classic understatement

[Paul G.]

regarding 12 meter swell forecast in Cook Straight :D
Regional harbourmaster Captain Mike Pryce said swells of up to 12m were forecast for Saturday.
"It's going to be a bit lumpy for the next three days. If the sailing does go it'll be lively. I don't think they'll be selling many meat pies."

[Paul G.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66j6vazwLFg

[John B]

Hoo boy, thats weird. clicky on a you tube link and get a wooden boat message telling me I have a problem.
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tell me its not the beginning of the end.

[Captain Intrepid]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66j6vazwLFg

That one should work for you.

[John B]

Ta for that.. I don't get why the first one doesn't work for me... I can't see any difference in the code ?

[Captain Intrepid]

When you link to something, the name of the link doesn't have to be the same as the actual link itself.

[ u r l = www . somewhere . com ]www . Elsewhere . com[ / u r l ] will look like www.Elsewhere.com, but will send you to www.somewhere.com.

[The Bigfella]

Watching that made me, of course, think of the Wahine disaster in '68. I looked it up on Youtube and was surprised to see no swell involved. Just the wind by the look of it.

[AJZimm]

For those of us who don't live on the bottom half of the globe, I take it that this is a ferry that is crossing Cook Straight? Is it a vehicle ferry or just a people ferry? If a vehicle ferry, wouldn't want my vehicle on that trip.

As bad as the pitching is, imagine how much worse it would be if the ship was beam-on to the swell.

[John B]

Watching that made me, of course, think of the Wahine disaster in '68. I looked it up on Youtube and was surprised to see no swell involved. Just the wind by the look of it.

Wahine you mean? That had a massive following sea.. a screaming S Easter.
Theres a good animation of the events leading up to it , IIRC she basically broached and then couldn't get the bow to pay off... ended up backing onto barrets reef and damaging the stern including the steering gear.

[watson1990]

I have always wanted to visit down there ...until this !
Good lord !!

W

[The Bigfella]

Yeah John, the Wahine... in this footage, which is of her on the reef, there's hardly any swell, although there may well have been further out....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5GNSZfDUN8

The animation shows swells that just aren't there in the link I posted

[dhic001]

Yeah John, the Wahine... in this footage, which is of her on the reef, there's hardly any swell, although there may well have been further out....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5GNSZfDUN8

The animation shows swells that just aren't there in the link I posted

That footage isn't on Barrett's Reef, Wahine drifted well up harbour after hitting the reef, and hence the lack of swell further in. The final resting place was out of sight of the mouth of the harbour, and on the more sheltered side of the harbour. The ship ended up not far from the south western side of the harbour, but the winds drove the lifeboats to the more rugged eastern side, not a nice place to end up in that gale.
Daniel

[The Bigfella]

I thought it might have been something like that Daniel, but it was surprising to see how flat the water was. I've done that trip 3 times now.

[RFNK]

I remember surfing right inside Sydney Harbour in May 1974, in very big seas, when a ship with a big banner on the side saying `Captain Cook Coffee Cruises' went past us off Balmoral, looking very much like this ferry in Cook Strait. We all laughed as we imagined decks and laps awash with coffee. Of course it's very rare for Sydney Harbour to be so rough but Cook Strait is regarded as one of the world's roughest short crossings I think. I also noticed the current under those waves trying to break in that Youtube footage - I don't think I'd want to be out in that in the Folkboat!

I'm pretty sure this ferry carries passengers and cars.
Rick

[The Bigfella]

Yes, it carries vehicles and passengers

[Paul G.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66j6vazwLFg

That one should work for you.

Dunno why my link didnt work, thanks for that!

[Graeme Forrest]

I am not sure but I think that particular ferry has mainly trucks on board and the only passengers would be their drivers who would be trying to get a few hours sleep during the crossing!!!
Graeme

[The Bigfella]

I just did a search on her and she seems to be running in Fiji these days.

http://www.taveuni.com.au/services/ferry.htm#suilvan

[floatingkiwi]

For those of us who don't live on the bottom half of the globe, I take it that this is a ferry that is crossing Cook Straight? Is it a vehicle ferry or just a people ferry? If a vehicle ferry, wouldn't want my vehicle on that trip.

As bad as the pitching is, imagine how much worse it would be if the ship was beam-on to the swell.

The Cook Strait ferry is a 3 1/2 hour trip that travels predominantly East West from Nth to Sth to Nth Islands and they are actually rail ferries.If one sits in the bar for an early beer the ferry lists quite noticably as they load the rail cars from side to side.Then there is the Strait. Hang on to your beer or wear it.
Of course private motor vehicles are also driven on.

[Paul G.]

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/5401116.jpg

Its the colour of the water Brrrhhh!

http://image16.webshots.com/17/1/84/45/190618445mifcYM_ph.jpg

Getting windy

http://image32.webshots.com/33/5/73/78/271657378UnmChW_ph.jpg

Meat Pie Thanks

http://www.thewahine.co.nz/images/Aramoana%20rough%20seas.jpg

The Aramoana

http://www.thewahine.co.nz/images/off_Steeple.jpg

The ill fated Wahine

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/8/10614680_79c04bb312.jpg?v=0

Another average day

[rufustr]

A good video here.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3662934917980860966

[dhic001]

Imagine that under sail, with no motor. was a regular occurance not that many decades ago, and a good many ships were lost because of it.
Daniel

[Paul G.]

How would you like to be out there in that! I wonder how my little sloop would handle it.

[Salty Sailor]

Here a good way not to spend your holiday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kohr0KfVXZA

[Salty Sailor]

And this a gripping moment from the wheelhouse of a large fishing ship as she is hit by giant wave broadside....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_8hOai9hGQ

[Salty Sailor]

Last one I promise,
Slightly off topic but an eye opening video.
Spot the sailing vessel at the end of the clip.

The Perfect Storm, but wait... What's that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z12pEG2aAeA&feature=related

[Paul G.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvkWjQYzuCM

bit windy in this one but not too rough (yet), those cook straight storms are no real comparison. However this did deteriorate into arguably the worst yachting disaster ever. I was priveliged enough to listen to a presentation given by the winchman from the rescue helicopter involved in saving 12 people. His description of the chopper hovering 80 feet above the waves then suddenly looking UP at a swirling mass of sails & rigging as a huge wave came through was frightening. The video was remarkable.

[Thorne]

MUCH prefer that trip when the water looks like this:

http://www.luckhardt.com/DSCN1199-web.jpg

[Tom Galyen]

Impressive, in my 6 years at sea on destroyers in the Navy I can say "I've been there done that" but I can't say I've gotten the "T" shirt as they didn't give them out then.

Tom G. (Seaweed)

[ahp]

We crossed the Cook Straight two years ago in February on the Blue Bridge ferry, carrying passangers, trucks, sheep, and private cars. It was glassy smooth. I could have rowed my 71/2 ft pram across. A long row however.