Combine DWD sea warnings, coastal exposure and BSH water/current information.
Forecast sectors and coverage
Read the DWD North Sea product for Deutsche Bucht and the applicable German coastal report; check current definitions and valid periods. A broad North Sea forecast does not define an estuary approach.
Weather-sensitive legs
Treat offshore sea, island entrances and tidal river approaches as different legs. Wind opposed to stream requires a sea-state check; the river/harbour plan needs current charts, levels and notices, not just a GRIB current arrow.
Observations, sea state and reassessment
BSH current maps are modelled; check the run/valid hour. BSH levels and local station observations may use reference systems that must be reconciled before any depth calculation.
Worked planning scenario — not a live forecast
For an island-to-mainland leg, compare the exposed passage and estuary entry at their ETA. A later wind improvement does not justify an arrival outside a locally verified tidal constraint.
Official products by task
- DWD sea-weather products — Choose Nord- und Ostsee, coastal reports and warnings; the portal is not one zone forecast.
- BSH North Sea water levels — Water-level forecast entry point; identify chart datum and the relevant coastal station.
- BSH modelled currents — Operational model maps, not measured tidal stream at a harbour entrance; inspect freshness.
Sector names help you locate the issuing product; they are not an automatic route-coverage match. Open the current issue and check boundaries, issue time and validity. This page does not display current warnings; an unavailable product does not mean no hazard.
Countries & territories
- Germany
North Sea tidal approaches and Baltic bays need separate weather and water-level products.
Map orientation
The approximate map centre is not an approach waypoint, track, depth survey or forecast-zone boundary. The third-party map loads only on request.
Build your passage brief
Bring your route, leg timings, vessel and crew profile, checked sources and reassessment triggers into the brief. Personal AI analysis and expert review are available to invited closed-test participants; a port page does not extend the calculation service’s coverage.
A Sailing Weather editorial guide to local conditions, practical passage preparation and marine-weather sources. Source and structure review: 27 September 2026. For a specific passage, check current issues, validity and forecast coverage. The skipper retains the final decision and responsibility.
A sea sector is not an Elbe entrance plan
Deutsche Bucht gives marine context for the open German Bight; an island entrance or an Elbe, Weser or Ems approach has additional local requirements. Read the current DWD sea/coastal text, then separate the approach wind, visibility and water evidence. A sheltered river observation cannot confirm the wave field outside. Keep traffic and navigation notices beside, rather than inside, the weather comparison.
- DWD sea weather — North/Baltic products and coastal reports, separate from land warnings.
What the BSH current map actually represents
The BSH hourly layer is a modelled surface stream with tidal and wind-driven contributions. Its daily tide-removed mean is a different product; check which one is open and read UTC valid time. BSH also warns that data-flow problems can leave a product out of date. An attractive current arrow without a date must not become the assumed stream at an estuary entrance.
- BSH modelled surface currents — Hourly operational model currents include tidal and wind-driven components; inspect date.
Arrival timing is part of the weather window
For an island-to-mainland scenario, compare offshore ETA and approach ETA under nominal and reduced progress. If wind opposes the locally verified stream, assess the resulting approach sea state before accepting the later start. Rebrief when the warning changes, the current product is stale or a water-level assumption cannot be reconciled with the chart reference. A missed arrival constraint is not fixed by a lower wind number.
- DWD sea weather
- BSH modelled surface currents
- RYA passage planning — Practitioner guidance on contingency, tides, vessel and crew constraints.
Editorial review of this material: 27 September 2026. This date concerns the page content; check current forecast issue times and validity at the original sources.