Email Request Playbook
How to pull any weather product over email — works from Iridium, Winlink, sat-phone, coffee-shop WiFi.
The two services you need
| Saildocs | ftpmail (NOAA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | query@saildocs.com | ftpmail@ftpmail.nws.noaa.gov |
| Subject | ignored | ignored |
| Body style | one-line send … commands | classic FTP session lines |
| Best for | GRIB files, text forecasts, any URL | NOAA radiofax/WMO files directly from tgftp.nws.noaa.gov |
| Unsubscribe | subscriptions possible via sub | one-shot only |
Worked example — latest graphic surface analysis, E. Pacific
The product is the OPC E. Pacific surface analysis radiofax chart PYEA11.gif, served from tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/fax/ (broadcast by NMC Pt. Reyes).
Saildocs
To: query@saildocs.com Subject: (blank) send http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/fax/PYEA11.gif
ftpmail
To: ftpmail@ftpmail.nws.noaa.gov Subject: (blank) open ftp.nws.noaa.gov cd fax get PYEA11.gif quit
Either returns a reply email with the GIF attached. A single surface analysis over Iridium is typically 30–80 KB.
Finding the right filename (tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/fax/)
Radiofax files use a 6-character WMO product code. The E. Pacific charts are broadcast from NMC Pt. Reyes; the N. Atlantic from NMF Boston. Common ones:
| File | Product |
|---|---|
| PYEA11.gif | E. Pacific surface analysis |
| PPBE10.gif | E. Pacific 24-hr surface forecast |
| PJEE10.gif | E. Pacific 500 mb analysis |
| PWEI10.gif | E. Pacific wind/wave 96-hr forecast |
| PYAA11.gif | N. Atlantic surface analysis |
| PYAE11.gif | N. Atlantic 48-hr surface forecast |
| QDTM10.gif | Gulf Stream analysis |
Browse the tgftp fax index or the NOAA radiofax schedule PDF for the full catalog with every station and product code.
OPC direct URLs (alternative — web-served PNGs)
If you'd rather pull the OPC web charts than the radiofax file, these also work with Saildocs send <URL>:
| URL | Product |
|---|---|
| ocean.weather.gov/P_sfc_full_ocean_color.png | E. Pacific surface analysis (color) |
| ocean.weather.gov/A_sfc_full_ocean_color.png | N. Atlantic surface analysis (color) |
| ocean.weather.gov/shtml/P_24hrww.php | E. Pacific 24-hr wind/wave forecast |
| ocean.weather.gov/shtml/P_48hrww.php | E. Pacific 48-hr wind/wave forecast |
| ocean.weather.gov/shtml/A_24hrwper.php | N. Atlantic 24-hr wind/wave forecast |
Saildocs — full command reference
GRIB files
send GFS:35N,50N,135W,120W|0.5,0.5|0,6..72|WIND,PRMSL,WAVES
- Model: GFS:, ECMWF:, ICON:, NAM:, HRRR:, WW3:, RTOFS:.
- Area: N lat, S lat, W lon, E lon. Use N/S and E/W letters.
- Grid: lat step, lon step in degrees (1,1 keeps files small).
- Hours: 0,6..72 = 0, 6, 12, …, 72 h. Or list: 0,12,24,48.
- Params: WIND, PRMSL, PRESS, TMP, RH, GUST, WAVES, HGT500, CAPE, CLOUDS, PRECIP, APCP.
Text forecasts by WMO header
send fzpn02.kwbc # N. Pacific high-seas forecast send fznt01.kwbc # N. Atlantic high-seas forecast send fzus51.kwbc # US offshore zones (Atlantic) send fzus56.kwbc # US offshore zones (Pacific) send miatwdat.txt # Atlantic tropical weather discussion
Any URL (used for the radiofax example above)
send http://ocean.weather.gov/P_sfc_full_ocean_color.png send http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/fax/PYAA11.gif send https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIATCDAT1.shtml
Subscriptions (auto-send on a schedule)
sub GFS:35N,50N,135W,120W|1,1|0,12,24,48|WIND,PRMSL days=7 time=06 sub fzpn02.kwbc days=7 time=00,12
- days=N — run for N days then stop (cap protects you from forgotten subs).
- time=HH,HH — UTC hours to deliver.
- Cancel with unsub <name>. Email sublist to see all your subs.
Housekeeping
send list # catalog of available text products send info # Saildocs help send samples # example commands
ftpmail — how the session works
Your email body is treated as FTP commands in order. No authentication line needed for the NWS public server.
open ftp.nws.noaa.gov # connect cd fax # change to /fax ls # (optional) list files get PYEA11.gif # retrieve file get PYEA11.gif # E. Pacific surface analysis get PPBE10.gif # can chain multiple gets quit # end session
- Other useful dirs on ftp.nws.noaa.gov: /data/forecasts/, /data/observations/, /data/raw/.
- Files over ~1 MB are split by ftpmail; reassemble with the sequence numbers in the subject lines.
- ftpmail help: send a message with body help.
Workflow recipes
Daily passage-planning pull (Eastern Pacific, coastal California)
To: query@saildocs.com send GFS:30N,45N,135W,118W|1,1|0,6..72|WIND,PRMSL,GUST send http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/fax/PYEA11.gif send http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/fax/PPBE10.gif send fzus56.kwbc
One email, four replies: near-term GRIB, current E. Pacific surface analysis, 24-hr surface forecast, NWS offshore text. Total ~200 KB over Iridium.
Atlantic crossing (Bermuda → Azores, May)
To: query@saildocs.com send ECMWF:30N,45N,65W,25W|1,1|0,12..120|WIND,PRMSL,WAVES send GFS:30N,45N,65W,25W|1,1|0,12..120|WIND,PRMSL,WAVES send http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/fax/PYAA11.gif send http://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/fax/PYAE11.gif send fznt01.kwbc
Gotchas
- Saildocs send has no subject requirement — don't put commands in the subject, they'll be ignored.
- Over satellite email, disable HTML/signatures. Plain text only. Many Iridium plans strip attachments > a size limit; split into multiple requests.
- ftpmail can take 5–30 min to reply during busy periods. Saildocs is typically < 2 min.
- Radiofax filenames rotate (old versions overwritten). Always get by canonical name, not dated copy.
- Subscriptions without days= run until you cancel them — always set a cap so you don't come back to gigabytes in inbox.