CHUBASCO WINDS

CHUBASCO REPORT: 0300 Zulu (8:00 P.M. in Loreto and in BLA) on 4.149 USB beginning no later than July 15th. I'll take a look at the various IR websites and give everyone and idea of chubasco potential for the Sea of Cortez each evening.

CHUBASCO 101 FOR CRUISERS

What Is A Chubasco?
A Chubasco is a thunderstorm cell (also referred to as a convection cell) or group of cells that begins over the Sierra Madre Mountains on the mainland (they can also originate over the Baja Mountains later in the season) and then moves down to the coast and in some cases across the Sea of Cortez to Baja. Since these mainland originated Chubascos are coming from the east, it means that the usual wind direction from an oncoming chubasco is going to be somewhere from northeast to southeast. Chubascos on rare occasions have reached wind speeds as high as 60 knots but on average, I would estimate 35 to 40 knots as the speeds most of us will see in a typical summer season. Chubascos may or may not contain rain and are almost always preceded by some lightning.
When Is Chubasco Season?
Chubasco Season usually runs from approximately July 1st thru the last week in September.
When Do Chubascos Happen?
USUALLY, the convection activity gets started on the mainland late in the afternoon and the convection cells start moving toward the coast in the early evening and arrive on Baja betwen midnight and three A.M. HOWEVER occasionally, the convection activity gets started very late and a chubasco may not arrive on Baja till almost daybreak. Rare daytime chubascos can also occur (potential for these will usually get reported on the morning cruiser nets).
Chubasco Or Chubacca?
Since there is no set definition of when is a Chubasco a chubasco, we'll make the definition of a Chubasco as follows for the purpose of this discussion: Winds generated by convection activity that are 30 knots or more. Winds generated by convection activity that do not exceed 29 knots are a Chubaca :-).
What Are The Chances That I Will Experience A Chubasco?
If you will be cruising continuously in the Sea Of Cortez from July 1st through October 1st, you will probably experience three or four chubascos with average windspeeds of 35-40 knots.
Preparing For Chubascos?
  1. AVOID EAST FACING ANCHORAGES DURING CHUBASCO SEASON.
  2. ANCHOR WELL-DON'T SPARE THE CHAIN AND BE SURE YOUR ANCHOR IS WELL SET.
  3. TAKE DOWN YOUR SUN SHADES AFTER SUNSET.
  4. BE PREPARED FOR A MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT RE-ANCHORING DRILL IN CASE YOU DRAG OR HAVE SOMEONE DRAG ON YOU.
  5. HAVE A PLAN B IN THE RARE INSTANCE THAT YOU NEED TO MOVE TO ANOTHER ANCHORAGE.
  6. LISTEN TO THE CHUBASCO REPORT AND PREPARE ACCORDINGLY.
  7. BE READY FOR A CHUBASCO EVERY NIGHT REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU HEAR ON THE CHUBASCO REPORT.