Combined wind waves and swell heights along the Washington Coast ran 25-30 feet for a few days last week -- good for storm watching, pretty dangerous for boating. Yet that's just a drop in the bucket compared to what some have faced. Pacific Yachting reports that in a February, 1933 storm the USS Ramapo on it's way from San Diego to Manila was overtaken by a 112 foot wave (the highest recorded storm-produced wave) that was moving at 50 knots! And then there's Lituya Bay, Alaska. An earthquake on July 9, 1958 that hit 7.9 on the Richter scale threw off a Tsunami that reached 1720 feet onto the opposite shore in the Bay. No that's not a misprint. One thousand seven hundred and twenty feet! Unbelievably some of the boaters anchored in the Bay actually survived. Recognizing wave shape and frequency can be more important than size for sailboats, but size counts too. What are the biggest waves you've sailed in? What were the circumstances? Did you take them on the bow or the stern or off the quarter? How did your boat handle them? Were you scared? Share your big wave experiences and be sure to vote in the quiz on the bottom of the home page. (Quiz by Gary Wyngarden)
- Status
Combined wind waves and swell heights along the Washington Coast ran 25-30 feet for a few days last week -- good for storm watching, pretty dangerous for boating. Yet that's just a drop in the bucket compared to what some have faced. Pacific Yachting reports that in a February, 1933 storm the USS Ramapo on it's way from San Diego to Manila was overtaken by a 112 foot wave (the highest recorded storm-produced wave) that was moving at 50 knots! And then there's Lituya Bay, Alaska. An earthquake on July 9, 1958 that hit 7.9 on the Richter scale threw off a Tsunami that reached 1720 feet onto the opposite shore in the Bay. No that's not a misprint. One thousand seven hundred and twenty feet! Unbelievably some of the boaters anchored in the Bay actually survived. Recognizing wave shape and frequency can be more important than size for sailboats, but size counts too. What are the biggest waves you've sailed in? What were the circumstances? Did you take them on the bow or the stern or off the quarter? How did your boat handle them? Were you scared? Share your big wave experiences and be sure to vote in the quiz on the bottom of the home page. (Quiz by Gary Wyngarden)
Catalina Channel Crossing*yks
Cant help but respond to this one, in that I happen to a surfer as well as a sailor. Not to toot my horn, but I have been surfing for 30 years and primarily shine in big surf and have lived in Hawaii, to surf the North Shore and traveled to Mexico, France, Western Samoa, Fiji etc. in search of big waves. I have ridden waves that could easily cave in my C30 but my most terrifying experiences with waves have been on boats.. Back in the early seventies, my father had a 36 ft Trojan powerboat. My older brother had talked Dad into giving him and his buddy a boat ride up to "Point Dume" during a a south swell generated by a hurricane off the tip of Baja. The swell was so big that it would have been almost impossible to to paddle out from shore, so doing the boat access was the only way. I remember my little sister and I were watching over the stern as Guy Knight (Brothers surf buddy) was paddling back to the boat after we had spent about an hour trying to figure out where they were, after dropping them off some 400 yds from shore in some heavy kelp. Guy climbed up on the swimm step and franticly explained that my brother was on the beach and couldnt get back out. Just as this was going on, we spotted my brother trying once more to get past the breaking 10-12 ft waves. I guess my father figured he was going to drown and decided that he'd best power over to him as soon as it was safe. About four years prior to this, we had lost a little brother due to a drowning accident, so I have to believe this might have had an effect on Dads decision. At any rate, Dad swoops in, brother gets to the swim step with the whole "nine yards of mega drama" about how he was almost killed by a giant wave, bla, bla, bla.... Well, about the time this was all going on, I was looking toward the horizon, which had somehow dissapeard! Sure enough, here comes a three wave set, bigger than anything we had previously seen. Its funny, a swell becomes a wave when the wind knocks down the top, or, in the case of surfing, when it reaches a depth of twice its height. I could swear I remember my father saying that the depth was at 35 ft,at that time. Well, we made it over the first two swells, but the third was just starting to feather at the top as my father had both throttles pegged forward. I remember trying to jump down below but as my feet left the ground, the floor of the cabin seemed to become a wall in front of me. We had just hit the top of the wave as it was beging to break. The boat went damn near totally vertical before lanching completey out of the water! I will never forget the sound that those engines made when the two props cut loose of the water! IT WAS DEAFENING! The boat seemed to land ass end first with a strange growl, cavitated real bad, then bit the water and learched forward! We made it out. All my Dad said was, "J**** H Baldheaded Chri**, Lets not do THAT again!!!!!" The next weekend one of the two props somehow dropped completely off its shaft a couple miles out, leaving one engine blank. Not a moment too late to!
Cant help but respond to this one, in that I happen to a surfer as well as a sailor. Not to toot my horn, but I have been surfing for 30 years and primarily shine in big surf and have lived in Hawaii, to surf the North Shore and traveled to Mexico, France, Western Samoa, Fiji etc. in search of big waves. I have ridden waves that could easily cave in my C30 but my most terrifying experiences with waves have been on boats.. Back in the early seventies, my father had a 36 ft Trojan powerboat. My older brother had talked Dad into giving him and his buddy a boat ride up to "Point Dume" during a a south swell generated by a hurricane off the tip of Baja. The swell was so big that it would have been almost impossible to to paddle out from shore, so doing the boat access was the only way. I remember my little sister and I were watching over the stern as Guy Knight (Brothers surf buddy) was paddling back to the boat after we had spent about an hour trying to figure out where they were, after dropping them off some 400 yds from shore in some heavy kelp. Guy climbed up on the swimm step and franticly explained that my brother was on the beach and couldnt get back out. Just as this was going on, we spotted my brother trying once more to get past the breaking 10-12 ft waves. I guess my father figured he was going to drown and decided that he'd best power over to him as soon as it was safe. About four years prior to this, we had lost a little brother due to a drowning accident, so I have to believe this might have had an effect on Dads decision. At any rate, Dad swoops in, brother gets to the swim step with the whole "nine yards of mega drama" about how he was almost killed by a giant wave, bla, bla, bla.... Well, about the time this was all going on, I was looking toward the horizon, which had somehow dissapeard! Sure enough, here comes a three wave set, bigger than anything we had previously seen. Its funny, a swell becomes a wave when the wind knocks down the top, or, in the case of surfing, when it reaches a depth of twice its height. I could swear I remember my father saying that the depth was at 35 ft,at that time. Well, we made it over the first two swells, but the third was just starting to feather at the top as my father had both throttles pegged forward. I remember trying to jump down below but as my feet left the ground, the floor of the cabin seemed to become a wall in front of me. We had just hit the top of the wave as it was beging to break. The boat went damn near totally vertical before lanching completey out of the water! I will never forget the sound that those engines made when the two props cut loose of the water! IT WAS DEAFENING! The boat seemed to land ass end first with a strange growl, cavitated real bad, then bit the water and learched forward! We made it out. All my Dad said was, "J**** H Baldheaded Chri**, Lets not do THAT again!!!!!" The next weekend one of the two props somehow dropped completely off its shaft a couple miles out, leaving one engine blank. Not a moment too late to!
