Back when I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, the News and Weather always came on TV at 6:00 pm. It lasted 30 minutes. The first 15 minutes was the World News Report, and the second 15 minutes was the Local News and Weather Report. At the end of the Weather Report you would get the Small Craft Warning report. The report would say either “There are no Small Craft Warnings in Effect for the Such-and-Such Area” or “Small Craft Warnings are in effect (with locations).” The new terminology is “Advisory” instead of “Warning.” That change in wording was most likely due to legal interpretation of the word “Warning.” Sufficient warning is always an issue in lawsuits, and to get away from being named in a law suit where proper warning was the issue, they changed the verbiage to escape liability. That’s the story anyway. So, let’s look at what a Small Craft Advisory really means.
The Station Galveston Flotilla of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary operates out of the USCG Station Galveston base on Galveston Island. They aid the Coast Guard by providing maritime observation patrols in Galveston Bay; by providing recreational boating vessel safety checks; and by working alongside Coast Guard members in maritime accident investigation, small boat training, Aids to Navigation verification, and watch standing.
Small Craft Advisory Meaning
The National Weather Service issues a Small Craft Advisory whenever seas or winds are hazardous for smaller boats. The meaning should be clear: be aware of potentially hazardous conditions that could affect a small craft. If you are planning to go out o the water, if there is a Small Craft Advisory you should consider not going out as in most cases the risk far outweighs the benefits of going out in bad weather or rough seas.
How Big a Boat Are Ya?
Some of you (I hope) are familiar with the radio personality Roy D Mercer. He would make prank calls to businesses and state a particular problem, stating that someone needs a whoopin’ for causing him pain and suffering. He would say to the person on the line that he was going to come down there and give him a whoopin’, then ask “How big a boy are ya?” So, the same question could be adapted to the Small Craft Advisory scenario. How big a boat are ya when considering if the Small Craft Advisory applies to you and your boat? To answer that question, it helps to know the official definition of “boat” under maritime regulations. The answer will probably surprise you. A boat is any vessel less than 65 feet in length. Yes, while Small Craft Advisories may apply to vessels less than 65 feet in length, there is no precise definition of a small craft. Rather, the advisory pertains to the wind speed and other conditions that may be hazardous to small boats. Other considerations include the experience of the operator and the type, size, and seaworthiness of the vessel. For instance, my boat is a bay boat with low gunwales (sides). It doesn’t take much for the wind and seas to be hazardous to my boat. In my experience, 3-5 foot seas are way to rough for my boat. Small Craft Advisories differ by region also. Here are the regional differences:
Geographic Areas:
Eastern (Maine to South Carolina, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario) – Sustained winds or frequent gusts ranging between 25 and 33 knots (except 20 to 25 knots, lower threshold area dependent, to 33 knots for harbors, bays, etc.) and/or seas or waves 5 to 7 feet and greater, area dependent.
Central (Minnesota to Ohio) – Sustained winds or frequent gusts (on the Great Lakes) between 22 and 33 knots inclusive, and/or seas or waves greater than 4 feet.
Southern (Georgia to Texas and Caribbean) – Sustained winds of 20 to 33 knots, and/or forecast seas 7 feet or greater that are expected for more than 2 hours.
Western (Washington to California) – Sustained winds of 21 to 33 knots, and/or wave heights exceeding 10 feet (or wave steepness values exceeding local thresholds).
Alaska – Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 23 to 33 knots. A small craft advisory for rough seas may be issued for sea/wave conditions deemed locally significant, based on user needs, and should be no lower than 8 feet.
Pacific (Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa) – Sustained winds 25 knots or greater and seas 10 feet or greater; except in Guam and the northern Mariana Islands where it is sustained winds 22 to 33 knots and/or combined seas of 10 feet or greater.
“Frequent gusts” are typically long duration conditions (greater than 2 hours).
Although the topic here is Small Craft Advisories (Warnings), for informational purposes here are some other warnings:
Gale Warning: A warning of sustained surface winds, or frequent gusts, in the range of 34 knots (39 mph) to 47 knots (54 mph) inclusive, either predicted or occurring, and not directly associated with a tropical cyclone.
Storm Warning: A warning of sustained surface winds, or frequent gusts, in the range of 48 knots (55 mph) to 63 knots (73 mph) inclusive, either predicted or occurring, and not directly associated with a tropical cyclone.
Tropical Storm Warning: An announcement that tropical storm conditions (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) are expected somewhere within the specified coastal area within 36 hours.
Hurricane Force Wind Warning: A warning for sustained winds, or frequent gusts, of 64 knots (74 mph) or greater, either predicted or occurring, and not directly associated with a tropical cyclone.
Hurricane Warning: An announcement that hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or higher) are expected somewhere within the specified coastal area. Because hurricane preparedness activities become difficult once winds reach tropical storm force, the hurricane warning is issued 36 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds.
Time for the Local News and Weather
You don’t have to wait until 6:15 pm to get the Small Craft Advisory for the day. All Marine/VHF radios have weather (WX) channels, including handheld radios. You should be constantly monitoring the weather, and one way to do that is to use the scan feature and include the WX channel in your scan.
Summary
It helps to know what the requirements for a Small Craft Advisory are for your area. You should be aware of how your boat handles different seas and winds and try to operate below the threshold you establish for safely operating your boat. Pay close attention to weather forecasts and use those forecasts to determine if it is safe for you to go out in the current or predicted wind and seas.
