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
Killer wave
- Thread starter Spyro
- Start date
30boat
N/A
I'd sure hate to be face to face with one of those.The Med can be very unpredictable in the winter.
macd
Active member
Why do you suggest that? It's a very large body of water.
Stemar
Well-known member
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.
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.
qweetcher
New member
Scary!
Mrnotming
New member
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.
[2068]
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Pye_End
Well-known member
Do you think that the 8m is an accurate report?
As you say, seems a little on the small side to cause damage.
machurley22
New member
Likewise I wonder if the basic facts of the report are correct. It's hard to imagine that a ship with a total complement of nearly 2000 would have significant glass windows so close to the waterline that they could be damaged by a 26' wave.
I was once on the St. Clair on the Lerwick run when it was struck by a wave estimated at 80' shortly after emerging from the lee of mainland Scotland. It stove in the bridge windows and caused us to turn back for Aberdeen but the only water in the bar was in little jugs for the untrustworthy to add to their whisky.
Maybe they meant 26m.
I was once on the St. Clair on the Lerwick run when it was struck by a wave estimated at 80' shortly after emerging from the lee of mainland Scotland. It stove in the bridge windows and caused us to turn back for Aberdeen but the only water in the bar was in little jugs for the untrustworthy to add to their whisky.
Maybe they meant 26m.
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Fire99
Well-known member
Since i'm a 'reluctant' flyer I've travelled to Ireland by Ferry a number of times. Both Sea-Cat and 'slow' ferries when the weather got rough.
We had some very heavy seas at times on the big old ferries. Crew put bags out for those feeling wobbley. We had waves breaking and hitting the deck 11 bar windows but other than a few crying passengers, that was the worst we encountered.
OK they weren't the lap of luxuary but I never felt i'd come to any harm.
These 'Med' cruise ships seem to be built for trimmings and cramming in passengers first and safety in the event of 'freak weather' second.
AndieMac
Well-known member
Several years ago the ferry (200 metres long and 30,000 tonnes) that crosses Bass Strait (Oz), heading south from Victoria during a night crossing, had the wheelhouse windows taken out by a wave.
The wheelhouse sits approx. 30 metres from the waterline, but was obviously pitching into the trough in front of the wave prior to impact.
The two officers on watch at the time (of impact) were standing behind the helm consul, and ducked as the window smashed (as you would). The disturbing part was the shards of glass that were embedded in the bulkhead wall behind them, as they stood up to assess the damage (I have seen the pics).
I imagine these would be potentially lethal if struck into your head!
The wheelhouse sits approx. 30 metres from the waterline, but was obviously pitching into the trough in front of the wave prior to impact.
The two officers on watch at the time (of impact) were standing behind the helm consul, and ducked as the window smashed (as you would). The disturbing part was the shards of glass that were embedded in the bulkhead wall behind them, as they stood up to assess the damage (I have seen the pics).
I imagine these would be potentially lethal if struck into your head!
Malo37
Well-known member
Wave length (ie distance between crests) and ship speed critical combination
alan_d
Well-known member
Looking at the CNN report it appears that the windows which were stoved in were at foredeck level and seemed to me to be vulnerable to green water coming over the bow. The (fairly few) similar vessels I have travelled on have had solid bulkheads at that level with the panoramic windows being higher up. (But it is not something I have any special knowledge of.)
Thistle
Well-known member
Ach! D'ye mean tae tell me The Hootsmon wisnae recht i'day? It wisnae "... twenty 6ft waves ..." aifter aa'?
