Big Seas Around Lord Howe Island.

[Budawang]

In the photo it looks like the reef is doing a great job protecting the lagoon.

Ann: we are going to New Caledonia in June. Can't wait but also looking forward to Lord Howe.

[BigBeakie]

We had a very "memorable" trip back from LHI when a weather system stalled and produced fully developed breaking seas from the south for 3 days of hand steering the cat day & night (which was scary) through the breakers. Wind against current can result in atrocious and dangerous conditions. That experience was a main motivator for investigating the capabilities of the para-anchor, because after 3 days the fatigue builds to dangerous levels. We were lucky.

It was a valuable lesson in what bluewater cruising can dish up, and what a well built cat can endure.

It is a stunning place, but go in a good, strong boat and pick your weather window, because the seamounts, long fetch, wind against EAC, can kick your butt. I've seen a charter design cat that did not fare well on the same trip back to NSW, and required major structural repairs under similar conditions.


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[Jim Cate]

G'day all,

I just received an update letter from a cruising friend, and it is highly applicable to this discussion. Below find an excerpt from that letter:

******
In early January we sailed direct from Wide Bay Bar to Lord Howe Island. Entry into the lagoon is strictly controlled and when we got there we had to radio the Port Operations Manager (who is also the policeman). In the old days the POM would come out in his boat and guide you in. Now the policeman sits on the hill in his police cruiser and talks you in on the radio. We had been allocated a mooring in the Northern Pass but there had been a mix-up and we had to spend the first night in Man-of -War Passage. This is the deep-water mooring field and it is quite open to the sea. It was a rolly night and the next day we were glad to move.

A low pressure system formed in the south and the policeman advised the boats in the Man-of-War Passage to leave the lagoon and anchor around the other side of the island. It would have been a tough couple of hours battling up the island. There are times it is good not to be a big boat.

The gale started that night. The thunder echoed off the cliffs and the lightning streaked across the black sky. The wind was from the north so we had some protection, but the gusts were vicious and laid us over. The boats on the other side were on a lee shore with sketchy holding and one or more of them dragged during the long night.

The next day the wind changed to the south west and blew over 40 knots. There was a huge swell and immense waves crashed over the reef. There was so much water in the lagoon that the current ran at several knots past the boat and out the pass. We were bow on to the current and beam on to the waves. We spent most of the time heeled over. It was like being at sea except that we didn’t have to keep watch. There was very little rain and the boat was covered in salt.

For four days it was too rough for us leave the boat. The boat on the mooring next to us had been through the Northwest Passage in the Arctic and was more seriously equipped. On the second day I put on my lifejacket and went ashore with them. Check out Maewan Adventure Base Facebook for photos of the wind and waves at Lord Howe including a shot of our boat. Finally we were able to launch our dinghy and go ashore. We were interested to check out conditions for the boats anchored on the other side. They were out of the worst of the wind but there was a huge ocean swell running and as each wave passed under them, it lifted them up and threatened to throw them onto the shore.

*******

The author of the letter is a very experienced cruiser, so don't take this as newbie panic. Rather, if you contemplate a cruise to LHI, be prepared for conditions such as this.

Jim

[Dave_S]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Quite scary in the lagoon!

You don't see that on the post cards. Hope it calms down for you soon.

[arsenelupiga]

Originally Posted by BigBeakie

We had a very "memorable" trip back from LHI when a weather system stalled and produced fully developed breaking seas from the south for 3 days of hand steering the cat day & night (which was scary) through the breakers. Wind against current can result in atrocious and dangerous conditions. That experience was a main motivator for investigating the capabilities of the para-anchor, because after 3 days the fatigue builds to dangerous levels. We were lucky.

It was a valuable lesson in what bluewater cruising can dish up, and what a well built cat can endure.

It is a stunning place, but go in a good, strong boat and pick your weather window, because the seamounts, long fetch, wind against EAC, can kick your butt. I've seen a charter design cat that did not fare well on the same trip back to NSW, and required major structural repairs under similar conditions.


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Thanks for the story.

One needs strong stamina to consider this kind of trip, or larger experienced crew. 3 day manual steering has to be able to do, so I am quite confident can do.