Catalina Channel Crossing*yks
Cant help but respond to this one, in that I happen to a surfer as well as a sailor. Not to toot my horn, but I have been surfing for 30 years and primarily shine in big surf and have lived in Hawaii, to surf the North Shore and traveled to Mexico, France, Western Samoa, Fiji etc. in search of big waves. I have ridden waves that could easily cave in my C30 but my most terrifying experiences with waves have been on boats.. Back in the early seventies, my father had a 36 ft Trojan powerboat. My older brother had talked Dad into giving him and his buddy a boat ride up to "Point Dume" during a a south swell generated by a hurricane off the tip of Baja. The swell was so big that it would have been almost impossible to to paddle out from shore, so doing the boat access was the only way. I remember my little sister and I were watching over the stern as Guy Knight (Brothers surf buddy) was paddling back to the boat after we had spent about an hour trying to figure out where they were, after dropping them off some 400 yds from shore in some heavy kelp. Guy climbed up on the swimm step and franticly explained that my brother was on the beach and couldnt get back out. Just as this was going on, we spotted my brother trying once more to get past the breaking 10-12 ft waves. I guess my father figured he was going to drown and decided that he'd best power over to him as soon as it was safe. About four years prior to this, we had lost a little brother due to a drowning accident, so I have to believe this might have had an effect on Dads decision. At any rate, Dad swoops in, brother gets to the swim step with the whole "nine yards of mega drama" about how he was almost killed by a giant wave, bla, bla, bla.... Well, about the time this was all going on, I was looking toward the horizon, which had somehow dissapeard! Sure enough, here comes a three wave set, bigger than anything we had previously seen. Its funny, a swell becomes a wave when the wind knocks down the top, or, in the case of surfing, when it reaches a depth of twice its height. I could swear I remember my father saying that the depth was at 35 ft,at that time. Well, we made it over the first two swells, but the third was just starting to feather at the top as my father had both throttles pegged forward. I remember trying to jump down below but as my feet left the ground, the floor of the cabin seemed to become a wall in front of me. We had just hit the top of the wave as it was beging to break. The boat went damn near totally vertical before lanching completey out of the water! I will never forget the sound that those engines made when the two props cut loose of the water! IT WAS DEAFENING! The boat seemed to land ass end first with a strange growl, cavitated real bad, then bit the water and learched forward! We made it out. All my Dad said was, "J**** H Baldheaded Chri**, Lets not do THAT again!!!!!" The next weekend one of the two props somehow dropped completely off its shaft a couple miles out, leaving one engine blank. Not a moment too late to!
Cant help but respond to this one, in that I happen to a surfer as well as a sailor. Not to toot my horn, but I have been surfing for 30 years and primarily shine in big surf and have lived in Hawaii, to surf the North Shore and traveled to Mexico, France, Western Samoa, Fiji etc. in search of big waves. I have ridden waves that could easily cave in my C30 but my most terrifying experiences with waves have been on boats.. Back in the early seventies, my father had a 36 ft Trojan powerboat. My older brother had talked Dad into giving him and his buddy a boat ride up to "Point Dume" during a a south swell generated by a hurricane off the tip of Baja. The swell was so big that it would have been almost impossible to to paddle out from shore, so doing the boat access was the only way. I remember my little sister and I were watching over the stern as Guy Knight (Brothers surf buddy) was paddling back to the boat after we had spent about an hour trying to figure out where they were, after dropping them off some 400 yds from shore in some heavy kelp. Guy climbed up on the swimm step and franticly explained that my brother was on the beach and couldnt get back out. Just as this was going on, we spotted my brother trying once more to get past the breaking 10-12 ft waves. I guess my father figured he was going to drown and decided that he'd best power over to him as soon as it was safe. About four years prior to this, we had lost a little brother due to a drowning accident, so I have to believe this might have had an effect on Dads decision. At any rate, Dad swoops in, brother gets to the swim step with the whole "nine yards of mega drama" about how he was almost killed by a giant wave, bla, bla, bla.... Well, about the time this was all going on, I was looking toward the horizon, which had somehow dissapeard! Sure enough, here comes a three wave set, bigger than anything we had previously seen. Its funny, a swell becomes a wave when the wind knocks down the top, or, in the case of surfing, when it reaches a depth of twice its height. I could swear I remember my father saying that the depth was at 35 ft,at that time. Well, we made it over the first two swells, but the third was just starting to feather at the top as my father had both throttles pegged forward. I remember trying to jump down below but as my feet left the ground, the floor of the cabin seemed to become a wall in front of me. We had just hit the top of the wave as it was beging to break. The boat went damn near totally vertical before lanching completey out of the water! I will never forget the sound that those engines made when the two props cut loose of the water! IT WAS DEAFENING! The boat seemed to land ass end first with a strange growl, cavitated real bad, then bit the water and learched forward! We made it out. All my Dad said was, "J**** H Baldheaded Chri**, Lets not do THAT again!!!!!" The next weekend one of the two props somehow dropped completely off its shaft a couple miles out, leaving one engine blank. Not a moment too late to!
