EDIT - sorry for paragraphs not showing... Laurie?Article about the science of understanding and predicting Rogue Waves - comments/personal opinions are of interest.ie., Two troughs make a deeper trough (constructive interference). A wave crest meeting a trough cancels each out (destructive interference).www.smh.com.au/national/scientists-thought-these-monster-waves-were-myth-now-they-re-racing-to-understand-them-20220609-p5asla.html?dicbo=v2-e0046931441f49093f351e6296495395Article links to this:chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/www.check-six.com/Coast_Guard/Monster_Waves_Reprint-screen.pdfThe rule-of-thumb, is that "Wind speed in knots blowing over a large fetch [long distance] for a very long time, divided in half equals wave height. So, in general, 50 knot winds will generate 25-foot waves given enough time." But then there is what is called significant wave height. "When one looks out towards the horizon, one sees waves that are approximately equal to the average of the highest one-third of the waves, which is called significant wave height. About one out of 10 waves will be that height. About one out of even 1,000 waves, however, will be double that height. And if you are out on the ocean for four or five hours, you'll probably see that 1,000th wave.Worldwide, an estimated two large ships sink every week for undetermined causes. Such sinkings are routinely attributed to "bad weather."
My wife and I read the article. I didn't like it at all. That said - I haven't ever seen a rogue wave and I have done a few trips over 7 liveaboard years and 7 trips up the coast - but lots of that behind the reef. No rogue waves there. Off Hobart we passed the big waves surfing spot - Ship sterns. Because we only sailed there in nice-ish weather, I couldn't even work out where the break was. Nice and flat for us.
Actually the nastiest wave I ever saw was one off Hook Island - just near Maureens. Wind against tide and the waves were almost square off the point (just at the bit where the book says - watch out for waves). I was sailing into the zone, heard my guitar shift inside, raced down to put it somewhere safe just as out boat got the only green water on her foredeck ever and saturated the family in the cockpit, whilst I was dry. Lots of laundry needed after that one. Sail around the nasty waves if possible.
Crossing the Bight onboard HMAS MELBOURNE in both 1977 and 80 there were some real monsters. On one occasion we had a few metres of green water coming down the flight deck. It swamped the Trackers lashed down abeam the island. Flight deck height was 45 ft above the water line, so it was pretty big.
It had been blowing hard for days from the west sou west.
