Understanding and using NAVTEX Weather Actuals 

This article is for all those sailors who have found themselves weatherbound in some godforsaken port for an inordinate amount of time.

Sometimes these delays are inevitable, sometimes they are down to a miscalculation of the forecast. In these circumstances even the happiest crew can gain a mutinous air after being trapped in some isolated backwater for several days.

The importance of understanding what the weather is doing is vital to any passage plan. In extreme cases it can be the difference between a pleasant cruise and catastrophe. It is with this in mind that the RYA, working with the MCA and the Met office, pushed to introduce the broadcasting of weather actuals on NAVTEX 490Khz

Any vessel travelling over 30 miles offshore should carry NAVTEX. The broadcasting of Actuals means that four times a day, sailors using NAVTEX will be able to get reports on what the weather is doing from at least 44 weather stations situated around the British Isles.

Utilising Actuals

Weather guru Frank Singleton worked on introducing the actuals with the RYA. He spent several years as senior forecaster at the Met office, so he knows a thing or two about the weather.

He explains how actuals can be utilised by sailors: These actuals can be a useful tool when you are trying to build up a picture of what is going on with the weather; it puts some flesh on the bare bones of a forecast.

Obviously they need to be used in conjunction with forecasts. If the forecast is for bad weather then whatever the actuals say, there is a strong argument to say you shouldn t be going at all.

However there are times when you are out at sea when actuals can be very useful in deciding where you are going to head, and predicting what the weather is going to do next. 

Broadcasting Stations 

There are currently three stations broadcasting Actuals; These are: Niton, on the Isle of Wight which is broadcasting actuals for 13 locations along the south coast. The North East has Cullercoats in Northumberland while Scotland has Portpatrick in Dumfries and Galloway.

The broadcasts are available up to 270 miles offshore and will list pressure, wind direction, wind speed, weather, visibility, temperature, dewpoint and wave height and sea surface temperature. 

Of course none of this is any good if you don't have a NAVTEX receiver, or if you're in ports where you can't receive NAVTEX.

However the improvements have been augmented by the Met Office publishing marine actuals, updated hourly, on their website. 

This means you have even less excuses for finding yourself weatherbound in some lonely port in the middle of nowhere and face even more risk of being lynched by your crew if you do!

Timings for Navtex Broadcasts

Niton
(I) Inshore Waters Forecast
490 0520/1720
Latest actual weather reports
0120/0920/1320/2120

Portpatrick
(C) Inshore Waters Forecast
490 0820/2020 
Latest actual weather reports
0020/0420/1220/1620

Cullercoats
(U)  Inshore Waters Forecast
490 0720/1920
Latest actual weather reports
0320/1120.1520/2320

Malin Head
(A) Inshore Waters Forecasts for Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough, Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel, Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point, The Minch, Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath, Isle of Man. Actual weather reports as for Portpatrick.
490 0000/0400/0800, 1200/1600/2000