The National Weather Service has announced that its 72- and 96-hour surface forecast graphical products are scheduled to resume on September 30, 2026.
These important offshore weather charts have been suspended since June 1. They are not yet restored, but NOAA says the Atlantic, Pacific, and Alaska 72- and 96-hour surface forecasts will return at the end of September.
For offshore cruisers, these charts provide an important longer-range view of developing lows, highs, fronts, and other major weather systems. Their return is especially important as cruisers enter the fall passage season and while tropical and major mid-latitude weather systems remain active.
Through its Advocacy programs, SSCA lobbies for cruiser rights and represents cruising-community interests on issues involving safety, and actively lobbied NOAA to restore these charts.

The Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) is expanding Seven Seas University® with a comprehensive 12-seminar marine weather education series presented in partnership with Marine Weather Center (MWXC) and Chris Parker, Chief Forecaster. The live series began July 28 and concludes September 8, 2026, moving from basic weather science to practical vessel-specific forecasting and decision-making.

Part One: The Night the Passage Changed
Every autumn, hundreds of cruising boats leave the U.S. East Coast and begin the annual migration to the Caribbean. The route is as familiar as it is demanding. Boats funnel through the Chesapeake, gather in Hampton, cross the Gulf Stream, and either continue offshore or pause in Bermuda before heading south through the island chain. Every skipper watches for the same thing: a weather window that offers just enough time to slip safely between cold fronts before settling into the trade winds.

The fleet is now stretched across a long section of the Pacific Coast.

Somerled and Fair Isle form the northern group after clearing Cape Flattery. Moonrise Kingdom is approaching the Cape Mendocino sector, with Tomten farther south and moving toward San Francisco.

Several boats are concentrated around San Francisco Bay, Tookish is at Half Moon Bay, and the leading boats have reached the Santa Cruz–Monterey area.

The staggered progress reflects one of the fundamentals of the Coho Ho Ho: each skipper and crew makes their own decisions about departure timing, weather windows and safe harbor stops as they work their way south.

Cruisers Helping Cruisers: Successful Rescue Underway Off Trinidad. A disabled sailing vessel drifting north of Trinidad received timely assistance today after a coordinated response involving local maritime contacts, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, and a fishing vessel dispatched to provide a tow.

SSCA is pleased to partner with Marine Weather Center (MWXC) and renowned marine meteorologist Chris Parker for a comprehensive 12-part weather education series beginning July 28 and continuing through September 8.
The series begins with Weather 101, an essential introduction to the fundamentals every

"What's that?" Not because you don't understand the individual pieces. But because the pieces have come together in a way you haven't seen before. The first automobiles looked like horseless carriages.
The first websites looked like electronic brochures.
The first smartphones looked like telephones with extra buttons. People could see the components but not yet recognize the new category.

The Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) has launched a new monthly Zoom Webinar training series supporting fundamentals and introducing members and guests to HAL (Hybrid Applied Layer) — SSCA’s AI-assisted decision-support framework designed to help cruisers interpret conditions more clearly, recognize risk earlier, and make better operational decisions afloat.

Annapolis Cruisers' Monthly Lunch
SSCA is proud to announce continuation of our monthly luncheons at Leeward market in Eastport, MD.