Spyro
Well-known member
That's a big wave for the Med!
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100303/twl-killer-26ft-wave-kills-two-on-cruise-3fd0ae9.html
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100303/twl-killer-26ft-wave-kills-two-on-cruise-3fd0ae9.html
That's a big wave for the Med!l[/url]
I certainly don't want to meet a 26ft wave in Jissel, but Louis Majesty's a big ship, so what was so special about the wave? I'd expect cross channel ferries to meet waves that size several times a year.
It seems to me that someone needs to be asking some pretty searching questions about the design and fitness for purpose of a cruise ship that can be badly enough damaged to kill passengers by an 8m wave. As I recall, QE2 recorded meeting a 30m wave without significant damage.
Agree with Stemar, a liner keeps going by design, a cruise ship is just a block of flats waiting for something to overwhelm it. Our older B & I line ferries used to have steel covers over the forr'ard windows for bad weather, force 11 was not an excuse for anything unusual.(Irish Sea crossing).Front bar closed as open water reached, and all used to retreat to another bar over the centre of pitch and roll.Guinness perfect as usual! A good ship and a pint to enjoy her by! Sealink captains were instructed to use their judgement as to whether damage would result from sailing, and so remained at dock, passengers tickets being honoured at Holyhead departure by B&I line. No great luxury, just well found ships. Then, the train to London used to wait for the ship,no longer I understand. In Rosslare Harbour(Rosslare Europort), the train was at one stage scheduled to depart from Dublin before the ship arrived. Perhaps it still does?Such is progress.