Catalina Channel Crossing
I just realized that the title reflects another story having to do with leaving Catalina Island during a gale...guess I'll have to save that one.
I just realized that the title reflects another story having to do with leaving Catalina Island during a gale...guess I'll have to save that one.
Catalina Channel Crossing
I just realized that the title reflects another story having to do with leaving Catalina Island during a gale...guess I'll have to save that one.
I just realized that the title reflects another story having to do with leaving Catalina Island during a gale...guess I'll have to save that one.
Tsunami
There is a big difference between a Tsunami, commonly called a tidal wave, and an ordinary storm wave. We are all familiar with wind driven waves. A Tsumani is a completely different animal and is caused by a earthquake. The height of the Tsunami wave in the middle of an ocean is on the order of inches. They travel at about a thousand miles an hour. A boat in the middle of an ocean would not even notice its passing. A Tsunami wave length is thousands of miles. They become destructive only when their energy is channeled when they reach shore. Very likely the boats in the harbor saw a relatively small wave. But when that wave is channeled as it reaches shore all of that energy is concentrated into a small area. Thus very large waves.
There is a big difference between a Tsunami, commonly called a tidal wave, and an ordinary storm wave. We are all familiar with wind driven waves. A Tsumani is a completely different animal and is caused by a earthquake. The height of the Tsunami wave in the middle of an ocean is on the order of inches. They travel at about a thousand miles an hour. A boat in the middle of an ocean would not even notice its passing. A Tsunami wave length is thousands of miles. They become destructive only when their energy is channeled when they reach shore. Very likely the boats in the harbor saw a relatively small wave. But when that wave is channeled as it reaches shore all of that energy is concentrated into a small area. Thus very large waves.
Tsunami
There is a big difference between a Tsunami, commonly called a tidal wave, and an ordinary storm wave. We are all familiar with wind driven waves. A Tsumani is a completely different animal and is caused by a earthquake. The height of the Tsunami wave in the middle of an ocean is on the order of inches. They travel at about a thousand miles an hour. A boat in the middle of an ocean would not even notice its passing. A Tsunami wave length is thousands of miles. They become destructive only when their energy is channeled when they reach shore. Very likely the boats in the harbor saw a relatively small wave. But when that wave is channeled as it reaches shore all of that energy is concentrated into a small area. Thus very large waves.
There is a big difference between a Tsunami, commonly called a tidal wave, and an ordinary storm wave. We are all familiar with wind driven waves. A Tsumani is a completely different animal and is caused by a earthquake. The height of the Tsunami wave in the middle of an ocean is on the order of inches. They travel at about a thousand miles an hour. A boat in the middle of an ocean would not even notice its passing. A Tsunami wave length is thousands of miles. They become destructive only when their energy is channeled when they reach shore. Very likely the boats in the harbor saw a relatively small wave. But when that wave is channeled as it reaches shore all of that energy is concentrated into a small area. Thus very large waves.
Bad trip to nowhere (long)
Saturday, December 11, 1999 We left SunHarbor Marina at 4:30 AM and sailed out St. Andrews Pass and into the Gulf of Mexico. According to the NOAA weather forecast, the biggest seas we should expect to see for at least the next three days would be under three feet. We had a double reef in the mainsail and a working jib headsail. The seas were under one foot. John Barber was the Captain and I was going along as crew. Wind Chime was a 28 foot Ranger sloop. We were moving her to Punta Gorda for a much needed vacation for John and his wife. When the sun came up we had mostly clear skies and a ten knot breeze. The water was unusually clear and more blue than turquoise. Around noon we encountered a pod of dolphins. They were impossible to count because they would zoom in and out and dive and surface. I saw eight of them riding the bow of the boat at once. I was hoping to get a photograph of ten of them on the bow, but had to settle for six. After sunset the stars were absolutely spectacular! Even though I had taken an astronomy class in college I had great difficulty finding familiar constellations. There were too many other stars visible that confused the patterns I was used to seeing. I had seen phosphorescence in the water before, but it hadn't lived up to the stories I had heard. This trip more than made up for that past disappointment. It looked like glitter or 'fairy dust' was being sprinkled alongside and behind the boat. It is my understanding that it is caused by light given off when plankton in the water is disturbed or bruised. Whatever it is, it is truly incredible. Soon after sunrise on Sunday the wind started to clock around to the southeast, which made it right on our nose. Wind speeds increased. Seas got bigger. I was VERY seasick. Between sunrise and 5:50 PM we had made less than fifteen miles of progress toward our goal of Punta Gorda. At that rate it would take us about three more weeks to get there. we decided that the only sensible thing to do was go back to Panama City where we had started this trip. We had to hand steer for all of the 90 miles back to Panama City as we were headed dead downwind the autopilot would not steer the boat. Around midnight we had a really strong thunderstorm with lots of lightning. We knew the seas were a LOT bigger, but it wasn't until it started to get daylight that we could see just how much bigger. Those things looked like mountains coming up behind us. Each one looked like it would come over us and pound us into the bottom of the sea. Every time, at the last second, the boat would lift up to allow the mountain to slip under us. When we were about 30 miles south of Panama City I was looking at the depth sounder and observed that the depth in the trough of the wave was 93 feet while the depth at the crest was 116 feet. The bottom in that area is pretty consistent so I was able to get good repeatability in my depth observations. It wasn't exactly the fifty foot seas it looked like, but twenty-three was still almost double my previous record wave height experience. Not exactly the kind of record I was looking to beat. It took us 60 hours to make it 248 nautical miles from John's slip in Panama City to John's slip in Panama City.
