The following was excerpted from a CBC story on the cruise ship:

"According to its satellite surveillance, the European Space
Agency estimates 'rogue' waves can reach up to 35 metres
high and destroy about 200 ships a year."


Chuck


NOYB wrote:
"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...

On 17 Apr 2005 08:07:02 -0700, wrote:


Expect a couple of familiar voices crying out that such waves don't
exist. :-)

Fortunately they did not exist today on the Gulf of Mexico. We did
see a few in the 3 to 4 foot range which caused Mrs B to stow some
things that were flying around the cabin. Altogether though, it was a
nice ride from Boca Grande down the outside of Cayo Costa, North
Captiva and Captiva Islands, Sannibel Island and back home. The gulf
was a lovely iridescent blue green color punctuated with the white
tops of wind driven waves from a northerly blowing 20 kt +. We could
have gone inside, down the inter coastal waterway, but we're trying to
shake things down for the trip north next month.

Saturday night we were anchored in Pelican Bay at the north end of
Cayo Costa, taking wind gusts of 30 kt plus. This was the first
combat test of the new Spade S200 anchor (120 lbs), and 3/8 HT chain.
The Spade S200 bit hard on the very first set and never budged an
inch. It came up this morning with a huge glob of clay on it from
being so firmly dug in. The windlass refused to pull it out but we
snubbed the chain at near vertical and reversed it out with the DD671s
and twin 28 inch props. No problem at all, even at idle speed they
generate a lot of thrust.



I was out Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but no more than 5 miles from shore.
On Friday and Saturday, that strong NNW wind had it bumpy right up to the
shore. On Sunday, the wind shifted to the NE and the waves were flat out to
about a mile. Running perpendicular to the wind made for quite a wet ride.

It's been a helluva windy winter...especially on the weekends.