WHEN THE GOING GETS ROUGH 11


blow has only himself to blame. But that would be unfair. Although it’s easy enough to predict the arrival of meteorological disturbances, it’s not so easy to anticipate their strength. Force 7 winds were forecast for the 1979 Fastnet yacht race but no one expected the hurricane Force 11 that hammered the fleet and so tragically took the lives of 15 sailors. The truth is that the weather can play tricks on us, and we need to be prepared.


It is important to understand that it’s not usually the winds themselves that cause problems – it’s the waves they stir up. Far offshore the waves are entirely wind-created, but in coastal waters there are a number of other factors at work. These include:


■ The strength and direction of the tidal stream. If the tide runs against the wind – that’s to say in the opposite direction – it will be very much rougher than if they were both going more or less the same way. ‘Wind against stream’ is bad news. ‘Wind over stream’ is much better.


■ And, of course, there’s the nature of the seabed. Underwater obstructions can cause ‘upwellings’, piling up the seas in confused and sometimes dangerous patches.


■ Then there are ‘tidal races’ which occur in constricted channels or where the seabed becomes shallow off prominent headlands. The stream accelerates and the waves become steeper and higher. In the worst conditions you can expect overfalls and even whirlpools. Nasty.


■ The shape of the coastline can leave you exposed or protected. The ‘windward’ side facing the full brunt of wind and waves will be rough while the ‘leeward’ side will be far more tranquil. Sheltering in the lee of the land is a time honoured seamanship practice.


Good shelter here


No shelter here


Disturbed water over shallows


Wind against stream - steeper waves


Dangerous overfalls off headland


Sea conditions can vary greatly from place to place RYA Seamanship for Sea Anglers 81


Shallows caused by eddying stream


Wind over stream - smoother waves


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