Saturday, December 11, 1999 We left SunHarbor Marina at 4:30 AM and sailed out St. Andrews Pass and into the Gulf of Mexico. According to the NOAA weather forecast, the biggest seas we should expect to see for at least the next three days would be under three feet. We had a double reef in the mainsail and a working jib headsail. The seas were under one foot. John Barber was the Captain and I was going along as crew. Wind Chime was a 28 foot Ranger sloop. We were moving her to Punta Gorda for a much needed vacation for John and his wife. When the sun came up we had mostly clear skies and a ten knot breeze. The water was unusually clear and more blue than turquoise. Around noon we encountered a pod of dolphins. They were impossible to count because they would zoom in and out and dive and surface. I saw eight of them riding the bow of the boat at once. I was hoping to get a photograph of ten of them on the bow, but had to settle for six. After sunset the stars were absolutely spectacular! Even though I had taken an astronomy class in college I had great difficulty finding familiar constellations. There were too many other stars visible that confused the patterns I was used to seeing. I had seen phosphorescence in the water before, but it hadn't lived up to the stories I had heard. This trip more than made up for that past disappointment. It looked like glitter or 'fairy dust' was being sprinkled alongside and behind the boat. It is my understanding that it is caused by light given off when plankton in the water is disturbed or bruised. Whatever it is, it is truly incredible. Soon after sunrise on Sunday the wind started to clock around to the southeast, which made it right on our nose. Wind speeds increased. Seas got bigger. I was VERY seasick. Between sunrise and 5:50 PM we had made less than fifteen miles of progress toward our goal of Punta Gorda. At that rate it would take us about three more weeks to get there. we decided that the only sensible thing to do was go back to Panama City where we had started this trip. We had to hand steer for all of the 90 miles back to Panama City as we were headed dead downwind the autopilot would not steer the boat. Around midnight we had a really strong thunderstorm with lots of lightning. We knew the seas were a LOT bigger, but it wasn't until it started to get daylight that we could see just how much bigger. Those things looked like mountains coming up behind us. Each one looked like it would come over us and pound us into the bottom of the sea. Every time, at the last second, the boat would lift up to allow the mountain to slip under us. When we were about 30 miles south of Panama City I was looking at the depth sounder and observed that the depth in the trough of the wave was 93 feet while the depth at the crest was 116 feet. The bottom in that area is pretty consistent so I was able to get good repeatability in my depth observations. It wasn't exactly the fifty foot seas it looked like, but twenty-three was still almost double my previous record wave height experience. Not exactly the kind of record I was looking to beat. It took us 60 hours to make it 248 nautical miles from John's slip in Panama City to John's slip in Panama City.
Bad trip to nowhere (long)
Saturday, December 11, 1999 We left SunHarbor Marina at 4:30 AM and sailed out St. Andrews Pass and into the Gulf of Mexico. According to the NOAA weather forecast, the biggest seas we should expect to see for at least the next three days would be under three feet. We had a double reef in the mainsail and a working jib headsail. The seas were under one foot. John Barber was the Captain and I was going along as crew. Wind Chime was a 28 foot Ranger sloop. We were moving her to Punta Gorda for a much needed vacation for John and his wife. When the sun came up we had mostly clear skies and a ten knot breeze. The water was unusually clear and more blue than turquoise. Around noon we encountered a pod of dolphins. They were impossible to count because they would zoom in and out and dive and surface. I saw eight of them riding the bow of the boat at once. I was hoping to get a photograph of ten of them on the bow, but had to settle for six. After sunset the stars were absolutely spectacular! Even though I had taken an astronomy class in college I had great difficulty finding familiar constellations. There were too many other stars visible that confused the patterns I was used to seeing. I had seen phosphorescence in the water before, but it hadn't lived up to the stories I had heard. This trip more than made up for that past disappointment. It looked like glitter or 'fairy dust' was being sprinkled alongside and behind the boat. It is my understanding that it is caused by light given off when plankton in the water is disturbed or bruised. Whatever it is, it is truly incredible. Soon after sunrise on Sunday the wind started to clock around to the southeast, which made it right on our nose. Wind speeds increased. Seas got bigger. I was VERY seasick. Between sunrise and 5:50 PM we had made less than fifteen miles of progress toward our goal of Punta Gorda. At that rate it would take us about three more weeks to get there. we decided that the only sensible thing to do was go back to Panama City where we had started this trip. We had to hand steer for all of the 90 miles back to Panama City as we were headed dead downwind the autopilot would not steer the boat. Around midnight we had a really strong thunderstorm with lots of lightning. We knew the seas were a LOT bigger, but it wasn't until it started to get daylight that we could see just how much bigger. Those things looked like mountains coming up behind us. Each one looked like it would come over us and pound us into the bottom of the sea. Every time, at the last second, the boat would lift up to allow the mountain to slip under us. When we were about 30 miles south of Panama City I was looking at the depth sounder and observed that the depth in the trough of the wave was 93 feet while the depth at the crest was 116 feet. The bottom in that area is pretty consistent so I was able to get good repeatability in my depth observations. It wasn't exactly the fifty foot seas it looked like, but twenty-three was still almost double my previous record wave height experience. Not exactly the kind of record I was looking to beat. It took us 60 hours to make it 248 nautical miles from John's slip in Panama City to John's slip in Panama City.
