Hurricane

A hurricane is a tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, or the eastern North Pacific with sustained winds of at least 64 knots (Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson scale). The peak hurricane season in the Atlantic runs from June to November, with the greatest frequency of intense storms in August and September. Warnings and track forecasts are issued by the US National Hurricane Center and disseminated via NAVTEX, SafetyNET, and coastal radio broadcasts. For a master routing through the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, or US East Coast during the hurricane season, continuous monitoring of National Hurricane Center bulletins is essential. A vessel caught in a hurricane faces extreme wave heights, rapid wind shifts, and the risk of loss of propulsion or steering in conditions where rescue is impossible. Standard practice is to give tropical storms as wide a berth as the voyage schedule permits, favouring the navigably safe semi-circle — the left-forward sector in the northern hemisphere — if avoidance is impossible. Ports in hurricane-affected regions may issue hurricane warnings requiring vessels to depart or seek shelter, as remaining alongside during a hurricane presents risks to both the vessel and port infrastructure. Officers should understand how SOLAS Regulation V/34 applies to voyage planning in hurricane-prone regions, and how to use weather routing services effectively. Company SMS procedures should specify the minimum offset distance from a tropical storm track that the master must maintain.