Buccaneer CupMarine Weather — Palm Beach Shores, Florida
The Buccaneer Cup 2027 runs Jan 19–23, 2027 out of Palm Beach Shores, Florida. Here is the conditions outlook on the grounds in the lead-up to tournament week.
Tournament Location
Off Palm Beach the Gulf Stream runs about two miles from the beach, so the inlet, the reef and the Stream are one forecast, not three. The live day-by-day GO / CAUTION / NO-GO cards are up top; here is the map, the tide, and the latest outlook.
Palm Beach Inlet
The water off Palm Beach, from the inlet out across the reef to the edge of the Gulf Stream. Pan and zoom the chart, and switch layers to read the water temperature and where the Stream sits.
Palm Beach Inlet
26.772, -80.037
The Palm Beach (Lake Worth) Inlet, beside the Buccaneer Marina in Palm Beach Shores. With the Gulf Stream about two miles offshore, the inlet and the water the fleet fishes come under the same forecast, so this card is the read for the whole run.
Sun and Mon are the days to go; Sat is iffy
Sunday 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM is the pick for the 12-hour trip, with 3-8 knots ESE winds and 1.7-2.5 feet seas at 5-second periods from the east, ahead of the afternoon rain chance.
Palm Beach Inlet — Saturday, Oct 3 · CAUTION
Saturday is a CAUTION day, so timing matters. Winds are light at 0-7 knots from the east with gusts to 15 knots, and seas run 2.0-3.1 feet at 5-second periods from the east. Forecast confidence is only 51%, and there is a 93% chance of rain around 12:00 PM, so bring rain gear and keep a flexible plan.
Palm Beach Inlet — Sunday, Oct 4 · GO
Sunday is a GO day, and any time works for the 12-hour trip. Winds are 3-8 knots from the east-southeast with gusts to 17 knots, and seas are 1.7-2.5 feet at 5-second periods from the east. Rain chance is 60% around 4:00 PM, so bring rain gear for the afternoon.
Palm Beach Inlet — Monday, Oct 5 · GO
Monday is a GO day, with the calmest conditions of the three. Winds are 1-5 knots from the east-southeast with gusts to 12 knots, and seas are 1.1-1.7 feet at 5-second periods from the east-northeast. There is an 83% chance of rain around 6:00 PM, so plan to be in earlier or carry rain gear.
Palm Beach Inlet tides
The Buccaneer sits right beside the Palm Beach Inlet, the nearest way out for most of the fleet. Read the tide alongside the wind and swell before you time the run.
The AI fishing report for the Palm Beach grounds
Weather tells you whether you can go. DeepCast reads the SST breaks, chlorophyll edges, and bottom structure for the exact water the fleet fishes — and turns them into a plain-English fishing report, the same AI reports built into the SeaLegs AI app.
Get the AI-powered fishing reportAbout the Buccaneer Cup
- DatesJan 19–23, 2027
- Host portPalm Beach Shores, Florida — The Buccaneer Resort & Marina, Palm Beach Shores (captain's meeting and weigh station)
- The runOut from Palm Beach Shores beside the Palm Beach (Lake Worth) Inlet, with the Gulf Stream about two miles offshore
- Target speciesAtlantic sailfish and marlin, release-only
The Buccaneer Cup is a release-only sailfish and marlin tournament hosted by The Buccaneer Resort & Marina in Palm Beach Shores, right beside the Palm Beach Inlet. The 64th edition runs January 19 to 23, 2027: the captain's meeting is Tuesday the 19th, and teams fish two of the three days from Thursday January 21 to Saturday January 23.
That choice of days is what makes the forecast matter here. With three days to choose from and two to fish, picking the right day to sit out can decide the tournament, and off Palm Beach the Gulf Stream runs only about two miles offshore, so a rough day reaches close to the beach. This page reads the water at the Palm Beach Inlet, with a plain GO, CAUTION or NO-GO call for each day, updated every morning from the latest marine model data. It is the same AI rating used in the SeaLegs AI app.
Reading conditions for the Buccaneer Cup
Start with the day you sit out. Teams fish two of the three days, so the three-day outlook on this page lines up with the decision itself: as the tournament gets close, look for the day the cards rate worst and plan around it.
Then read the wind direction. The Gulf Stream runs north along this coast, close in, so a north or northeast wind blows straight against it. Behind a winter cold front that is exactly the wind Palm Beach gets, and against the current it stacks up a short, steep sea that is worse than the wave height alone suggests. A wind from the south or southeast runs with the Stream and lies down much more easily.
Then read the inlet. The rules let boats leave and return through any inlet, but for a fleet based at the Buccaneer the Palm Beach Inlet is the obvious one, and the tide chart for the Port of Palm Beach is on this page for that reason. This page is a planning aid, not a substitute for the official NWS coastal waters forecast and marine warnings.
Buccaneer Cup forecast FAQ
What are the marine conditions at Southeast Florida today?
As of Oct 3, 2026: Palm Beach Inlet — CAUTION. Every rating is rebuilt each morning from the latest marine model data.
When is the 2027 Buccaneer Cup?
The 64th Buccaneer Cup runs January 19 to 23, 2027. The captain's meeting is Tuesday January 19, and the fishing days are Thursday January 21 to Saturday January 23, of which each team fishes two. Lines are in at 8:00am and out at 3:30pm. Check the official site for any changes.
Where is the Buccaneer Cup held?
At The Buccaneer Resort & Marina, 142 Lake Drive in Palm Beach Shores, right beside the Palm Beach Inlet. The captain's meeting and the weigh station are at the Buccaneer, and the 2027 awards dinner is at the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa.
What is the format?
Release-only, with live-bait and dead-bait divisions. Under the 2026 rules a sailfish scored 200 points on live bait and 300 on dead bait, and a marlin 400 on either. There are also angler and calcutta awards. The current rules on the official site are the authority.
Where can teams fish?
Under the 2026 rules the boundaries ran from 27°40' N in the north to 26°02' N in the south, and no further east than 79°45' W. Boats may leave and return through any inlet.
How far offshore is the Gulf Stream at Palm Beach?
About two miles. That is why the run to the sailfish grounds is short, and why a north wind against the Stream can build a rough sea very close to the beach.
Why does this page read one zone?
Because off Palm Beach the inlet, the reef and the Gulf Stream all fall within the same few miles of water, and the marine forecast models treat them as one. Three zones would show the same forecast three times.
How often is this forecast updated?
The board is rebuilt every morning from the latest marine model data, and the card refreshes live in your browser. The date stamp above the outlook shows exactly when it was last generated.
What do GO, CAUTION, and NO-GO mean?
GO means conditions are favorable for most recreational boats. CAUTION means marginal — manageable for experienced crews in capable vessels, but check the wind direction against the Gulf Stream closely. NO-GO means conditions are hazardous for small craft and the trip is best postponed. They are a planning aid, not a substitute for the official marine forecast and warnings.
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