Saturday, December 11, 1999 We left SunHarbor Marina at 4:30 AM and sailed out St. Andrews Pass and into the Gulf of Mexico. According to the NOAA weather forecast, the biggest seas we should expect to see for at least the next three days would be under three feet. We had a double reef in the mainsail and a working jib headsail. The seas were under one foot. John Barber was the Captain and I was going along as crew. Wind Chime was a 28 foot Ranger sloop. We were moving her to Punta Gorda for a much needed vacation for John and his wife. When the sun came up we had mostly clear skies and a ten knot breeze. The water was unusually clear and more blue than turquoise. Around noon we encountered a pod of dolphins. They were impossible to count because they would zoom in and out and dive and surface. I saw eight of them riding the bow of the boat at once. I was hoping to get a photograph of ten of them on the bow, but had to settle for six. After sunset the stars were absolutely spectacular! Even though I had taken an astronomy class in college I had great difficulty finding familiar constellations. There were too many other stars visible that confused the patterns I was used to seeing. I had seen phosphorescence in the water before, but it hadn't lived up to the stories I had heard. This trip more than made up for that past disappointment. It looked like glitter or 'fairy dust' was being sprinkled alongside and behind the boat. It is my understanding that it is caused by light given off when plankton in the water is disturbed or bruised. Whatever it is, it is truly incredible. Soon after sunrise on Sunday the wind started to clock around to the southeast, which made it right on our nose. Wind speeds increased. Seas got bigger. I was VERY seasick. Between sunrise and 5:50 PM we had made less than fifteen miles of progress toward our goal of Punta Gorda. At that rate it would take us about three more weeks to get there. we decided that the only sensible thing to do was go back to Panama City where we had started this trip. We had to hand steer for all of the 90 miles back to Panama City as we were headed dead downwind the autopilot would not steer the boat. Around midnight we had a really strong thunderstorm with lots of lightning. We knew the seas were a LOT bigger, but it wasn't until it started to get daylight that we could see just how much bigger. Those things looked like mountains coming up behind us. Each one looked like it would come over us and pound us into the bottom of the sea. Every time, at the last second, the boat would lift up to allow the mountain to slip under us. When we were about 30 miles south of Panama City I was looking at the depth sounder and observed that the depth in the trough of the wave was 93 feet while the depth at the crest was 116 feet. The bottom in that area is pretty consistent so I was able to get good repeatability in my depth observations. It wasn't exactly the fifty foot seas it looked like, but twenty-three was still almost double my previous record wave height experience. Not exactly the kind of record I was looking to beat. It took us 60 hours to make it 248 nautical miles from John's slip in Panama City to John's slip in Panama City.
Clarification on Lituya Bay
I just realized my language was imprecise about the Lituya Bay wave. That 1720 feet was the vertical distance up the mountain, not the horizontal distance in from shore. Gary Wyngarden S/V Wanderlust H37.5
I just realized my language was imprecise about the Lituya Bay wave. That 1720 feet was the vertical distance up the mountain, not the horizontal distance in from shore. Gary Wyngarden S/V Wanderlust H37.5
Clarification on Lituya Bay
I just realized my language was imprecise about the Lituya Bay wave. That 1720 feet was the vertical distance up the mountain, not the horizontal distance in from shore. Gary Wyngarden S/V Wanderlust H37.5
I just realized my language was imprecise about the Lituya Bay wave. That 1720 feet was the vertical distance up the mountain, not the horizontal distance in from shore. Gary Wyngarden S/V Wanderlust H37.5
It was thiiiis big!
A few years ago we were bringing our L43 in from Honolulu and encountered the only real gale that we saw in our four-year trip to Oz and back. We were about 600 miles west of Tatoosh, sailing in twenty-knot westerlies, when the wind climbed steadily to 40-knots. The main was down for maintenance and we rolled the 135 jib down to about one third of its full size. By the time the wind hit 40 the waves were above our lower spreader, making them at least 25 feet. We were in deep water that was going the same way we were. I didn't make an estimate on the wavelength, but it was a lot. Our Autohelm 7000 handled the steering well. Our speed ran between 6.5 and 8.5 knots. I kept the crew below most of the time and just strapped myself near the wheel. I watched a lot of waves start to break as we neared the top. I wondered several times if we would get pooped but it never happened. Each time we got up near the foam, we just slid away. I think that a drogue might have led to disaster. A little more speed might have been better. Fortunately this was a daylight show and the wind was back to 20 by sunset. Nice show, if a little nervous.
A few years ago we were bringing our L43 in from Honolulu and encountered the only real gale that we saw in our four-year trip to Oz and back. We were about 600 miles west of Tatoosh, sailing in twenty-knot westerlies, when the wind climbed steadily to 40-knots. The main was down for maintenance and we rolled the 135 jib down to about one third of its full size. By the time the wind hit 40 the waves were above our lower spreader, making them at least 25 feet. We were in deep water that was going the same way we were. I didn't make an estimate on the wavelength, but it was a lot. Our Autohelm 7000 handled the steering well. Our speed ran between 6.5 and 8.5 knots. I kept the crew below most of the time and just strapped myself near the wheel. I watched a lot of waves start to break as we neared the top. I wondered several times if we would get pooped but it never happened. Each time we got up near the foam, we just slid away. I think that a drogue might have led to disaster. A little more speed might have been better. Fortunately this was a daylight show and the wind was back to 20 by sunset. Nice show, if a little nervous.
It was thiiiis big!
A few years ago we were bringing our L43 in from Honolulu and encountered the only real gale that we saw in our four-year trip to Oz and back. We were about 600 miles west of Tatoosh, sailing in twenty-knot westerlies, when the wind climbed steadily to 40-knots. The main was down for maintenance and we rolled the 135 jib down to about one third of its full size. By the time the wind hit 40 the waves were above our lower spreader, making them at least 25 feet. We were in deep water that was going the same way we were. I didn't make an estimate on the wavelength, but it was a lot. Our Autohelm 7000 handled the steering well. Our speed ran between 6.5 and 8.5 knots. I kept the crew below most of the time and just strapped myself near the wheel. I watched a lot of waves start to break as we neared the top. I wondered several times if we would get pooped but it never happened. Each time we got up near the foam, we just slid away. I think that a drogue might have led to disaster. A little more speed might have been better. Fortunately this was a daylight show and the wind was back to 20 by sunset. Nice show, if a little nervous.
A few years ago we were bringing our L43 in from Honolulu and encountered the only real gale that we saw in our four-year trip to Oz and back. We were about 600 miles west of Tatoosh, sailing in twenty-knot westerlies, when the wind climbed steadily to 40-knots. The main was down for maintenance and we rolled the 135 jib down to about one third of its full size. By the time the wind hit 40 the waves were above our lower spreader, making them at least 25 feet. We were in deep water that was going the same way we were. I didn't make an estimate on the wavelength, but it was a lot. Our Autohelm 7000 handled the steering well. Our speed ran between 6.5 and 8.5 knots. I kept the crew below most of the time and just strapped myself near the wheel. I watched a lot of waves start to break as we neared the top. I wondered several times if we would get pooped but it never happened. Each time we got up near the foam, we just slid away. I think that a drogue might have led to disaster. A little more speed might have been better. Fortunately this was a daylight show and the wind was back to 20 by sunset. Nice show, if a little nervous.