I have seen some strongly built cats, Fredyis come to mind, however detailed inspection showed 'give points'. No wonder guy was boasting with 350 nm days. Else lagoons are strongly built. I think weakest point in storm is rigging, when boat flexing, rigging has to flex as well else mast of forward crossbeam give. I am hoping with amount of twist in the mast of L 400, this was taken in consideration by architect. Time and experience will tell if my assumptions are correct.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

Could you describe these 'worst seas' ?

LHI is on my list also

Basically we had a pop up east coast low develop more or less over us some fifty miles N of LIH. Large residual sw swell, EAC flowing south, NE winds backing to NW, sustained winds around 50 knots for 36+ hours. Seas were quite confused, steep at times and fairly high. I don't like to give sea heights, for they are very hard to accurately determine from a small boat. I'll say that considering the steepness they were damn high! The irregularity of frequency and direction lead to a full knock down in one case and falling off the side of one, snapping off our wind vane rudder in another. All the above while very slowly fore reaching, trying to maintain steerage way... couldn't stay hove to for long, for the wave action would knock us about enough that the boat would not stay in the hove to aattitude. Fore reaching was a lot more stable, but couldn't cope with some of the wave combinations.

I hope to never see such again.

Jim

[BigBeakie]

Jim,

We fore reached as well, just trying to anticipate the path of the white trains coming at us, to try and dodge them as best we could.

Knowing that hindsight is always 20/20 vision, can you offer an opinion on whether you think a Parachute anchor may have been better than fore reaching for extended period?

Can you also relate your level of fatigue under those conditions by the end of the ordeal? Thanks👍


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[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by BigBeakie

Jim,

We fore reached as well, just trying to anticipate the path of the white trains coming at us, to try and dodge them as best we could.

Knowing that hindsight is always 20/20 vision, can you offer an opinion on whether you think a Parachute anchor may have been better than fore reaching for extended period?

Can you also relate your level of fatigue under those conditions by the end of the ordeal? Thanks👍


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iWell, I'm not a believer in parachutes for monohulls in general, and do not carry one, so I'm not very qualified to speak to this question. My general feeling is that with the very confused sea state it would have not been a good choice, but without experience that's poorly supported.

As to fatigue, remember that this was in June of 1996 so memories are a bit warped. After the windvane rudder was snapped off we aborted our passage to New Cal and diverted towards Moreton Bay where I had access to work areas to build a new one. As the low moved off we started sailing northward and as I've related before, after a couple of days we were hove to trying to get some rest when we were dismasted. When we motored in to MBTBC 20 hours later we were knackered, that's for sure! But I don't recall being excessively fatigued during the storm. We were a lot younger and more resilient back then!

Jim

PS Remember that this was in our first Insatiable, a retired IOR one-tonner.

[arsenelupiga]

i have not been in large confused seas but more like medium pyramid like. I know it was not joke as one mono lost mast in this. They tried to sail.

Cant see how parachute could help as can hit from any direction including underneath.

Luck or prayer(s) not to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when large one comes (or large sea hole come with same frequency) seem best bet.

Strong boat helps a bit but no guarantee.

[Budawang]

Jim that storm sounds awful and I can understand why you might avoid the area. I'd be interested to know whether the forecast before you set off gave you any idea of its intensity. Was there a wind against current situation making it worse? I've heard the sea mounts also cause sea state confusion. I'm assuming that these days with accurate forecasts via Predict Wind we will have a pretty good idea of conditions for the 2 to 3 day crossing particularly if the models converge. Once we're out there we will have to constantly monitor PW and be ready to leave at short notice.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Budawang

Jim that storm sounds awful and I can understand why you might avoid the area. I'd be interested to know whether the forecast before you set off gave you any idea of its intensity. Was there a wind against current situation making it worse? I've heard the sea mounts also cause sea state confusion. I'm assuming that these days with accurate forecasts via Predict Wind we will have a pretty good idea of conditions for the 2 to 3 day crossing particularly if the models converge. Once we're out there we will have to constantly monitor PW and be ready to leave at short notice.

Indeed forecasting is greatly improved since 1996. We were relying upon newspaper 4 day progs, and it missed the development of the ECL that nailed us. Speaking to a chap from BOM later, he said that they were using 4 models for their offshore f/c. Two showed the low developing, two did not, and they printed one that did not. OUr bad luck.

The modern f/c are much better at picking up such features, but sometimes not so far in advance as to be useful if you are out there, so stay on your toes!

Jim