Waves steeper in the Med, because water denser..

[jerrytug]

I have just read in an on-line cruising guide to the Med, ' newcomers soon learn that a headwind of 15 knots or so kicks up a particularly nasty short chop, due to the denser water of the Mediterranean'.
True it's a (little) bit denser, but the nasty short chop was the writer trying to launch an urban myth..wasn't it?
The source was an association, for cruising yachtsmen.

 

[Greenheart]

Sounds like the writer is assuming a notable degree of density on the part of his readership, too.

 

[sarabande]

if you sail on mercury, the waves are really short and choppy. Honestly.

 

[Wansworth]

I read of an experienced yachts man who had circumnavigated via the horn etc in his Tahiti Ketch but was no match for the steep seas dragged up by a gale in the Med.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I read of an experienced yachts man who had circumnavigated via the horn etc in his Tahiti Ketch but was no match for the steep seas dragged up by a gale in the Med.

But had he done Chichester Harbour Bar?

 

[Greenheart]

...a particularly nasty short chop...

Sounds reminiscent of the Red Jet wake. Unless...is it referring to the pan-fried breakfast items, mistreated horribly and served as something special at certain Cowes hostelries?

 

[G12]

Having sailed from Crete to Alicante in one hit with 35-40kts on the nose for 80% of it I can say that the med can be a bloody awful place to be. Short confused horrible seas. At least it was warm.
Denser water? I'm sure if someone plotted some proper temperature/salinity graphs then you wouldn't see much difference.

 

[Liz_I]

Wasn't there anywhere to shelter? What on earth were you sailing?

The Med indeed is not a nice place when the wind thinks of blowing... Best case scenario..waves 1 metre high, 1 metre wide & 1 metre apart!! Stops almost any smallish vessel, unpleasant. Run off to somewhere pleasant until the wind stops.

 

[G12]

Wasn't there anywhere to shelter? What on earth were you sailing?

I was on a Nicholson 55 which was more than up to the task. I never once doubted her. They don't make boats like that anymore.

 

[Woodlouse]

I was on a Nicholson 55 which was more than up to the task. I never once doubted her. They don't make boats like that anymore.

One of the old armed forces boats?

 

[Tony Cross]

if you sail on mercury, the waves are really short and choppy. Honestly.

Everybody knows that there is no water on Mercury. It's too close to the Sun!

 

[cmedsailor]

Run off to somewhere pleasant until the wind stops.

And wait for another 24 hours for that horrible swell to calm down!!

 

[OldBawley]

Maybe sailors assume the Med has no currents.

Rhodes strait for instance. The Greek Elias pilot warns for currents of 3 knots. I have seen whirlpools near the Turkish coast at the Catal Adalari islands. Sail on a spring tide with the usual 25 knot wind against the current and hopa, some choppy sea.

Even the big water tanker who used to supply water to Simi island took a course close to Rhodes Northwest shore to have smoother water and use the counter- current.

 

[OldBawley]

Maybe sailors assume the Med has no currents.

Rhodes strait for instance. The Greek Elias pilot warns for currents of 3 knots. I have seen whirlpools near the Turkish coast at the Catal Adalari islands. Sail on a spring tide with the usual 25 knot wind against the current and hopa, some choppy sea.

Even the big water tanker who used to supply water to Simi island took a course close to Rhodes Northwest shore to have smoother water and use the counter- current.

 

[KellysEye]

>Waves steeper in the Med, because water denser..

It's a myth the waves are shorter and steeper because the Med is relatively shallow, the North sea is the same.

 

[cmedsailor]

>Waves steeper in the Med, because water denser..

It's a myth the waves are shorter and steeper because the Med is relatively shallow, the North sea is the same.

I suppose you mean "gets shallow", not "is shallow". Because in many places its from 1000 or 2000 meters plus to 200 meters minus. A good example is the Adriatic sea.

 

[mjcoon]

I suppose you mean "gets shallow", not "is shallow". Because in many places its from 1000 or 2000 meters plus to 200 meters minus. A good example is the Adriatic sea.

But you only have to spend time looking for an anchorage to realise that lots of coastline doesn't get shallow; the cliffs run down below the surface. No doubt this reflects waves instead of dissipating them, leading to those confused and exaggerated seas. (Just off the top of my head or, last week, splashing it!)

Mike.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

I suppose you mean "gets shallow", not "is shallow". Because in many places its from 1000 or 2000 meters plus to 200 meters minus. A good example is the Adriatic sea.

A perfect example of this is the Malta-Sicily Escarpment:

http://cumecs2012.blogspot.com/p/about.html

The relevant picture address is below; it was too big for the screen.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r97FuOLaem8/T8iS653UelI/AAAAAAAAARY/Jh_zLu9aSV4/s1600/Map.jpg

 

[charles_reed]

I have just read in an on-line cruising guide to the Med, ' newcomers soon learn that a headwind of 15 knots or so kicks up a particularly nasty short chop, due to the denser water of the Mediterranean'.
True it's a (little) bit denser, but the nasty short chop was the writer trying to launch an urban myth..wasn't it?
The source was an association, for cruising yachtsmen.

Having tried sailing in many waters, I can vouch for the fact that Mediterranean seas are far higher amplitude for a given frequency than Atlantic or Pacific waters.
They are also far more confused due to constant variable wind speeds and directions.
That part certainly is NOT urban myth.
Whether you translate that as being "more choppy" is entirely down to your understanding of the English language.
Certainly, whilst higher density MAY have something to do with the problem I don't know of any evidence proving the hypothesis.
Whilst I'd happily go to windward in 15-20 knots in the Western Approaches & Channel, the same windspeeds make working to windward in the Med, wetter, slower and far more uncomfortable.
No doubt one day you'll be able to make the comparison in person.

 

[charles_reed]

>Waves steeper in the Med, because water denser..

It's a myth the waves are shorter and steeper because the Med is relatively shallow, the North sea is the same.

I suggest you look at some charts - the Med, is mainly over 2000m deep and in no way comparable with the N Sea.
Unlike most other waters, waves seem to be more challenging in deeper water than shallower.

To aid reduce your mistaken impression:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea