Always check the weather before you leave the dock. Thunderstorms represent danger to sailboats! If thunderstorms are in the forecast and you still decide to go sailing, continue to monitor the sky and radio while you sail. All club boats are required to be back at the correct dock before a thunderstorm or squall strikes. Failure to return to dock before a thunderstorm or squall will result in a suspension of skipper privileges.
A good sailor gets back 30 minutes before a storm. Trying to get back just before a storm hits is like playing on railroad tracks. Sooner or later, you will get caught. If you are a Skipper, you are required to bring a handheld VHF radio when you go sailing. Please listen to the weather channel and be sure your entire crew to listens. If you are out for an extended sail or there are thunderstorms in the forecast, be sure to check the weather forecast frequently in case there is an important bulletin or change in forecast.
Weather Links
Real Time
Live Radar of Upton, NY (NOAA)
Wind Speed at the Honorable William Wall
HWW windspeed direct from Davis
Current Winds in NY Harbor (NOAA)
Wind Directions (SailFlow)
Real-Time Observations in NY Harbor (Stevens Institute of Technology)
Tides and Water Temperature at Battery (NOAA)
Live Picture of NY Harbor from Statue
Forecasts
Wind Forecast for NY Harbor (NOAA)
General Forecast for NY Harbor (NOAA)
Graphical Forecast (NOAA)
National Hurricane Center (NOAA)
National Data Buoy Center (NOAA)
Offshore
Ocean Winds
http://fastseas.com/
Passage Making Weather in Atlantic
Wind Conditions in the Atlantic (US Naval Research Lab)