On Sat, 6 Jan 2007 12:02:38 -0500, "Roger Long"
wrote:

What kills boats in these latitudes and waves of this size (probably 20 feet
since he said 40) is being dropped off the steep face of ones that are
nearly breaking. Imagine your boat picked up by a crane 15 - 20 feet and
rolled so the masts are pointed downwards. Then just let it go.

Nice description.

I usually say something like "tossed down into the trough from the top
of a 20 foot wave" but it all amounts to the same thing, and it's not
at all uncommon. I've also heard it described as "falling off a wave"
which is fairly apt, and not difficult to do if you have some speed on
and the waves are steep.

One aspect of big waves is that they often appear as a hole in the
water instead of looming overhead.