Coast Guard urges caution ahead of forecasted heavy weather along Northern California coast

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 11th District Pacific Southwest Contact: 11th District Public Affairs Office: (510) 437-3325 After Hours: (510) 772-8865 11th District online newsroom

Coast Guard urges caution ahead of forecasted heavy weather along Northern California coast

SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard encourages mariners and beachgoers to prepare for high winds and seas forecasted for the San Francisco Bay Area throughout the weekend. 

The Bay Area is expected to experience gale-force winds at 50 mph and seas up to 15 feet.  

"We encourage boaters to only get underway if necessary," said Capt. Tony Ceraolo, the Coast Guard Sector San Francisco commander. "Mariners who need to get underway should make sure they check all their survival and safety equipment before going out."

Mariners and beachgoers are encouraged to take the following precautions to protect themselves and their vessels:

• Monitor the weather and heed all marine warnings
• Double-check mooring lines when securing boats and take precautions for items stored loosely aboard
• Secure all paddle craft so they do not end up in the water and cause a false distress
• Recreational boaters, personal watercraft and paddle craft users are advised to stay off the water due to hazardous sea conditions
• Swimmers, surfers and wind surfers are urged to stay out of the water during this period of heavy weather due to increased risk of drowning from rip currents and sneaker waves
• If mariners get underway, they should create a float plan and send it to friends and families before getting underway, which consists of a description of the vessel, the number of people aboard, the destination and the expected return time.
• Always wear a proper life jacket when on the water and use VHF-FM channel 16 to notify rescuers in the event of an emergency

For more information about this weekend's forecast, visit the National Weather Service here.

The Coast Guard continues operations authorized by law that provide for national security or that protect life and property during partial government shutdowns; however, there are some impacts to our day-to-day operations. The Coast Guard stops or curtails mission activities that do not fall into those categories. Coast Guard uniformed personnel will continue to perform their duties during a partial government shutdown and will provide essential services such as search and rescue, port and homeland safety and security, law enforcement and environmental response.

Editor's Note: The image below is a stock photograph of a Coast Guard Station Golden Gate 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew conducting surf training near San Francisco's Ocean Beach. Click image to download full-resolution version. 

-USCG-