Lituya Bay 1958 Eyewitness Accounts (long)
Here are two eyewitness accounts from boats. I remember reading one of them in the 60's. Scary stuff: Eyewitness Accounts Account Of Howard G. Ulrich Mr. Ulrich and his 7-year-old son, on the Edrie, entered Lituya Bay about 8:00 p.m. and anchored in about 5 fathoms of water in a small cove on the south shore (fig. 15). Ulrich was awakened by the violent rocking of the boat, noted the time, and went on deck to watch the effects of the earthquake-described as violent shaking and heaving, followed by avalanching in the mountains at the head of the bay. An estimated 21/2 minutes after the earthquake was first felt a deafening crash was heard at the head of the bay. According to Ulrich, The wave definitely started in Gilbert Inlet, just before the end of the quake. It was not a wave at first. It was like an explosion, or a glacier sluff. The wave came out of the lower part, and looked like the smallest part of the whole thing. The wave did not go up 1,800 feet, the water splashed there. Ulrich continued to watch the progress of the wave until it reached his boat about 21/2 to 3 minutes after it was first sighted. Being unable to get the anchor loose, he let out all of the chain (about 40 fathoms) and started the engine. Midway between the head of the bay and Cenotaph Island the wave appeared to be a straight wall of water possibly 100 feet high, extending from shore to shore. The wave was breaking as it came around the north side of the island, but on the south side it had a smooth, even crest. As it approached the Edrie the wave front appeared very steep, and 50 to 75 feet high. No lowering or other disturbance of the water around the boat, other than vibration due to the earthquake, was noticed before the wave arrived. The anchor chain snapped as the boat rose with the wave. The boat was carried toward and probably over the south shore, and then, in the backwash, toward the center of the bay. The wave crest seemed to be only 25 to 50 feet wide, and the back slope less steep than the front. After the giant wave passed the water surface returned to about normal level, but was very turbulent, with much sloshing back and forth from shore to shore and with steep, sharp waves up to 20 feet high. These waves, however, did not show any definite movement either toward the head or the mouth of the bay. After 25 to 30 minutes the bay became calm, although floating logs covered the water near the shores and were moving out toward the center and the entrance. After the first giant wave passed Ulrich managed to keep the boat under control, and went out the entrance at 11:00 p.m. on what seemed to be a normal ebb flow. Account of William A. Swanson Mr. and Mrs. Swanson on the Badger entered Lituya Bay about 9:00 p.m., first going in as far as Cenotaph Island and then returning to Anchorage Cove on the north shore near the entrance, to anchor in about 4 fathoms of water near the Sunmore (fig. 15). Mr. Swanson was wakened by violent vibration of the boat, and noted the time on the clock in the pilot house. A little more than a minute after the shaking was first felt, but probably before the end of the earthquake, Swanson looked toward the head of the bay, past the north end of Cenotaph Island and saw what he thought to be the Lituya Glacier, which had "risen in the air and moved forward so it was in sight. * * * It seemed to be solid, but was jumping and shaking * * * Big cakes of ice were falling off the face of it and down into the water." After a little while "the glacier dropped back out of sight and there was a big wall of water going over the point" (the spur southwest of Gilbert Inlet). Swanson next noticed the wave climb up on the south shore near Mudslide Creek. As the wave passed Cenotaph Island it seemed to be about 50 feet high near the center of the bay and to slope up toward the sides. It passed the island about 21/2 minutes after it was first sighted, and reached the Badger about 11/2 minutes later. No lowering or other disturbance of the water around the boat was noticed before the wave arrived. The Badger, still at anchor, was lifted up by the wave and carried across La Chaussee Spit, riding stern first just below the crest of the wave, like a surfboard. Swanson looked down on the trees growing on the spit, and believes that he was about 2 boat lengths (more than 80 feet) above their tops. The wave crest broke just outside the spit and the boat hit bottom and foundered some distance from the shore. Looking back 3 to 4 minutes after the boat hit bottom Swanson saw water pouring over the spit, carrying logs and other debris. He does not know whether this was a continuation of the wave that carried the boat over the spit or a second wave. Mr. and Mrs. Swanson abandoned their boat in a small skiff, and were picked up by another fishing boat about 2 hours later.
Here are two eyewitness accounts from boats. I remember reading one of them in the 60's. Scary stuff: Eyewitness Accounts Account Of Howard G. Ulrich Mr. Ulrich and his 7-year-old son, on the Edrie, entered Lituya Bay about 8:00 p.m. and anchored in about 5 fathoms of water in a small cove on the south shore (fig. 15). Ulrich was awakened by the violent rocking of the boat, noted the time, and went on deck to watch the effects of the earthquake-described as violent shaking and heaving, followed by avalanching in the mountains at the head of the bay. An estimated 21/2 minutes after the earthquake was first felt a deafening crash was heard at the head of the bay. According to Ulrich, The wave definitely started in Gilbert Inlet, just before the end of the quake. It was not a wave at first. It was like an explosion, or a glacier sluff. The wave came out of the lower part, and looked like the smallest part of the whole thing. The wave did not go up 1,800 feet, the water splashed there. Ulrich continued to watch the progress of the wave until it reached his boat about 21/2 to 3 minutes after it was first sighted. Being unable to get the anchor loose, he let out all of the chain (about 40 fathoms) and started the engine. Midway between the head of the bay and Cenotaph Island the wave appeared to be a straight wall of water possibly 100 feet high, extending from shore to shore. The wave was breaking as it came around the north side of the island, but on the south side it had a smooth, even crest. As it approached the Edrie the wave front appeared very steep, and 50 to 75 feet high. No lowering or other disturbance of the water around the boat, other than vibration due to the earthquake, was noticed before the wave arrived. The anchor chain snapped as the boat rose with the wave. The boat was carried toward and probably over the south shore, and then, in the backwash, toward the center of the bay. The wave crest seemed to be only 25 to 50 feet wide, and the back slope less steep than the front. After the giant wave passed the water surface returned to about normal level, but was very turbulent, with much sloshing back and forth from shore to shore and with steep, sharp waves up to 20 feet high. These waves, however, did not show any definite movement either toward the head or the mouth of the bay. After 25 to 30 minutes the bay became calm, although floating logs covered the water near