Ultimate Sailing Adventures 100 Extraordinary Experiences on the Water by Miles Kendall

Author:Miles Kendall [Kendall, Miles]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Published: 2012-06-18T07:00:00+00:00

cate gory

races and rallies

location

worldwide

difficulty

extreme

time

nine months

te mpte d by this?

try racing a Transpac 52

Chapter 52

Survive a Waterspout

When Wind and Water Go Wild

© GM Raget / Kos Picture Source

There you are, cruising the Caribbean quite happily, when all at once the laws of physics are turned upside down and water starts shooting into the sky. What you're witnessing is a waterspout and it's a natural phenomenon that has scared the life out of sailors for thousands of years.

Waterspouts are swirling vortexes of air that suck the sea into the sky and are found all over the world. Although they may look like tornadoes, most are described as non-tornadic or fair-weather waterspouts and don't have a fraction of the destructive strength of a true tornado.

For a fair-weather waterspout to form, there must be cumulus cloud over a large body of water. Warm water and relatively still, moist air provide the energy that leads to the waterspout's formation and there are tell tale signs to look out for.

Initially there is a circular area of light-coloured water around which is a darker ring. As the waterspout develops, a pattern of light and dark bands will start to spiral out from this dark

area. By this point you should have dropped the sails and be motoring away as fast as possible before a swirling circle of sea spray is whipped up from the water's surface and rises up towards the cloud. The waterspout is at its most intense after joining up with the cloud base.

The circling wall of spray at its base can be over 60 metres high and will kick up a large wake.

All this is bad news for sailors in the vicinity because the winds in the waterspout can reach 30 metres per second. That may not be strong enough to pluck your craft from the water as a true tornado could, but it is more than enough to knock a yacht on its side or strip the sails from the rigging. Tornadic waterspouts generally occur when a tornado moves over the water, but because nearly all tornados are found in land-locked areas of the United States these do not need to concern most sailors.

Most fair-weather waterspouts occur in the tropics where there are plentiful supplies of warm water and moist air, but they can also form in temperate areas and more than 100 are reported each year across Europe. Most take place in late summer and early autumn when sea temperatures are at their highest.

Unsurprisingly, sailors are advised to stay clear of waterspouts and warnings are given as part of weather forecasts in high-risk areas. If you are caught out, drop and secure all sails as quickly as possible and ensure that all crew are wearing safety harnesses and lifejackets. You won't be able to out-run a waterspout, but take some comfort in the knowledge that they normally last for only a few minutes before dissipating.

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