Monster Wave!! Is this for real??

I saw this in a documentary about freak waves. They spoke of two ships meeting them (and this was the one in the Antarctic if my memory is correct). Both had their bridge windows broken and this one also lost its electronics and its power but was ok.

This incident served to diisprove the notion that freak waves were only the result of wind against current situations (such as met in the Agulhas current) as, where this incident occurred, there was no strong current.

Ships were commonly designed to resist 50' waves - thought to be the largest one would ever meet - where the impact is 15 tons to the square metre. However a 30 metre wave strikes with over 100 tons to the square metre and so there is no way a small yacht nor many ships would survive one. IMHO.

John
 
When I was 4 we went to Canada on one of the old Head line boats - cargo with 12 passenger cabins through a winter storm. I remember looking out of the lounge portholes and thinking we would never be able to get over the enormous waves.

When we arrived - after a three week crossing, a lot of which was at 3 knots, the captain told my father that it was his worst ever crossing and that the ship's back was broken.

John
 
I saw the documentary too, and while the two liners were mentioned, there were plenty of other ships as well. The issue is, are the images genuine. I don't find any evidence that the Bremen or Caledonian Star had video cameras running at the time of impact and that these images later
 
Monster Waves are for real.

It is well known between Durban and East London on the South African east coast and any yachtsman sailing that route must time departure correctly as hitting the wild coast as we call it in the wrong weather conditions can give a very difficult ride or worse and with no place to run to can be deadly.
 
It must be real, George Clooney is not on the Bridge! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The clip Looks convincing to me, although, perhaps, it may not actually be the cruise ship shown at the beinning of the film clip? , Perhaps, they knew the wave was comming and had enough time to mount an unmanned camera on the bridge and, also, to have a aeroplane doing a flyby to film from the air???
I am not a film tech. so I wouldn't know if special effects have been used, and I have not experienced it for real, (nor would want to, /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif) to say either way, for sure.
 
It would be so funny if everyone here has had same problems, but is commenting anyway.


What problems are you having opening the clip. Exact error messages.
 
Yes that is about normal especially if the skipper did not slow down! Don't forget that the front of the accomodation is right at the bows so exposed.

What is more interesting and something you maybe didnt appreciate is how much the container ship is bending while dealing with the storm. One of the shots is the view up the pipe tunnel which runs along the keel. Note how much the ship is bending as to goes over the waves and troughs.

John
 
Does no one remember the makers of the Rogue wave program trolling this site a few years ago:) Nice lady and fellow but only interested in waves created by weather. They were not interested in The so called black holes or Tsunami type waves which can also reach sizes not easily comprehended.

We experienced a wave in the North sea where it lifted the Blow out Preventer and its trolley off the rails and dropped it back on the deck...The Blow out preventer !5,000psi wp and size 18 3/4 weighed in at 240 tones. The height of the deck above the sea was around 90 feet.

A similar wave is shown on the heavy seas web site passing under a similar sized rig some years later. it doesnt look that impressive in the picture untill you realise that the wave reaches above the deck from the water line and this is 100 feet nearly.

John
 
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