the shores and were moving out toward the center and the entrance. After the first giant wave passed Ulrich managed to keep the boat under control, and went out the entrance at 11:00 p.m. on what seemed to be a normal ebb flow. Account of William A. Swanson Mr. and Mrs. Swanson on the Badger entered Lituya Bay about 9:00 p.m., first going in as far as Cenotaph Island and then returning to Anchorage Cove on the north shore near the entrance, to anchor in about 4 fathoms of water near the Sunmore (fig. 15). Mr. Swanson was wakened by violent vibration of the boat, and noted the time on the clock in the pilot house. A little more than a minute after the shaking was first felt, but probably before the end of the earthquake, Swanson looked toward the head of the bay, past the north end of Cenotaph Island and saw what he thought to be the Lituya Glacier, which had "risen in the air and moved forward so it was in sight. * * * It seemed to be solid, but was jumping and shaking * * * Big cakes of ice were falling off the face of it and down into the water." After a little while "the glacier dropped back out of sight and there was a big wall of water going over the point" (the spur southwest of Gilbert Inlet). Swanson next noticed the wave climb up on the south shore near Mudslide Creek. As the wave passed Cenotaph Island it seemed to be about 50 feet high near the center of the bay and to slope up toward the sides. It passed the island about 21/2 minutes after it was first sighted, and reached the Badger about 11/2 minutes later. No lowering or other disturbance of the water around the boat was noticed before the wave arrived. The Badger, still at anchor, was lifted up by the wave and carried across La Chaussee Spit, riding stern first just below the crest of the wave, like a surfboard. Swanson looked down on the trees growing on the spit, and believes that he was about 2 boat lengths (more than 80 feet) above their tops. The wave crest broke just outside the spit and the boat hit bottom and foundered some distance from the shore. Looking back 3 to 4 minutes after the boat hit bottom Swanson saw water pouring over the spit, carrying logs and other debris. He does not know whether this was a continuation of the wave that carried the boat over the spit or a second wave. Mr. and Mrs. Swanson abandoned their boat in a small skiff, and were picked up by another fishing boat about 2 hours later.
Lituya Bay 1958 Eyewitness Accounts (long)
Here are two eyewitness accounts from boats. I remember reading one of them in the 60's. Scary stuff: Eyewitness Accounts Account Of Howard G. Ulrich Mr. Ulrich and his 7-year-old son, on the Edrie, entered Lituya Bay about 8:00 p.m. and anchored in about 5 fathoms of water in a small cove on the south shore (fig. 15). Ulrich was awakened by the violent rocking of the boat, noted the time, and went on deck to watch the effects of the earthquake-described as violent shaking and heaving, followed by avalanching in the mountains at the head of the bay. An estimated 21/2 minutes after the earthquake was first felt a deafening crash was heard at the head of the bay. According to Ulrich, The wave definitely started in Gilbert Inlet, just before the end of the quake. It was not a wave at first. It was like an explosion, or a glacier sluff. The wave came out of the lower part, and looked like the smallest part of the whole thing. The wave did not go up 1,800 feet, the water splashed there. Ulrich continued to watch the progress of the wave until it reached his boat about 21/2 to 3 minutes after it was first sighted. Being unable to get the anchor loose, he let out all of the chain (about 40 fathoms) and started the engine. Midway between the head of the bay and Cenotaph Island the wave appeared to be a straight wall of water possibly 100 feet high, extending from shore to shore. The wave was breaking as it came around the north side of the island, but on the south side it had a smooth, even crest. As it approached the Edrie the wave front appeared very steep, and 50 to 75 feet high. No lowering or other disturbance of the water around the boat, other than vibration due to the earthquake, was noticed before the wave arrived. The anchor chain snapped as the boat rose with the wave. The boat was carried toward and probably over the south shore, and then, in the backwash, toward the center of the bay. The wave crest seemed to be only 25 to 50 feet wide, and the back slope less steep than the front. After the giant wave passed the water surface returned to about normal level, but was very turbulent, with much sloshing back and forth from shore to shore and with steep, sharp waves up to 20 feet high. These waves, however, did not show any definite movement either toward the head or the mouth of the bay. After 25 to 30 minutes the bay became calm, although floating logs covered the water near the shores and were moving out toward the center and the entrance. After the first giant wave passed Ulrich managed to keep the boat under control, and went out the entrance at 11:00 p.m. on what seemed to be a normal ebb flow. Account of William A. Swanson Mr. and Mrs. Swanson on the Badger entered Lituya Bay about 9:00 p.m., first going in as far as Cenotaph Island and then returning to Anchorage Cove on the north shore near the entrance, to anchor in about 4 fathoms of water near the Sunmore (fig. 15). Mr. Swanson was wakened by violent vibration of the boat, and noted the time on the clock in the pilot house. A little more than a minute after the shaking was first felt, but probably before the end of the earthquake, Swanson looked toward the head of the bay, past the north end of Cenotaph Island and saw what he thought to be the Lituya Glacier, which had "risen in the air and moved forward so it was in sight. * * * It seemed to be solid, but was jumping and shaking * * * Big cakes of ice were falling off the face of it and down into the water." After a little while "the glacier dropped back out of sight and there was a big wall of water going over the point" (the spur southwest of Gilbert Inlet). Swanson next noticed the wave climb up on the south shore near Mudslide Creek. As the wave passed Cenotaph Island it seemed to be about 50 feet high near the center of the bay and to slope up toward the sides. It passed the island about 21/2 minutes after it was first sighted, and reached the Badger about 11/2 minutes later. No lowering or other disturbance of the water around the boat was noticed before the wave arrived. The Badger, still at anchor, was lifted up by the wave and carried across La Chaussee Spit, riding stern first just below the crest of the wave, like a surfboard. Swanson looked down on the trees growing on the spit, and believes that he was about 2 boat lengths (more than 80 feet) above their tops. The wave crest broke just outside the spit and the boat hit bottom and foundered some distance from the shore. Looking back 3 to 4 minutes after the boat hit bottom Swanson saw water pouring over the spit, carrying logs and other debris. He does not know whether this was a continuation of the wave that carried the boat over the spit or a second wave. Mr. and Mrs. Swanson abandoned their boat in a small skiff, and were picked up by another fishing boat about 2 hours later.
