Summary
CABO SAN LUCAS
SUMMARY
The Port area of Cabo San Lucas is an open bay located at the southern tip of Baja California. The Port is not a tropical cyclone haven and is vulnerable to wind, swell, and storm surge.
Visiting U.S. Navy or Coast Guard ships normally anchor in one of the three principal anchorages in Bahia San Lucas. It is the recommendation of this evaluation that all U. S. Navy ships sortie from the anchorages and the Inner Harbor whenever Cabo San Lucas is threatened by a tropical cyclone, and not wait to be ordered by the port authorities to put to sea.
Several ship visit reports indicate that some of the navigational aids and depths as well as some new construction are not reflected accurately on NIMA charts.
A USS Cowpens (CG 63) Ship Visit Report of February 1998 indicated NIMA Chart # 21126 does not accurately reflect a significant bottom drop off rate seaward of the Fleet anchorage areas and the USS Hurricane (PC 3) indicated that the range to the Inner Harbor is inaccurate.
A notable weather phenomenon that occurs periodically during the summer hurricane season is a "torito." This type of squall can last more than 30 minutes and is accompanied by thunder and lightning and winds up to 40 kt.
Current weather conditions can be found at http://www.weather.com/.
Current meteorological conditions can be obtained through http://www.allaboutcabo.com/liveweather.htm
Wind speed and direction, temperature, pressure, and rainfall are included. Current weather conditions and forecasts are available on http://caboweather.com/, and http://www.usatoday.com/weather/CityForecast.aspx?LocationID=MXBS0135.
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This hurricane haven evaluation was prepared by
R. G. Handlers of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Monterey, CA. and S. Brand of Naval Research Laboratory, Monterey, CA.
Source: http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/port_studies/thh-nc/mexico/cabosanl/text/summary.htm
