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NOUS41 KGYX 242154
PNSGYX

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...NATIONAL SAFE BOATING WEEK 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME 
600 PM EDT FRI MAY 24 2013 

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND NERACOOS CONTINUES TO OBSERVE 
MAY 18TH THROUGH 24TH AS NATIONAL SAFE BOATING WEEK... 

...MARINE FORECASTS... 

THE FOLLOWING IS A SAFE BOATING MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL SAFE 
BOATING COUNCIL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND NERACOOS, REMINDING 
YOU THAT NATIONAL SAFE BOATING WEEK IS MAY 18TH THROUGH MAY 24TH. 

UNDERSTANDING A MARINE FORECAST IS CRITICAL TO SAFE BOATING. WEATHER 
AND WAVE CONDITIONS CAN CHANGE SUDDENLY, CATCHING BOATERS OFF GUARD 
AND CREATING LIFE THREATENING CONDITIONS. 

TYPICAL MARINE FORECASTS PREDICT WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION, WAVE 
HEIGHTS AND PERIODS, ROUGHNESS OF NEAR SHORE WATERS, AND SIGNIFICANT 
WEATHER. MARINE FORECASTS COVER LARGE AREAS AND THE FORECAST 
ELEMENTS ARE OFTEN GIVEN IN RANGES. THE SIGNIFICANT WEATHER MAY NOT 
OCCUR OVER THE ENTIRE AREA OR DURING THE ENTIRE FORECAST PERIOD. THE 
RANGES REPRESENT AVERAGE CONDITIONS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME (USUALLY 
12 HOURS) AND THE ACTUAL CONDITIONS MAY BE LOWER OR HIGHER THAN THE 
FORECAST RANGE. BOATERS SHOULD PLAN FOR CONDITIONS ABOVE AND BELOW 
THE PREDICTED RANGES. 

TAKE PARTICULAR NOTE OF ANY CURRENT ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS, 
INCLUDING SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES, GALE OR STORM WARNINGS WHICH ALERT 
MARINERS TO EITHER HIGH WINDS OR WAVES OCCURRING NOW OR FORECAST TO 
OCCUR UP TO 24 HOURS FROM NOW. SPECIAL MARINE WARNINGS ARE ISSUED 
FOR SUDDEN INCREASE IN WINDS TO OVER 35 KNOTS (40 MPH), WATERSPOUTS 
(TORNADOES OVER WATER), AND HAIL OF THREE-QUARTER INCHES OR GREATER 
AND INDICATE A MORE IMMEDIATE THREAT. MARINE WEATHER STATEMENTS 
BRING ATTENTION TO SIGNIFICANT RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS ON THE 
WATER INCLUDING INCREASE IN WINDS, NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS, 
DEVELOPMENT OF DENSE FOG AND EVEN SNOW SQUALLS OR STRONG AND GUSTY 
RAIN SHOWERS. 

YOU SHOULD HAVE A MARINE VHF TRANSCEIVER WITH BUILT-IN NOAA WEATHER 
RADIO CHANNELS. IF YOU VENTURE BEYOND ABOUT A 25 NAUTICAL MILE RANGE 
FROM SHORE, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BUYING A GOOD QUALITY HF SINGLE 
SIDEBAND TRANSCEIVER AND SATELLITE PHONE. 

BEFORE SETTING OUT, OBTAIN THE LATEST MARINE FORECAST AND WARNING 
INFORMATION FROM WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MARINE OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND 
CHECK THE LATEST OCEAN CONDITIONS AT WWW.NERACOOS.ORG/REALTIME_MAP. 
YOU CAN ALSO RECEIVE SPECIALIZED FORECASTS FOR SEBAGO LAKE AND LAKE 
WINNIPESAUKEE AT HTTP://WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/GYX/LAKEFORECASTS/

SEVERAL DAYS AHEAD OF TIME YOU CAN BEGIN LISTENING FOR EXTENDED 
OUTLOOKS WHICH GIVE GENERAL INFORMATION OUT TO THE NEXT FIVE DAYS IN 
BOTH GRAPHICAL AND TEXT FORMAT. 

THIS MESSAGE WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE NORTHEAST REGIONAL OCEAN 
OBSERVING SYSTEM...NERACOOS...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE 
NATIONAL SAFE BOATING COUNCIL.

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