whats dangerous

powerskipper

powerskipper

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An earlier post got me thinking,

What do you think is the most dangerous sea / weather conditions????
A lot will depend on your boat but if you state your boat size and type i.e. planning,
Semi displacement, displacement 0r type and size of sailing boat. It could be interesting
To compare people’s thoughts on this topic, it would also help many of those new to
Boating who just pop in for a read [We know you are reading this]

A] For off shore cruising

B] Coastal cruising

C] estureys and narrow channels

D] Close quarter manoeuvring

1] Strong winds /flat seas.

2] Big seas /no wind

3] Strong tides

4] Over falls

5] Etc

SO lets see what we can put together,


<hr width=100% size=1>Julie
 
Overfalls are the most dangerous seas. Even in a F3/4 at times.

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn
 
1] Strong winds /flat seas. ??????????????

2] Big seas /no wind ?????????????

1) erh ? how can you have strong winds and flat seas, tis the wind that makes the waves is it not

2) this maybe if its a swell from the tide or effects of far off winds


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1] Strong winds /flat seas. ?????????????? Off shore wind. 1) erh ? how can you have strong winds and flat seas, tis the wind that makes the waves is it not



Big seas /no wind ??????????2) this maybe if its a swell from the tide or effects of far off winds


<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn
 
If you have had flat seas and good weather for a while,
and wind is forecast, the wind can arrive and it has not
had time to whip the sea up, this can a cure in the Solent
but it may only be for a few hours!
Its one of those times when people go out and think its going to be ok ,
have a run down the Solent and then find they now have big seas
as well as the wind,
I did not poss the statement very well.

<hr width=100% size=1>Julie
 
Overfalls in strong wind and tide.

BTW see you are based on the Hamble, there are a few of us there. Where abouts are you based? Solitare & I are up at Burseldon, BurgundyBen a bit further down, Ianainge a bit further down still. What about you?I will look out for you when I'm next out. Come and claim your introductory beer on Blue Angel.

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For me, C and D in any conditions, I sweat when we are in close proximity to other boats etc. Nver know what they are going to do. They frighten me. In any other conditions with plenty of sea room, no problem.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
The factors that affect sea state are things like wind force and direction, tidal flow and direction, changes in the sea bed and changes in the shoreline. The most dangerous kind of sea is where you have short, steep, irregular, breaking waves (overfalls) and you tend to get these off headlands and in shelving water
So, my worst case scenario would be gale force wind against a spring tide off a headland with shelving water depths. Off the South Coast, these conditions can occur at Portland Bill, St Albans Head and Needles Channel amongst others. As an example of an estuary where you can get a combination of wind against tide in shelving depths, the Salcombe river estuary has a notorious reputation. Having said this, any prudent skipper aims to be passing these places at slack water or with wind over tide when the sea state is likely to be much less difficult


<hr width=100% size=1>
 
A lot of accidents happen in calm seas!

This is when people don’t take care!

For me big waves are a problem especially on the side of the boat!

I am happy to go in to them! But have very little control of the boat going with the waves! My boat seems to surf and ride them!

Tom


<hr width=100% size=1>
 
its quite easy to get big winds and small seas and vice versa, because you can have mixed variables

wind over tide with a 6 knot tide it can stay flat(ish) up to F6 conversely off Sark over August bank hols a F3 wind against tide off the headland caused a horrible confused sea coming from all directions

The variables include

tide direction and strength
wind direction and strength
length of fetch (offshore - onshore)
profile of coast
experience of skipper

(that last one was slightly tongue in cheek, but I have found that the more experienced one gets the smaller the seas seem to be; my first time out in a F3 made me very nervous but I now take that in my stride and am slowly pushing the boundries so that I am better at reading the waves and driving around the scary bits where possible, knowing where to apply the power, when to back off, etc.

Personally I find that all the courses only give you the start point there is no substitute for experience slowly and carefully gained!)

all IM(V)HO of course

Steve D

<hr width=100% size=1>No. I was right the first time....
 
Re: no, no, no

Everyone knows that the winds are caused by trees waving their branches to stir up the air. Trees sleep at night, lik eth erest of us, so there are no winds at night. They only start waving in the morning, after breakfast, and so winds before lunch are usually light. As the cumulative effect kicks in, the winds pick up in the afternoon - ask anyone who boats in the Med about this.

Offshore breezes are obvious, but onshore ones are caused by trees waving the air inland, causing a small offshore depression which is rapidly filled by air rushing in from out at sea.

As a result, it is perfectly possible to be a long way offshore in big waves (turbulence caused by fish, as everyone knows - when did you ever see a fishing boat in a film in calm water, eh?), but with no wind, since the trees may have only recently started waving. Conversely, if the trees are particularly agitated, and the fish are all away somewhere else, you get high winds and flat seas.

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Re: no, no, no

You overlooked the effect of the mosquito sneezing in Mozambique. Or far that matter Haydn peeing in the Manchester Ship Canal.

And if they both happen at the same time................................



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Re: no, no, no

Wiggo
Thanks for the explanation - it all makes sense now and I have at last twigged it.

What are clouds caused by? Tree smoking, on fire perhaps?

Tides are no doubt caused by large shoals of fish heading all in the same direction pushing the water ahead of them and hence lowering the water behind them... is that right?

<hr width=100% size=1>Paul
 
Re: silly sod

trees smoking?

Clouds are simply steam caused as the sun heats up the sea, causing it to boil. It obviously takes a long time to heat up, which is why, when the sun is out early in the year, it's usually bloody freezing, but as summer progresses, the clouds get thicker the closer you get to a bank holiday.

As for tides, AFAIK, you only get those sorts of tides in the tropics, where you get those really dense shoals of fish that you see on the holiday adverts. Over here, we don't have enough fish left to do more than just chop up the water a bit. The tides we get are just caused by the water rushing in and out of the locks in the marinas. Tides round the Solent are relatively small, as there are so many marinas, and some open the locks as others close them, so they tend to cancel each other out.

Places in the back of beyond, like Guernsey, Bristol and Wales that only have one marina each tend to get huge tides as a result.

There are no tides at all in the Med because when the Romans built the first marinas, they never built any lock gates, being obsessed with keeping water at the same level.

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