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#1
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Is there a general rule of thumb on what size of seas become inherently
unsafe for a particular size of boat? I know there's no firm answer to this, water is unsafe period, and you can be enjoying the trqnquility of 1 foot swells and have Mr. Whale decide to knock on your keel to say hello But is there a general traditional guideline or at least in terms of what size seas vs boat size that starts making YOU uncomfortable and more concerned beyond the vigilance water should always be respected with? Thanks, John ---------- } For a valid email take out the _beer bottles_ before replying but leave the number. ![]() ---------- If you forget about your dreams you die. Live for them, & they will live for you. |
#2
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posted to rec.boats.cruising
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![]() "John Reimer" wrote in message ... Is there a general rule of thumb on what size of seas become inherently unsafe for a particular size of boat? I know there's no firm answer to this, water is unsafe period, and you can be enjoying the trqnquility of 1 foot swells and have Mr. Whale decide to knock on your keel to say hello But is there a general traditional guideline or at least in terms of what size seas vs boat size that starts making YOU uncomfortable and more concerned beyond the vigilance water should always be respected with? Thanks, John If breaking waves are equal in height to the beam of your boat, you are in danger of capsize. From wave heights at half your beam to full beam, you are likely to be uncomfortable, and handling your boat will be increasingly difficult and strenuous. As for vigilance, whatever wave height strikes you as uncomfortable and unsafe below that point is correct for you. But wave *shape* and interval has more to do with it, in my opinion, than just height. Pacific rollers of 6-8 feet can be quite safe and comfortable, while Green Bay short sharp waves of 5-6 feet are just plain dangerous. If the conditions seem unsafe to you, they are unsafe for you. |
#3
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KLC Lewis wrote:
"John Reimer" wrote in message ... Is there a general rule of thumb on what size of seas become inherently unsafe for a particular size of boat? I know there's no firm answer to this, water is unsafe period, and you can be enjoying the trqnquility of 1 foot swells and have Mr. Whale decide to knock on your keel to say hello But is there a general traditional guideline or at least in terms of what size seas vs boat size that starts making YOU uncomfortable and more concerned beyond the vigilance water should always be respected with? Thanks, John If breaking waves are equal in height to the beam of your boat, you are in danger of capsize. From wave heights at half your beam to full beam, you are likely to be uncomfortable, and handling your boat will be increasingly difficult and strenuous. As for vigilance, whatever wave height strikes you as uncomfortable and unsafe below that point is correct for you. But wave *shape* and interval has more to do with it, in my opinion, than just height. Pacific rollers of 6-8 feet can be quite safe and comfortable, while Green Bay short sharp waves of 5-6 feet are just plain dangerous. I think this is a bit deceptive. "Waves" are almost never encountered in the open ocean except in shallows. "Swells" are what the sea is filled with and other than comfort, there is no minimum size of boat making swells safer. It's the construction and design of the boat that matters, not size. Stephen |
#4
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On Sun, 1 Apr 2007 07:37:46 -0700, "John Reimer"
wrote: But is there a general traditional guideline or at least in terms of what size seas vs boat size that starts making YOU uncomfortable and more concerned beyond the vigilance water should always be respected with? Since one of the biggest dangers to any boat is rollover/capsize, there has been some research with hard numbers in that area. The consensus seems to be that a breaking wave that has a height of 1/2 the beam (width) of the boat is capable of rolling it. After that everything gets very subjective. Some boats have published ratings describing their intended usage, ie, protected water only (small bays and rivers), inshore (typically waves less than 3 feet), coastal, off shore, etc. A lot depends on construction and type, not overall size. Comfort is even more highly subjective, depending on expectations of the people involved and the boat. For small planing boats, under 25 to 30 feet, operating at speed, anything over 1 or 2 feet is going to get uncomfortable very quickly except for very gradual ocean swells. |
#5
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posted to rec.boats.cruising
