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At AWT we are privileged to have experts with many years of experience in the maritime business and ship routing in particular. Our people are trained and skilled at applying meteorology to ship routing. |
| In this issue of AWT Insights, we introduce a new contributor, Mike O’Brien. Mike is the Operations Manager at AWT with 18 years’ experience in the |
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| industry. He is trained as a merchant mariner with specialties in meteorology and oceanography. In addition, he spent three years at sea. |
| In his article, Mike describes how small scale wind events can have a major effect on vessels and how AWT is prepared to help captains navigate around such events. |
| Enjoy your reading. We welcome your feedback. |
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Skip Vaccarello |
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| Small Scale Wind Events Can Have a Large Impact on Shipping |
| by Mike O'Brien, New York Operations Manager |
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There are a number of locations worldwide that are susceptible to small scale ‘mistral’ wind events, perhaps the most notorious of these being the gap wind events that occur in the Gulf of Tehuantepec. The Gulf of Tehuantepec is situated near 95W longitude south of the narrowest point in the isthmus separating the Gulf of Mexico from the Pacific Ocean. |
| A ship transiting this area in the winter could find itself sailing in easterly 12-17 knot winds, and within just a few hours, conditions could become NE-NNE 40-50 knots with significant wave heights of five to seven meters. |
| What forces could be in play here to turn the typically tranquil waters of the tropical eastern Pacific into these potentially dangerous conditions? The answer lies partially in the geography and topography of the region. Just north of the Gulf of Tehuantepec is the Chivela Pass. This pass in the Sierra Madre mountain range provides a natural path for winds to flow from the north. Also, to the north of the Chivela Pass, the broad Bay of Campeche occupies the majority of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. If we look at these components together what you find is a large natural funnel, with the Bay of Campeche acting as the mouth of the funnel and the Chivela Pass acting as the narrow spout of the funnel. All we need now is a trigger. That trigger, in most cases, is a cold northerly wind. |
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| Quikscat image from the 2358 UTC 30 March 2003 pass. The red circle contains the location of hurricane force winds. |
Starting in the late fall and continuing through early spring, cold fronts can periodically allow surges of relatively cold north winds to flow south into the Bay of Campeche. The north winds are funneled into the narrow Chivela Pass and accelerate in a process known as the Venturi effect. These accelerated winds are released into the Gulf of Tehuantepec, creating a hazard to ships in the area. The process is much like pressing your thumb over the opening of a garden hose, forcing the water to spray out at a higher velocity. |
| The U.S. National Weather Service has identified that on average, twelve gale events and six storm events occur each cold season in the Gulf of Tehuantepec. The majority of these outbreaks occur from November to March, however, events can occur as early as September and as late as May. |
| Fortunately, we are in a position to forecast these events with a high degree of accuracy. Gulf of Tehuantepec wind events can be viewed in BVS where the Captain can select winds and waves to see the area that will be most impacted by the weather. For those ships receiving route suggestions from AWT, we have two route options at our disposal. The first option for coastal traffic is to sail close abeam the coast in order to limit the fetch of the winds, thus reducing sea heights. For those vessels sailing trans-ocean, we identify the waters that will be most impacted by the heavy surge of weather and then position the vessel to the west of the most developed weather. |
| With some planning and access to the necessary information, small scale wind events do not have to be an unpleasant surprise to vessel operations. |
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| AWT (www.awtworldwide.com) is the leading provider of fleet optimization services, ship routing services and onboard voyage management software to ship owners, operators and charterers seeking the safest and most efficient routes for their fleets. Unlike companies that provide weather services for multiple industries, or companies which only offer onboard weather software, AWT is staffed by world-renown experts in ship routing, meteorology, IT, maritime science and former mariners who are focused solely on the maritime industry. Using the most sophisticated technology available, AWT routes more ships per month than any other company. Its superior customer service and integrity have made AWT the most trusted fleet optimization provider in the maritime industry. Founded in 1996, AWT is privately held and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California with worldwide offices located in the UK, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Korea, Germany, New York, and New Jersey. More information is available at www.awtworldwide.com or by calling 1-408-731-8600. |
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