tonight. As indicated earlier, most of the Northern Division and whole of the Eastern Division are expected to be severely affected by destructive Storm Force (48-63 knots) to very destructive Hurricane Force (over 63 knots) winds from the cyclone. The relatively slow movement of the cyclone will mean prolonged effect of both high winds and heavy rain.

As in the case of Cikobia Island, people can expect battering of their houses and shelters by high winds for 12 hours or more. Flooding from the sea due to TC, associated storm surge and wave effect should be a major concern for low lying coastal areas, especially at the time of high astronomical tide. From the Daily Telegraph, Fiji Times and the telegraph.co.uk

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