Captain Mike's Favorite Weather Pages

Weather tips for US Pacific North West Coast Storms on this coast can easily reach 70-100 knots.
If the weather service predicts:
25 assume 50
40 assume anything
100 knot storms usually occur off the OR/WA coast at least once a winter.
The storms approaching from the south are the most dangerous as they often go higher than predicted.
Monitor the VHF WX channel at least every 3 hours during storm season.
Storm season is from September to end of May.
There are few places of safety outside of the obvious harbors of safe refuge.
Depending on sea state(wave height, direction), there are a few places to hide behind reefs, large rocks and major headlands from a southerly blow. "Local knowledge" and detail charts are necessary to use these places.
If you are in potential trouble, the weather has turned bad, don't dawdle. Contact the Coast Guard. Give them your LAT/LONG, then your situation. In Oregon/Washington the Coast Guard is very service oriented, especially during bad weather. Don't be bashful, call them while things are still under control, not later.