purple_stars wrote:

i'm not trying to be difficult ... but, these sources being sighted, i
read more about these waves after seeing the references posted here and
they're saying these things are many times the height of the waves
around them and strike suddenly without any warning. they can occur in
relative calm, and they aren't that rare according to the radar study.
like you can be in a 5 meter sea and suddenly you're looking at a 30
meter wave. what could be considered adequate knowledge and good
judgement when faced with a 30 meter wave in a 5 meter sea ? it seems
like the only sure way to avoid the death of everyone on board is just
to stay at home and never be on the ocean in the first place. what
design considerations could you make in a 30 or 40 foot sailboat to
deal with a 30 meter wave ? it's just beyond anything we're prepared
for, and i am really interested in what you could possibly do to
prepare for it. 30 meters, that's like 90 feet high ... that's
GINORMOUS, i mean if you see a 30 meter wave on a 30 foot sailboat, you
might as well take a sip of champagne and wave to it cheerfully from
deck, cause your history.

I think they exist and are more common in some areas than others. The
areas are well known by sailors and fisherman and have a history. The
great Capes for instance, Queen Charlotte Sound, the Alaska panhandle.
Most of these areas are places people don't cruise and certainly not
when the weather is miserable.

Right now, up here in the Pacific NW we have a 970 millibar storm with
40-50 knot winds going through every 24 hours. No one is sailing
(except the Clipper Venture yachts on there way from Tokyo!).

The other thing of note is that most very large waves are not curling
breakers like you see off Mavericks but big hills with the tops blown
off. A well found boat that is battened down for the weather will
survive. You may die of fright but the boat will, in all likelihood
still be floating the next day. Like a bottle with a cork in it! Just
keep off those lee shores.

I have spent 15 years at sea (or so) in all types of boats and I haven't
seen the freak yet. Touch wood.

Gaz