Ahoy!
Memorial Day has come and gone, which signals the start of the boating season across the nation. However, we have the luxury of boating year-round with our wonderful weather. If you plan on cruising this weekend, then take a voyage north and view the USS Iowa battleship that arrived in our local watersWednesday. The Iowa will be anchored outside of the Long Beach breakwater, about 4 miles offshore, after which the ship will be towed to San Pedro’s berth 50-51 in the outer harbor, either this weekend or first of next week.
The weather today, Friday, and this weekend will be pleasurable – in the upper 60s to low 70s for daytime highs with the nighttime lows in the upper 50s along the coast. You can expect the clouds to move in during the evenings and mostly burn off by late mornings or early afternoons this weekend, and watch out of patchy fog along the coast.
The west northwest swells will continue through the weekend, with 2- to 3-foot seas, mixed with 1-foot seas from the southerly direction. The afternoon winds will be decent for sailing, blowing under 10 knots from the southwest in the afternoons, and in the mornings from the south at 5 to 10 knots. If you venture outside the harbor into the Pacific Ocean then you will have only 1-foot wind waves kicking up in the afternoons.
Looks like the hurricane season, which officially begins June 1, is getting seriously underway. Tropical Storm Beryl ran up the Eastern Seaboard to almost the southern Virginia line and then headed out to sea. However, weather forecasters with the National Weather Service are predicting an average number of storms for 2012.
So, as always, with an eye to the north, we look to the waters off Point Conception to see what is coming down the coast. The Point might be under small-craft advisories as the northwesterly winds will be gusting up to maybe 25 knots through the weekend. The wind waves will be 3 to 5 feet, on top of a mixed set with 6- to 7-foot swells from the northwest and 1-foot southwest swells. You can expect morning fog, partly sunny afternoon skies and cloudy nights.
Safe Voyages,
Mike Whitehead, Capt.
