Heavy weather, can we be honest?

[BandB]

Seems like wind speeds and sea sizes grow much the same as fish size with fishermen. I see videos of 10' seas and they look more like 4' to me. Then no mention of period and rest assured a 10' swell at 13 seconds off the coast of Washington is nothing like 6' at 5 seconds off Hatteras.

When I hear someone reporting repeated trips in horrific, life threatening conditions, all I can think is "you idiot." Seriously, to once get caught in such conditions or twice or every ten years or so I understand but if it's near constant then it's a result of some very poor judgment.

In our 4 1/2 years of ocean cruising, covering about 75,000 nm, including the west and east coasts, the Gulf of Alaska, the western and eastern Caribbean, the worst seas we've seen have been 10-12' with short periods and 16' swells with long periods. We've seen a lot of winds but then living in South Florida winds are a normal part of life. Gusts of 40 knots not unusual or noteworthy in our travels, a few times of sustained winds at that level, but often not accompanied by terribly rough seas. We've been in the Eastern Caribbean when east of the islands was sustained at those speeds but we stayed safely inside to the west and only got the brunt of it when passing between islands.

Still it's a matter of perspective and if it feels like 20' and 50 knots to someone then it's as bad as if it really was I guess. I know owners of KK's and Nordhavn's who don't go out in more than 4' seas, not because they couldn't, but just don't want to.

[tiopirata]

In 54 years of sailing and seagoing, both professional and for my own enjoyment, over close to a million miles, I have seen what I regard as heavy weather on only 6 occasions, and 2 of those were in very high latitudes. The OP raises a good point here. It is less common then maddening calms for sure.

[Hasbeen]

I got caught in the Solomon Sea between Bougainville Island & Woodlark island, in a cyclone, would you believe. 8 degrees south where cyclones aren’t supposed to happen, particularly as late as May.

Lay a-hull in about 40K for 30 hours, in a surprisingly moderate sea, had a nasty half an hour when the wind swung from South east to north west in just a couple of minutes, with water going everywhere, then had to lay for another30 hours waiting for some visibility.

In the early 70s we mere mortals could not afford sat nav, it was a bit frightening having no idea where you may have drifted to in almost 3 windy days with no sight. Finally gathered up some courage & headed for where I thought Ranongga Island in the Solomons might be. At 7000Ft high & steep too it was the best choice. Fortunately it appeared out of the murk at over 20 miles. What a relief that was.

Strangely I have had it much rougher each time I have crossed the Coral Sea. It gets big & really nasty once the trades get over about 30K. I have never crossed it without getting down to just one sail. On one trip from Honiara, Guadalcanal to Cairns Australia about 1150 nautical miles, I averaged 186 miles a day under just a 146 Sq Ft jib. The swell was so big I could only see it when I took a sight. I only had a horizon for about 15 seconds in the minute, & it had no effect on the yacht. The 10Ft cross chop riding over it was really dreadful, with the boat leaping off the top of some regularly.

It wouldn’t have got much over about 30 knots, but was as rough as I’ve seen. I would really hate to get caught in a big blow in the Coral Sea.

[Catapault]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

We have well-known wind patterns here in Mediterranean unique to the geography that can produce high winds for several days at a time. Most notable for us has been the Mistral off Southern France and the Bora in the Adriatic. We've experienced the Bora a few times in protected anchorages, the Mistral has caught us out sailing a couple of times, the most significant was ten hours in 40-49 knots sustained on the beam.

These aren't fictitious as mariners throughout recorded history have reported these well-known winds and many tens of thousands of boats have sunk, just read your history books.

Here's a diagram showing the patterns and a Weather4G screenshot taken on a day I was tucked into a protected cove off Olbia during a Mistral in late May.

Ken,

What is that app for med weather please ?

Regards

Mark.

[Catapault]

Whilst new to cruising, I've sailed the worlds oceans in larger ships for 15+ years at various times.

In that time, I've seen REALLY bad weather only a handfull, and even then it was generally in places you'd expect it to be.

Worst was either a crossing of the Great Australian Bight, when the Aircraft carrier we were with was taking green water over the flight deck. Thankfully at the time I was in something long and black, so we dived to get away from it Not a lot of weather at several hundred feet...

The other was Great southern Ocean, Deliberately racing due south from Fremantle into a gale to launch a Helo to assist a yacht in distress. Recovering said helo was, interesting....

And lastly, Drakes passage, where again, you expect it !. (Drake Shake, not lake !)

Everywhere else, the odd storm, maybe 12-24 hours of nasty weather, but nothing really serious.


As for cruising, well, will see ! That adventure only just beginning.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Someone posted a video recently of sailing in a 40 knot wind. I thought, maybe I really need to get a good anemometer, because if that's true I've sailed in lots of 40 knot days... and I know I haven't.

