Rogue wave ?
- Thread starter Snowgoose-1
- Start date
MisterBaxter
Well-known member
It's hard to see what's going on there but it looks like a breaking wave in shallow water close to shore? In which case the quieter period.might just have been a gap between ongoing sets of big waves.
capnsensible
Well-known member
Breaking wave on the beam. The news will never be good from that.....
Wonder if they had engine failure?
Wonder if they had engine failure?
Lodestone
Active member
In a word...Sea Anchor...applicable to power too! Would still have been nasty but probably survivable.
Of note that the GC swimmer wisely decides to stop swimming. There's nothing he can do now until the roll is over.
Of note that the GC swimmer wisely decides to stop swimming. There's nothing he can do now until the roll is over.
Baggywrinkle
Well-known member
I thought I'd seen this before ...
Man, 35, rescued by the Coast Guard in Washington was wanted
It was in surf.
Man, 35, rescued by the Coast Guard in Washington was wanted
It was in surf.
steveeasy
Well-known member
Wow, He was one strong fast swimmer. I do hope he was ok.
Steveeasy
Steveeasy
capnsensible
Well-known member
Rescue swimmers have been used for air-sea rescue work to assist in picking up survivors who are not able to reach the rescue craft, especially those incapacitated by exposure to cold water.[71] Since the mid-1980s when standards were set down for their instruction and implementation, rescue swimmers have deployed from rescue helicopters or rescue boats and have been trained to extricate downed airmen from fouled parachute lines and ejection seats.[71] Rescue swimmers must meet a number of difficult requirements: their physical conditioning must be kept at a high level, they must be expert in first aid treatment methods, and they are often highly trained technicians crucial to the operation of the rescue craft.[72]
Snowgoose-1
Well-known member
Just wondering . If you were in say a Vancouver 34 and had some sail up. And you could point your bow somewhat into the wave would you still get rolled ?
greeny
Well-known member
I think once a wave of that size starts breaking on your beam you are in serious trouble in a small boat whatever the type of boat. Might get away with just a knock down in a sailing boat but its going to be messy. A long time ago I read an article about breaking waves and risks. They were generalising on the type of boat and used a traditional motorboat to model. I remember that the required size of breaking wave on the beam to roll you was surprising small. Nothing like I would have expected.
steveeasy
Well-known member
Dont know about getting rolled but youd get very wet. good reason to have the wash boards in and and tethered. On the beam and youd be lucky to survive. Good reason to make sure you have plenty of fuel and clean tanks. cant afford to loose engine in any kind of scenario like that. Looking at the clip again it was just the wrong boat at the wrong time. Think they just like to role.
Steveeasy
MisterBaxter
Well-known member
Looking at the clip and reading the linked article, I'm pretty sure this was in fairly shallow water near the mouth of a river, and the wave is breaking on a reef or sandbar. So the boat is basically in a place where it really shouldn't be.
capnsensible
Well-known member
General consensus is that once you get a breaking wave on the beam that is equal to your vessels beam, then you stand a very good chance of reaching your vessels angle of vanishing stability. Eek. For me, breaking waves are the most challenging things out there. Keeping steerage so you can take it on a bow, or if canny at steering, on the quarter is vital. Again, for me, keeping some sail up for steerage has been important.
Seven Spades
Well-known member
I am always amazed by the way the US coastguard rescues people they nearly always deploy either a cage or a "rescue swimmer" I have never seen then lower a man in a harness, nor lift anyone with a harness.
boomerangben
Well-known member
I could never fathom why the USCG uses rescues swimmers. To me it’s another potential casualty. The UKCG manage to do the same job and the Winchman never comes off the wire when he/she is in the water (unless of course the helicopter has an emergency itself)
dunedin
Well-known member
My emerging theory is a long keel is more likely to get flipped over than a narrow keel, which is more likely to slip sideways and dissipate some of the energy that way. But in that wave in shallow water all bets are off - you are going over.
Baggywrinkle
Well-known member
Here's something similar from 2014 when a Bavaria 38 and crew probably thought they'd seen the worst of it ...
... at least it came back up.
... at least it came back up.
mjcoon
Well-known member
I wonder what the "swimmers" thought...
Baggywrinkle
Well-known member
..... probably wishing they'd used a harness and clipped on.
mjcoon
Well-known member
I wondered about that too, but as is often said, must be such as to prevent you leaving the deck, else you can be in worse trouble...
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dunedin
Well-known member
Did they all survive? I know there have been quite a few fatalities in similar incidents, so best not to make light unless we know there was a happy outcome.
