Cruise ships were diverted to the Spotts cruise terminal on Wednesday as rough seas began to churn along the waterfront, fuelled by a stationary front over the Cayman area.
Small craft operators are being advised to exercise caution as seas will be moderate to rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet, becoming 3 to 5 feet by early evening.
Businesses along the waterfront began preparing for the looming rough waves. Cayman Cabana, which usually receives the brunt of rough seas, was closed Wednesday.
Workers were seen removing the planks from the restaurant’s outdoor deck in anticipation of the high waves.
Roylee Moore, acting cruise operations and security manager of the Port Authority, said two ships remained in Spotts as of Wednesday afternoon after being diverted to that area due to the frontal system passing the Cayman area.
“The weather in George Town was not conductive to safely tender due to the westerly swells [Wednesday]. There is one cruise ship scheduled for [Thursday] and they should be going to George Town as the weather has improved and should be fine for tendering,” Moore said in his emailed response to Cayman Compass queries.
He added that there have been no cancellations due to the weather.
Moore urged boaters to follow the local weather forecast issued by the National Weather Service as they venture out onto Cayman waters.
NWS chief meteorologist Kerry Powery Linwood told the Cayman Compass, in an emailed response, that winds are expected to become light by Wednesday night and as such the seas are to follow suit.
“By tonight the sea is forecast to be 2-4 feet [which is] still a bit on the conservative side. The front is to retrogress to the north of our area through tonight. As it does, showers are likely to occur from this afternoon onwards. Perhaps a slight break in showers will occur [Thursday] morning with another bout of showers expected by [Thursday] afternoon,” he added.
In his Wednesday afternoon forecast, Powery Linwood said the cloudiness and showers associated with the stationary cold front over the Cayman area will linger for the next 24 hours.
“The high-pressure system behind the cold front is to drift toward the northeast leading to a reduction of winds speed and wave heights from [Wednesday] afternoon through the weekend. Satellite images show mostly layered clouds across the northwest Caribbean with the more extensive clouds lying south-southwest of Grand Cayman,” Powery Linwood said.
Overnight, he said, there will be partly cloudy to cloudy skies with a 30% chance of showers. Temperatures will fall to the mid 70s °F.
“Winds will be east to northeasterly 5 to 10 knots. Seas will be moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet,” he added.
On Thursday, cloudy conditions are expected to continue with a 30% chance of showers. Temperatures, however, will rise to the mid 80s °F.
Winds will be easterly at 5 to 10 knots and seas will be slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet.
Powery Linwood said the outlook for the islands calls for a gradual decrease in cloudiness and showers from Thursday afternoon as the stationary front retrogresses over the extreme northwest Caribbean.
Light and variable winds are expected from Thursday night.
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