No, sounds like you just aren't blowing smoke up someone butt. Get your tape measure out and measure those waves and period.

[barnakiel]

We have seen winds in excess of 60kts (in gusts) offshore only once (W of the Gambiers). We had one gust in excess of 75kts when docked in Richards Bay RSA (reported by a fellow boat, our instrument tops at 60kts).

We have seen periods of sustained 30/35 gusting 45 a couple of times, they were from 6 to 12 hours long.

I too think many wind reports of sustained wind are exaggerated. Unless the boat is in the deep Southern Ocean or else got entangled in a nasty tropical feature.

On the other hand, I care little for the wind. It is always the waves that did any serious damage to our boat and my skipper's pride. Both times we got wiped out (big drama way) the wind was less than 35kts. Conditions seemed rough, but not threatening. They seemed.

Let it blow,
b.

[zeehag]

i have accurately described my misadventures. complete with wind speeds per noaa and my own anemometer. if that is not accurate enough, donot read my words. i sailed heavy weather in gom--that was a kick--can be miserable or good, depending on your attitude, and pacific ocean and hudson river since 1955. i have endured the pnw remnants of cyclonic wpac storms, describing the wind speeds which were backed up by others in the same situation.
i have also sailed chubasco wind off southern baja coast in pacific. i sat thru patriciacane under the eye pumping my bilges before the 215 mph winds blew our doors off with the 250 mph gusting. we were the lucky ones of secondary landfall and intensifying storm.
donot like or believe? donot read.

[AJ_n_Audrey]

I saw my highest winds on a Gulf Stream passage when winds shifted into the north, but even then, it was sustained (6+ hours) low 30's and gusts to low 40's. That was bad enough for me. I was stupid to cross that day, and would never do so again. My son really wanted to go - I should have waited a day. I would share pictures of the really confused and big waves I saw, but I was too busy holding on to the boat. Oh, and it was raining as had as I've ever seen on the water. I saw a harder thunderstorm in Brazil once, but I was on land that time.

[AJ_n_Audrey]

Should have said "as hard as I've ever seen......"

[Cadence]

I believe the OP was referring to exaggerated tales of the sea.
Sounds like he/she provoked some.

[donradcliffe]

Yes. sailors like to spin yarns, and sometimes truth is victim to a good story. I was enjoying Diesel Bill's yarn until he got to the fierce tidal currents around Santa Cruz, which max about at 1 knot. Indeed, the Santa Cruz harbor entrance is closed by shoaling by mid-January in most winters, so perhaps he also lost track of the date.

I apply surfer's rule to most wind reports from cruisers--divide by two and add one. I remember Archie from South Africa reporting on the SSB net 'mountainous waves and 30+ knots' when he had to beat back against the trades to Raiatea. We were anchored inside the reef at Mopelia and could see him out there--battling into less than 15 knots and 2 meters.

Personally, I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen sustained winds (not gusts, not squalls) of over 40 knots in over 150,000 miles of sailing.

[BandB]

Wifey B: Oh, the waves were taller than the Empire State Building and the winds topped any ability we have to measure, off the scale, over 500 mph, and the fish we caught while all this was going on was a 2000 lb Blue Marlin. Not to mention the shark that jumped into our boat in a moment of fear and i had to pick up and throw back out and then the fool shark did it a second and third time. The third time, I just sliced him up for dinner. All this while I was crossing the Atlantic in my little rowboat.

[Sandero]

Worst conditions for me by far was the 91 Marion Bermuda race. We encountered what was later to become the so called "perfect storm" further to the east. It killed Mike Plant on his way single handed to the BOC...

We saw this blow in the Gulf Stream... and in the evening... waves were as high as halfway up the mast! We had a crew with harness swept out of the cockpit. All 6 on b board were seasick. The cabin was a mess.

We hand steered of course... Shiva passed with flying colors... no gear failures. Winds were steady 40 with gusts....but it was the waves that were frightening.

This is something to avoid at all cost. Not the least bit fun.

I've sailed through hurricanes being born north of the ITC... lots of wind, rain... but nothing like the perfect storm.

[Aaron42]

I'm not much of a cruiser but I enjoy reading this forum. I sail on an inland lake in Oklahoma, the tornado capital of the world. Where high altitude cold air coming over the Rockies violently trades places with low altitude warm air from the gulf. It's not uncommon for me to sail in 20kt gusting to 30kt and I have been caught out in sustained 40kt winds. Fortunately blowing towards the harbor and as we all know, any boat will sail down wind. The lake is small enough that we never really get any wave action. I've only had water over the bow once.