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![]() "Stephen Trapani" wrote in message ... KLC Lewis wrote: "John Reimer" wrote in message ... Is there a general rule of thumb on what size of seas become inherently unsafe for a particular size of boat? I know there's no firm answer to this, water is unsafe period, and you can be enjoying the trqnquility of 1 foot swells and have Mr. Whale decide to knock on your keel to say hello But is there a general traditional guideline or at least in terms of what size seas vs boat size that starts making YOU uncomfortable and more concerned beyond the vigilance water should always be respected with? Thanks, John If breaking waves are equal in height to the beam of your boat, you are in danger of capsize. From wave heights at half your beam to full beam, you are likely to be uncomfortable, and handling your boat will be increasingly difficult and strenuous. As for vigilance, whatever wave height strikes you as uncomfortable and unsafe below that point is correct for you. But wave *shape* and interval has more to do with it, in my opinion, than just height. Pacific rollers of 6-8 feet can be quite safe and comfortable, while Green Bay short sharp waves of 5-6 feet are just plain dangerous. I think this is a bit deceptive. "Waves" are almost never encountered in the open ocean except in shallows. "Swells" are what the sea is filled with and other than comfort, there is no minimum size of boat making swells safer. It's the construction and design of the boat that matters, not size. Stephen But you are concentrating on the open ocean, while most sailing is done in coastal waters and lakes. And even on the ocean, you have a combination of waves and swells. At river mouths, you also have conflicting waves caused by river current meeting ocean swell and waves. Even in Green Bay, such as is the case at the Memominee River Channel, the chop caused by the river flowing out into waves from any eastern-component wind can make for very messy -- even very dangerous -- conditions. |
#6
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posted to rec.boats.cruising
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John Reimer wrote:
Is there a general rule of thumb on what size of seas become inherently unsafe for a particular size of boat? I know there's no firm answer to this, water is unsafe period, and you can be enjoying the trqnquility of 1 foot swells and have Mr. Whale decide to knock on your keel to say hello But is there a general traditional guideline or at least in terms of what size seas vs boat size that starts making YOU uncomfortable and more concerned beyond the vigilance water should always be respected with? Thanks, John ---------- } For a valid email take out the _beer bottles_ before replying but leave the number. ![]() ---------- If you forget about your dreams you die. Live for them, & they will live for you. A 1000+ foot carrier is safe in any ocean |
#7
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posted to rec.boats.cruising
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....
I think this is a bit deceptive. "Waves" are almost never encountered in the open ocean except in shallows. "Swells" are what the sea is filled with ... That is not correct. While the oceans, unlike smaller bodies of water, have swells they are also well populated with seas. Those seas will be breaking in anything over force 8 and in lesser states when the currents are running against the wind. And, there is also plenty of current even far offshore. -- Tom. |
#8
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posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Gogarty wrote:
---------- } For a valid email take out the _beer bottles_ before replying but leave the number. ![]() ---------- If you forget about your dreams you die. Live for them, & they will live for you. A 1000+ foot carrier is safe in any ocean Not when it encounters the occasional rogue 1,000 foot breaking wave. I'd be more concerned about a rogue 15 foot Exocet... |
#9
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On Sun, 01 Apr 2007 14:50:02 -0400, krj
wrote: A 1000+ foot carrier is safe in any ocean Not in the South China Sea during a typhoon, it's not - also other seas. Peter |
#10
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posted to rec.boats.cruising
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On Sun, 1 Apr 2007 07:37:46 -0700, "John Reimer"
wrote: Is there a general rule of thumb on what size of seas become inherently unsafe for a particular size of boat? I know there's no firm answer to this, water is unsafe period, and you can be enjoying the trqnquility of 1 foot swells and have Mr. Whale decide to knock on your keel to say hello But is there a general traditional guideline or at least in terms of what size seas vs boat size that starts making YOU uncomfortable and more concerned beyond the vigilance water should always be respected with? I am uncomfortable trying to use a tape measure when surfing sideways. |
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