Here are two eyewitness accounts from boats. I remember reading one of them in the 60's. Scary stuff: Eyewitness Accounts Account Of Howard G. Ulrich Mr. Ulrich and his 7-year-old son, on the Edrie, entered Lituya Bay about 8:00 p.m. and anchored in about 5 fathoms of water in a small cove on the south shore (fig. 15). Ulrich was awakened by the violent rocking of the boat, noted the time, and went on deck to watch the effects of the earthquake-described as violent shaking and heaving, followed by avalanching in the mountains at the head of the bay. An estimated 21/2 minutes after the earthquake was first felt a deafening crash was heard at the head of the bay. According to Ulrich, The wave definitely started in Gilbert Inlet, just before the end of the quake. It was not a wave at first. It was like an explosion, or a glacier sluff. The wave came out of the lower part, and looked like the smallest part of the whole thing. The wave did not go up 1,800 feet, the water splashed there. Ulrich continued to watch the progress of the wave until it reached his boat about 21/2 to 3 minutes after it was first sighted. Being unable to get the anchor loose, he let out all of the chain (about 40 fathoms) and started the engine. Midway between the head of the bay and Cenotaph Island the wave appeared to be a straight wall of water possibly 100 feet high, extending from shore to shore. The wave was breaking as it came around the north side of the island, but on the south side it had a smooth, even crest. As it approached the Edrie the wave front appeared very steep, and 50 to 75 feet high. No lowering or other disturbance of the water around the boat, other than vibration due to the earthquake, was noticed before the wave arrived. The anchor chain snapped as the boat rose with the wave. The boat was carried toward and probably over the south shore, and then, in the backwash, toward the center of the bay. The wave crest seemed to be only 25 to 50 feet wide, and the back slope less steep than the front. After the giant wave passed the water surface returned to about normal level, but was very turbulent, with much sloshing back and forth from shore to shore and with steep, sharp waves up to 20 feet high. These waves, however, did not show any definite movement either toward the head or the mouth of the bay. After 25 to 30 minutes the bay became calm, although floating logs covered the water near the shores and were moving out toward the center and the entrance. After the first giant wave passed Ulrich managed to keep the boat under control, and went out the entrance at 11:00 p.m. on what seemed to be a normal ebb flow. Account of William A. Swanson Mr. and Mrs. Swanson on the Badger entered Lituya Bay about 9:00 p.m., first going in as far as Cenotaph Island and then returning to Anchorage Cove on the north shore near the entrance, to anchor in about 4 fathoms of water near the Sunmore (fig. 15). Mr. Swanson was wakened by violent vibration of the boat, and noted the time on the clock in the pilot house. A little more than a minute after the shaking was first felt, but probably before the end of the earthquake, Swanson looked toward the head of the bay, past the north end of Cenotaph Island and saw what he thought to be the Lituya Glacier, which had "risen in the air and moved forward so it was in sight. * * * It seemed to be solid, but was jumping and shaking * * * Big cakes of ice were falling off the face of it and down into the water." After a little while "the glacier dropped back out of sight and there was a big wall of water going over the point" (the spur southwest of Gilbert Inlet). Swanson next noticed the wave climb up on the south shore near Mudslide Creek. As the wave passed Cenotaph Island it seemed to be about 50 feet high near the center of the bay and to slope up toward the sides. It passed the island about 21/2 minutes after it was first sighted, and reached the Badger about 11/2 minutes later. No lowering or other disturbance of the water around the boat was noticed before the wave arrived. The Badger, still at anchor, was lifted up by the wave and carried across La Chaussee Spit, riding stern first just below the crest of the wave, like a surfboard. Swanson looked down on the trees growing on the spit, and believes that he was about 2 boat lengths (more than 80 feet) above their tops. The wave crest broke just outside the spit and the boat hit bottom and foundered some distance from the shore. Looking back 3 to 4 minutes after the boat hit bottom Swanson saw water pouring over the spit, carrying logs and other debris. He does not know whether this was a continuation of the wave that carried the boat over the spit or a second wave. Mr. and Mrs. Swanson abandoned their boat in a small skiff, and were picked up by another fishing boat about 2 hours later.
Big waves on our lake
We encountered waves up to two feet high on Fern Ridge Resevoir two summers ago. Somehow we made it through....
Randy
We encountered waves up to two feet high on Fern Ridge Resevoir two summers ago. Somehow we made it through....
RandyBig waves on our lake
We encountered waves up to two feet high on Fern Ridge Resevoir two summers ago. Somehow we made it through.... Randy
We encountered waves up to two feet high on Fern Ridge Resevoir two summers ago. Somehow we made it through....
RandyIam getting excited!
Time to get my surfboard out,When the swells are big i would rather leave the ol hunter in the slip and get my board out,I have never surfed a wave as big as yall are talking but you got my attention!,What is the right way to sail your boat..Say a 25' sloop down the face of a wave if one were to get caught out??Staight on or at a right angle??
Time to get my surfboard out,When the swells are big i would rather leave the ol hunter in the slip and get my board out,I have never surfed a wave as big as yall are talking but you got my attention!,What is the right way to sail your boat..Say a 25' sloop down the face of a wave if one were to get caught out??Staight on or at a right angle??
Iam getting excited!
Time to get my surfboard out,When the swells are big i would rather leave the ol hunter in the slip and get my board out,I have never surfed a wave as big as yall are talking but you got my attention!,What is the right way to sail your boat..Say a 25' sloop down the face of a wave if one were to get caught out??Staight on or at a right angle??
Time to get my surfboard out,When the swells are big i would rather leave the ol hunter in the slip and get my board out,I have never surfed a wave as big as yall are talking but you got my attention!,What is the right way to sail your boat..Say a 25' sloop down the face of a wave if one were to get caught out??Staight on or at a right angle??
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