TODAY I LEARNED

When it comes to safety, Sea-state is king

Wind is dramatic and as one Outremmer 45 close to us found out recently being caught out with too much sail can be disastrous and end with you turning turtle.

But you can reef or even drop sail, start engines and if you are not flying sail the wind is not really your problem anymore.. the sea state is!!!

Whilst passage planning its the sea state that is often overlooked and although it is mostly related to the wind it can be related to yesterday’s wind or even the day before.

Make sure you pay attention to the sea state. The really important things are direction of swell in relation to your passage AND the wind, period of the swell and local current conditions.

6m swell running with you at a long period is not a problem, just 2m Swell against you and wind with a short period can be extremely dangerous.

Plan your passages with sea state in mind and be prepared.

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