Beaufort Seastate Question

Re: What\'d he say?

Actually virtually everyone has referred to windstrength rather than sea state. I'd have classified the sea state as Beafort F3 and wind strength as c 20knots. Previous day in same place I'd have classified the sea state as f6 short steep wind over tide Solent chop, wind strength 30-40knots.
 
The auld scrote has hed the opportunity tae purchase a new suit o' North's finest - all he has tae dae is get a grip oan his dependence oan ra pernicious weed.
New sails fer auld fags disnae sound a bad swap tae me.
 
Re: What\'d he say?

.. and as Mr Enstone has reminded me the Beaufort Scale was developed so that sailors could estimate the wind strength by observing the sea state in open waters so they knew when to reef etc..., it is not a measure of wind strength but an observation of sea state .. so actually if you had 60 knots in Eastrop Park paddling pool that would probably be F2 seastate but 55 knots of wind, and vice versa coming through the Alderney Race in 20 knots of wind (against tide) it'd like be F8 seastate or similar ... stand to be corrected if my understanding is mistaken?
 
I think it\'s been developed into something a tad more scientific

.... What started off as an indicator to allow sailors to guess wind strength more accurately - via sea state - seems to have become a bit more formalised.

Personally I use the wig test -

From force 1 - roufled to Force 12 - where'd me hair go via force 3 Uhu glue to keep wiggy on and force 8 - superglue!
 
Re: What\'d he say?

Perhaps historically speaking. Maybe because anemomemters weren't terribly accurate in those days? Nowadays it's used by the likes of the Met Office and everyone else (so far as I'm aware) primarily to indicate wind speed. Sea state is quoted separately, slight, moderate, rough etc.
 
Douglas Scale

Beaufort Scale started as seastate obsrvation to gauge windforce, and has ended up as windforce because of the ability to measure it. Sea state is measured separately using the Douglas Scale .. I was intrigued that in the Mirabella V accident report they used Beaufort for sea state and knots for wind speed..

Douglas Scale below

0 Calm (glassy) -
1 Calm (rippled) 0 - 0,10 metres
2 Smooth 0,10 - 0,50 metres
3 Slight 0,50 - 1,25 metres
4 Moderate 1,25 - 2,50 metres
5 Rough 2,50 - 4 metres
6 Very rough 4 - 6 metres
7 High 6 - 9 metres
8 Very high 9 - 14 metres
9 Phenomenal over 14 metres

and apparently is the motion of the waves generated by the wind blowing directly on the observed sea area
or in its immediate vicinity ... and not the swell generated miles away.
 
Looks like 20 to 25 knots, but how that relates to Beaufort Scale in the sheltered waters of the Solent is anyone's guess. Captain Beaufort developed his scale in 1805 as a reference for determining how much sail he could carry in various offshore conditions. It doesn't have much relevence to coastal cruising. (Having said that, I don't think it is a bad thing for sailors to think in Beaufort because it should conjure up an idea of the sailing conditions, not just the wind speed). Because someone experienced 50 knots on the Solent, or Chesapeake Bay, does not necessarily mean they have been in a F10! You can get a leaflet with photographs of the open sea state at the various Beaufort numbers from the Met Office but, as someone mentioned earlier, photographs tend to flatten the waves. Even so, you can see that F10 is serious, boat-threatening stuff.
 
Re: Douglas Scale

pic taken around the same time but with sun behind ...
Image090s.sized.jpg

... sea state is difficult to gauge. About an hour later, with a good 10kn less wind speed and further from land, the sea was a good deal rougher
 
Re: Douglas Scale

worth his weight in gold?
Image094s.sized.jpg

axshally, this pic might have been taken at the exact same time as your first one ..
 
Re: Douglas Scale

this is what a bene does in a F3!! can you jist imagine, ma shun, whit its like in onything stronger ....
 
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