Rogue Waves
Fellow Sailnet members, who have added their interesting comments and opinions regarding 'Rogue Waves,' have motivated me to chime in.
First, there is no doubt that rogue waves do exist although I believe the odds of encountering such a phenomenon are rarer than lighting striking people; pirates boarding yachts; shark attacks, or ships sinking pleasure boats. These things do happen but (so far) never to me.
Nevertheless, somewhere in the world's oceans, rogue waves are building and dissipating at this very moment. How many… is a guess. Some might suggest 5 to 10 while others might say 50 or more. Whatever the true number, it will never come close to the number of ships and fishing vessels that ply the world's watery highways.
Statistic suggests that just sighting a ship is hundreds, perhaps thousands of times more likely than being struck by a rogue wave. Yet sighting a ship in the vast open ocean is, in itself, a rare event. For example, during my first 35 days at sea as I began my seven -year solo voyages around the world, (while maintaining a watch schedule that was more conscientious than many fully crewed boats. See thread on 'Kitchen Timers) I saw only one ship. I have never encountered a rogue wave as others describe it in 30 years of being on the water.
During all my time at sea, however, I have, of course, encountered larger than normal waves but calling them 'rogue' would be an exaggeration. I once took green water over my boat after being hove-to in a 'southerly buster' off the coast of New South Wales, Australia. A large wave ripped out a stanchion in the Red Sea. A 25 footer loomed up above his 18 foot companions in a 50 knot gale off the Venezuela coast and my boat went over the falls and skidded down the wave on her side. However, this was not a rogue. It was the last big roller in the set. All surfers wait for this wave.
So why is their so much chatter about rogue waves? Why do many authors use the term? I think in some cases, while telling these sea stories, it sounds so much more titillating to claim…' Yes, it was a rogue wave that did me in,' instead of saying …' Yep, I messed up. Not paying attention to prudent seamanship.'