Chart Coverage in Coast Pilot 4 - Chapter 10 - Florida Coast Southward Weather and Inlets

Oct 13, 2026

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Chart Coverage in Coast Pilot 4, Chapter 10, describes the Florida coast from the St. Johns River southward to Miami, including deepwater ports and guidance for offshore navigation. It presents COLREGS demarcation lines and references U.S. CFR sections for established limits. The chapter details major navigational weather hazards, especially tropical cyclones and extratropical lows, with seasonal timing, wind and wave expectations, storm surge, and typical patterns along the route. It also gives coastal descriptions, inlet characteristics, depths, and key navigational landmarks.

LanguageEnglish

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Pages32

Reading Time11 min

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Chart Coverage in Coast Pilot 4—Chapter 10

Florida Coast Description and Inlets

Weather Hazards and Seasonal Patterns

Coast from St. Johns River to Cape Canaveral

81°W 80°W 78°W 29°N 28°N 27°N LAKE OKEECHOBEE F L O R I D A 26°N Chart Coverage in Coast Pilot 4—Chapter 10 NOAA’s Online Interactive Chart Catalog has complete chart coverage [http://www.charts.noaa.gov/InteractiveCatalog/nrnc.shtml](http://www.charts.noaa.gov/InteractiveCatalog/nrnc.shtml) 79°W Bimini Islands 30°N Daytona Beach Cape Canaveral Melbourne Fort Pierce West Palm Beach Fort Lauderdale Miami Boynton Beach St. Augustine New Smyrna Beach SEBASTIAN INLET ST. LUCIE INLET JUPITER INLET ATL A N TI C O CEA N MANTANZAS INLET ST. AUGUSTINE INLET ST. JOHNS RIVER St. Johns River to Miami (1) This chapter describes the Florida coast southward from the St. Johns River (30°24'N., 81°24'W.) to Miami (25°46'N., 80°08'W.) and includes the deepwater ports at Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce, Port of Palm Beach, Port EvergladesandMiami.Informationforoffshorenavigation is given first, followed by a detailed description of the coast, inlets and seaports. The Intracoastal Waterway for this section of the coast is described in chapter 12. (2) COLREGS demarcation lines (3) The lines established for this part of the coast are described in 33 CFR 80.723 through 80.730, chapter 2.(4) Weather (5) The most dangerous navigational weather hazards along this coast are tropical cyclones, but extratropical lows (nor'easters) can produce gale to storm Force winds, especially in the waters north of Jupiter Inlet from October through March. Tropical cyclones primarily occur from June through November with mid-August through October being the busiest time period. There is about a 30 to 50 percent chance that at least one tropical cyclone will affect these waters each year; a 10 to 15 percent chance exists that it will be a hurricane. The frequency of landfalling tropical cyclones increases south of Daytona Beach. On average, Miami will experience hurricaneforce winds once in about seven years, compared to once in 13 years from Cape Canaveral northward. During the Fort Lauderdale hurricane of 1947, sustained winds reached 105 knots and gusted to 135 knots at Hillsboro Lighthouse, while Miami recorded 106-knot winds with 130-knot gusts in the October hurricane of 1950. Stormsurges in severe hurricanes can reach 15 feet (4.6 m) or more above mean sea level. In deep water, waves of 30 to 40 feet (9 to 12 m) are possible. Early and late in the hurricane season, storms are often likely to approach the area from the western Caribbean either on a northerly or northeasterly heading. Midseason storms may either be recurving toward the north through northeast or moving west-northwestward. (6) In general weather along this coast poses few problems for mariners. Gales are usually encountered less than 1 percent of the time with maximum winds reaching 35 to 50 knots from October through March. The easterly trade winds are common throughout much of the year with average speeds of 10 to 15 knots. Only infrequently will a severe cold front or winter storm affect these waters. These cold fronts bring large temperature dropsand strong, gusty winds. Northwesterly and northerly winds are usually the strongest. Maximum waves of 18 to 25 feet (5.5 to 7.6 m) can be expected in deep waters from September through February while waves of more than 6 feet (1.8 m) occur 8 to 15 percent of the time from about October through March. Thunderstorms are most likely from May through October and may be associated with easterly waves or tropical cyclones. Tornadoes and waterspouts have been reported in all months; they are not usually as violent as the tornadoes of the midwest. (7) St. Johns River to Cape Canaveral (8) The coast from St. Johns River to Cape Canaveral trends south-southeastward for 125 miles. Three inlets, St. Augustine, Matanzas and Ponce de Leon indent the coast. From St. Johns River to Ponce de Leon Inlet the coast is bold in appearance, with an almost continuous range of sand dunes backed b

FAQs

What area does Coast Pilot 4, Chapter 10 cover along the Florida coast?

It describes the Florida coast southward from the St. Johns River to Miami, and includes deepwater ports such as Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce, Port of Palm Beach, Port Everglades and Miami.

What are the most dangerous weather hazards mentioned for this coast?

Tropical cyclones are identified as the most dangerous hazard, while extratropical lows can also produce gale to storm-force winds, especially north of Jupiter Inlet from October through March.

How is weather along this coast generally characterized for mariners?

In general, weather poses few problems; gales are usually encountered less than 1% of the time, with common easterly trade winds and severe cold fronts affecting the waters only infrequently.

Oct 13, 2026

Upload by Sarah