Aeolus - the god of all winds

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
ripples first start at 6, then those first white caps at ten, at fifteen white caps all around, at twenty it goes to all white caps.
Since we actually live in the real world, not some test chamber, I believe the above statement has been made w/o including the effects of current on the action of the wind on moving water.
We often see exaggerated results on the surface that the wind speed alone cannot account for.
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
john's video says the name as i understood it to be. :)

so i'm racing up lake michigan, the slower boats, me, started first. the thermal on shore winds are blowing 6 to 8 true. when the shore breeze stopped and the evening lake breeze had yet to kick in we stopped. occasional zephers push us now and then. and here comes larry ellison with his 130 ft mast and 17ft draft with all black sails rolling up the lake at 9. fun to watch. well it is simple, there is wind aloft that is above the deck and above us. the surface layer was stopped. as i understand it, the wind aloft needs to wash out the heavy surface layer so that we can get going again. there is a science to how and why this washout comes down from above. the surface creates friction and slow the wind on the deck. by 26 mph all the surface layer will be washed out. on the lakes we don't usually have much in the way of current so it's never like playing in the gulf stream, say.
understanding how to grab the wind is quit a game.
 
Feb 14, 2014
7,399
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
I just used my Dictionary and it has a "listen" an /iːˈoʊləs/ as its pronunciation.
The "listen" was from Greek...
A O luss
I would think @jssailem 's is more common as...
Ehh O luss

When I first look up the God of the Winds, as I showed a drawing in this link, I was frustrated that when the weather said there would be 10 knot winds, I got 3 knots.:mad:

So in one of my early posts in SBO, I ask how to summon up Aeolus.
With my Latin language courses, I always thought it was said this way...

Aye O luss

I now prefer...

Windy...:)

Jim...

PS: your boat name , you call it.
 
Jun 14, 2010
307
Seafarer 29 Oologah, OK
Three times in my career I have whistled for the wind in a dead calm, deep sea. Three times I have been granted a full gale or more (pre-satellite so in at least 1 case possibly a hurricane). Never again will I whistle for the wind, even jokingly!
Ian Toll in Six Frigates, talking about sailor's superstitions, remarked dryly that whistling for a wind "invariably worked, eventually".
 

capta

.
Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
Ian Toll in Six Frigates, talking about sailor's superstitions, remarked dryly that whistling for a wind "invariably worked, eventually".
In all three cases, it was within 12 hours, pretty immediate. Probably more the calm before the storm thing that superstition.
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
the calm after the storm: the rain brings down the cold air from aloft that then spreads out on the earth's surface. the gradient then go aloft till the cold air gets washed out. it creates a no wind barrier if if racing or cruising
 
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Likes: Will Gilmore
Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
the calm after the storm: the rain brings down the cold air from aloft that then spreads out on the earth's surface. the gradient then go aloft till the cold air gets washed out. it creates a no wind barrier if if racing or cruising
I don’t understand. You lost me there.
 
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Likes: jon hansen
Feb 14, 2014
7,399
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
the rain brings down the cold air from aloft
Well that is small part...
1) Rain is water vapor condensing.
2) Drops form and may be blown back into the clouds.
3) The Drops finally get large enough so they free fall.
4) Drops can get very large, but the larger the drop , the less surface air drag they have.
5) Falling drops, Drag the air and begin a downward air flow.
6) The falling Drops evaporate too, causing a chilling of the air.
7) Drops hit the surface and Stop, and cooled air spreads out around the rainfall.
_______
It is very very rare for a non hurricane wind/rain to do a Gradient circulation.
Hurricanes do that near the Eye Wall.

Here is a quick reason why...
Path of least resistance.

Cold air falls and warm air rises. So where is the temperature gradient upward?

_____
Spring rains bring a big rush of cool fresh air, just in front of the rain.;)
Jim...
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
thunder storms over the ocean are very small as they are salted and switch to rain very early in their development. over north america big storms can grow as tall as 40,000 ft often. but up here we can get "super cell" storms that punch through the different layers all the way to 70,000 ft. it's cold up there. it's brought to the deck. way different recipe then over the oceans
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
the cold air spreads out on the surface. much denser air. a dome if you will. the surface gradient winds will flow upwards and over the dome. the cold dome on the deck creates the calm until the dome is warmed and washed out. the storms are moving across the surface being pushed by the gradiant winds aloft leaving a swath of calm. sailors will then have to wait till the swath is washed out before the surface winds will fill their sail once more
 
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May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
I don’t understand. You lost me there.
high performance sailing by frank bethwaite. chapter 8, section 8.5, raining clouds. you implied you have read the book or at least have a copy. he does a more detailed explanation then i could do. interesting stuff i find.

up on the great lakes this is important knowledge for sailing tactics for the serious long distant sailor, be it racing or cruising.
 
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