Where the weather

[happy daze john in oz]

A comment by Ivan regarding the wind brought to mind a number of events I experienced, no doubt you can all elaborate on them.

My very first voyage and on the Windsor, leaving Southampton and down the river I felt the ships movement, nothing to what was to come.
We hit the Bay with a vengence, well the Bay had that bit.
Many of the crew said it was the worst they had ever known, waves hitting the bow and flowing up to the bridge.
While below the Bedroom and Bathroom stewards where hard at work.
Many of the bloods were in deep and often violent conversation with huey and not all where using the big white telephone to do so.
Something for a first tripper to remember.


Later year in the Great Australian Bight, and any onw who has sailed it will know what it can be like, on a 10,008 cargo ship when we hit bad weather.
For three days no one allowed on deck, only cold food, we could not keep pots on the range the movement was so eratic.

But an odd one which Doc Vernon will understand.

Leaving Cape Town homeward bound, due to sail at 1600 hours on Friday.
But at about 1500 hours the Cape Doctor began to blow, and does she blow.
By 1530 hours there were the tugs on stand by to pull the ship from the berth, but the wind was so strong there was some doubt as to the capability of the tugs to do so.
Then the sea began to get a wee bit angry so attempts to sail were abandoned until Saturday again at 1600 hours.

Since then on a number of cruises the various ships have been unable to berth in some ports due to inclement weather, very often strong winds preventing a smooth entrance to the harbor.
In NZ one year we were unable to enter Milford Sound for that reason, though a P&O one had gone in a few hours earlier and had been lucky to get out in one piece.

The weather ashore to many is often considered bad by shoe side standards, but nothing compares with bad weather conditions on the wild and open seas.

[j.sabourn]

There was an old poem that someone might like to continue for you Victoria.. Where ere you be let the wind roam free ..............??? JS..

[Doc Vernon]

Yes John
I too can say that the Bay of Biscay can be one heck of a place at times, as i as well went through there a few times in bleedin crazy Weather, once as i recall (I had posted somewhere) we nearly and i say nearly as it was too damn close, hit another Cargo Ship in the Pitch Dark of Night.

As for the Cape Doctor well i feel that many here too would know all about that one, as it comes over the Table on the Mountain Top, like something out of Hell, it sweeps down the side of the Mountain causing all kinds of destruction, and heads straight towards the Dock Area.

As it heads down Adderley Street it is some sight at times, to see just how powerful it can be,taking Cars, Trucks and Humans and flinging them in the Air.

Hitting the Harbour that creates all kinds of havoc with Shipping, and the Biggest of Liners cannot at times get out as you have mentioned!

She is a Wind that is good for the Cape Bowl, as it rids the Town of lots of things, but it is also a Wind that can and does cause a lot of damage!
Cheers

Memories!!

Lovely old Painting depicting that Windy Weather in Cape Town Harbour.

Painting.jpg

[j.sabourn]

I couldn’t remember the words Marian , let alone the language. JS

[cappy]

the ts vindicatrix which at the time in the i believe late 1800s ,,,was then the sailing vessel arranmore was damaged among many others in a hooly encapsulating capetown....many vessels ashore and herself very much damaged .....have the whole story from the book if any one is interested

[Keith Tindell]

I often look out on the Solent when its blowing a hoolly, and wonder at the windage on those pigeon lofts as they go up to Southampton, much the same as the box boats. The tugs in Southampton must be pretty busy. Years ago when i was stationed at Lyndhurst in the New Forest, it was one of our jobs to go to Fawley and test the fire fighting equipment on the two tugs there, the Gatcombe and the Vectis, both these tugs had a hydraulic platform fitted, i think it was 40 metre. We would go down the Solet with all the fire pumps working, us in the hydraulic platform on full extension, and the skipper would through the wheel hard over, not a pleasant experience as she heeled over, and the feeling was you were going to hit the water, but we never did of course, kt

[Lewis McColl]

Living right on the NE Antrim coast as I do I have seen a fair few storms rolling in, the North Channel / Irish sea can get a bit lumpy at times. There was a programme on BBC I player we watched last night about the sinking of the Princess Victoria 31 January 1953. Now that was a super storm which caused several thousand deaths.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sea_flood_of_1953

[j.sabourn]

Talking of Doctors as regarding weather many will know of the soothing cool winds of the Fremantle Doctor in the summer. JS

[Lewis McColl]

I wonder if the term Doctor when describing sea breezes blowing onshore or offshore is an old colonial term ? Kingston Jamaica they also had most afternoons a breeze that blew through the city and the locals referred to that as the Doctor, certainly freshened the place up a bit.

[j.sabourn]

I saw one winter in the North Sea wave and swell height recorded going through the legs of a an installation at just over a 100 ft. Imagine being in that in the only ship around on a small sidewinder. Finished up 35 miles off station. Whose supposed to save who ? Biggest danger is running before a big sea and pooping one chances are you won’t be coming back up out of it. And that’s on a big ship. 0n a small one you can only turn into it and ride it out. If the sea and swell are running in different directions it up to good management to quickly find the best way she rides cross your fingers and stay there. Even though your going backwards . Cheers JS...