000 AGXX40 KNHC 270750 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 300 AM EDT MON APR 27 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... STRONG RIDGE EXTENDING ALONG 31/32N FROM 1032 MB HIGH PRES OVER THE SW N ATLC WILL MAINTAIN A STEADY E-SE FLOW ACROSS ENTIRE GULF THROUGH FORECAST PERIOD. SHIP...ALTIMETER AND SATELLITE WIND MEASUREMENTS INDICATE 25-30 KT WINDS BLOWING THROUGH PORTIONS OF THE BAHAMAS AND STRAITS OF FLORIDA...AND DIRECTLY AGAINST THE FLORIDA CURRENT...INDUCING HIGHER AND STEEPER WAVES UP TO 13 FT AND POSSIBLY HIGHER. MEANWHILE...WW3 GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO FORECAST 7-10 FT SEAS ACROSS THIS AREA...DESPITE HIGHER SEAS REPORTED FOR LAST THREE DAYS. THE FORECAST CONTINUES TO LEAN TOWARDS THE REPORTED SEA CONDITIONS. FRESH 20-25 KT FLOW ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE GULF...EXCEPT THE NE...CONTINUES TO GENERATE SEAS IN THE 7-9 FT RANGE ELSEWHERE. THE RIDGE IS FORECAST TO BEGIN TO WEAKEN TONIGHT INTO TUE AND BEYOND...ALLOWING FOR WINDS TO DIMINISH AND SEAS TO SUBSIDE. SW N ATLC... WEAKENING STATIONARY FRONT OVER ATLC FROM 31N53N TO 24N59W THEN CONTINUES WSW TO SE BAHAMAS AS SHEAR AXIS...WITH SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION ALONG AXIS AND THROUGH THE BAHAMAS. 1032 MB HIGH PRES CENTERED JUST OF THE AREA CONTINUES TO FORCE A BROAD SWATH OF 20-30 KT NE-E WINDS ACROSS THE BASIN W OF 60W...WHICH IS FUNNELING THROUGH STRAITS OF FLORIDA INTO SE GULF...AS WELL AS WINDWARD PASSAGE. STRONG WINDS EXTEND UP TO 360 NM NW OF SHEAR LINE...THROUGH THE BAHAMAS AND ACROSS THE GREATER ANTILLES. THE HIGHEST SEAS OUTSIDE OF STRAITS OF FLORIDA ARE OCCURRING JUST E OF CENTRAL BAHAMAS...TO 11 FT IN MODERATE PERIOD WIND SWELL...AND PRODUCING VERY ROUGH AND STEEP SEAS IN PASSAGES BETWEEN ISLANDS. WW3 GUIDANCE LAGS WELL BEHIND SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SHIP REPORTS. BROAD AND ELONGATED FETCH OF STRONG WINDS FINALLY INDICATING SIGNS OF DIMINISHING BY TUE WHEN THE HIGH PRES STARTS TO DRIFT NE AND WEAKENS TO 1026 MB. GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT IN MARINE CONDITIONS SHOULD BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE SW N ATLC AND BAHAMAS WED THROUGH FRI. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... HEALTHY PRES GRADIENT CONTINUES ACROSS THE BASIN BETWEEN THE 1032 MB ATLC HIGH DUE NORTH OF THE BASIN...AND 1010 MB COLOMBIAN LOW...MAINTAINING STRONG EASTERLY TRADES ACROSS TROPICAL ATLC AND CARIBBEAN BASINS...TOPPING 30 KT ALONG THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. LITTLE CHANGE IN THIS PATTERN IS EXPECTED THROUGH LATE MONDAY BEFORE THE WEAKENING RIDGE WILL ALLOW FOR RELAXATION OF THE PRES GRADIENT...HENCE WEAKENING WINDS. SEAS ARE FORECAST BY WW3 TO BUILD 8 TO 9 FT ACROSS E CARIBBEAN BY EARLY TUE...AND 11 TO 12 FT WRN CARIB...AND UP TO 13 FT OFF COAST OF COLOMBIA. TROPICAL ATLC SEAS WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD THROUGH MON AS A LONG FETCH OF E-NE TRADE WINDS PERSISTS WELL UPSTREAM. ATLC... .NONE.. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FORECASTER STRIPLING. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.