Rough sea condition

[RMA888]

Does any one suggest a good time to cruise to South America and or New Zealand? We had encountered very rough sea on our cruise at the end of February so much that the ship had to re-route and skipped Falkland Islands all together! Same go to New Zealand at the end of November when the ship just stopped in Auckland and skipped all southern island!

[Flatbush Flyer]

11 minutes ago, RMA888 said:

Does any one suggest a good time to cruise to South America and or New Zealand? We had encountered very rough sea on our cruise at the end of February so much that the ship had to re-route and skipped Falkland Islands all together! Same go to New Zealand at the end of November when the ship just stopped in Auckland and skipped all southern island!

I think you already know the answer:

It’s the ocean - smooth sailing until it’s not.

You mentioned rough water at the Falklands. Did you like rounding The Horn? It can occasionally get a touch “rough”:

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by Flatbush Flyer

[CruiserBruce]

Seas can be rough any time...they are not predictable more than a few days in advance. I don't understand why people don't understand you are on a ship, on the sea, that moves.

[Nebr.cruiser]

I think it is just plain chance; our January trip around the horn was mostly smooth sailing with no missed ports and only a little roughness here and there.

[donaldsc]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I think you already know the answer:

It’s the ocean - smooth sailing until it’s not.

You mentioned rough water at the Falklands. Did you like rounding The Horn? It can occasionally get a touch “rough”

 

Do tell.  When we did Antarctica we had smooth water to Antarctica and fairly smooth water on the way back.  However, when we got to Cape Horn, we got into a force 10 gale.  I like rough seas so I enjoyed it but most of the rest of the ship including my wife definitely did not agree w me.  It was great fun watching them get the pilot on board.  Took them a couple of hours to get him on and the small pilot boat was really bobbing around.

 

A bit later, I did a cruise to the Falklands and S. Georgia out of Ushuaia.  That is where all the ships to Antarctica depart.  The weather was so bad that our captain said the several of the Antarctica ships had to delay their sailings out of Ushuaia several days.  Our captain managed to dodge the storms so we did not miss any days on our Falklands / S. Georgia trip.  We did encounter 100 knot winds in Drygalski Fjord at S. Georgia and it was sort of rough on the way back from S. Georgia to Ushuaia.  However as I noted above I enjoy rough seas and what is the point of doing the Southern Ocean if you don't get to experience the bad weather that they are famous for.

 

DON

[RMA888]

10 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I think you already know the answer:

It’s the ocean - smooth sailing until it’s not.

You mentioned rough water at the Falklands. Did you like rounding The Horn? It can occasionally get a touch “rough”:

 

We love cruising. Have cruised over 40 times and South America was the first time I gotten sea sick! Cape Horn was nice and calm, same as the North Cape in Arctic Circle.

[RMA888]

8 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

Do tell.  When we did Antarctica we had smooth water to Antarctica and fairly smooth water on the way back.  However, when we got to Cape Horn, we got into a force 10 gale.  I like rough seas so I enjoyed it but most of the rest of the ship including my wife definitely did not agree w me.  It was great fun watching them get the pilot on board.  Took them a couple of hours to get him on and the small pilot boat was really bobbing around.

 

A bit later, I did a cruise to the Falklands and S. Georgia out of Ushuaia.  That is where all the ships to Antarctica depart.  The weather was so bad that our captain said the several of the Antarctica ships had to delay their sailings out of Ushuaia several days.  Our captain managed to dodge the storms so we did not miss any days on our Falklands / S. Georgia trip.  We did encounter 100 knot winds in Drygalski Fjord at S. Georgia and it was sort of rough on the way back from S. Georgia to Ushuaia.  However as I noted above I enjoy rough seas and what is the point of doing the Southern Ocean if you don't get to experience the bad weather that they are famous for.

 

DON

Thanks Don. I heard the Drake Passage is always rough but probably worth the ride.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 minute ago, RMA888 said:

Thanks Don. I heard the Drake Passage is always rough but probably worth the ride.

A picture is worth a thousand words:

[LHT28]

First time I was sea sick was out of Bermuda  heading to Montreal  in Aug

20 ft seas  ...

you never know  what will happen  & when

JMO

 

[MBP&O2/O]

I once sailed from Santos to Valparaiso via Magellan in October and the whole journey was like a mill pond ... flat calm.

[donaldsc]

4 hours ago, RMA888 said:

Thanks Don. I heard the Drake Passage is always rough but probably worth the ride.

 

I have done it when it was the Drake Lake, when it was a bit rough and when it was wild.  You can never know until you get on it.  As I have mentioned, I think that it would be disappointing if it was the Drake Lake.

 

The time we had a force 10 gale, most of the people on the ship were smart and were inside avoiding the wind except for me and this crazy German guy.  We were at the bow taking pictures.  As long as we were right at the bow plastered against the metal to brace ourselves, we were OK.  When we went along the side of the ship, we had to hold onto the railing to keep from being blown.  Got some great pictures through.

 

DON

Edited March 14, 2021 by donaldsc

[donaldsc]

How about this - bad picture but good wind.  This was on my S. Georgia trip

 

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by donaldsc

[msmayor]

As others have mentioned, even in what you would think could be the calmest waters, you cannot predict.

 

I recall a very early cruise my husband and I took out of Port Canaveral, on the first night the Captain warned us that 'crossing the gulf stream' we would encounter very rough water, and should make sure all our belongings were secured overnight.  It was indeed rough....and on every cruise since out of FL ports we've never had seas that rough.

 

Been to the Bahamas when motion could easily be felt...and also when the sea was flat-calm.  I've never seen water so still in the middle of the ocean since.

 

It's just a roll of the dice.

[Ride-The-Waves]

The Drake is unpredictable, just like the oceans themselves.

 

Crossed it out of Ushuaia coming and going to Antarctica on Fram.  Most quiet both directions.

 

A captain of an RCI ship told me that in all his years for sailing the worst weather he ever faced was in the Bay of Biscay near France.  I personally have experienced over 80 knots of wind in the southern Atlantic near 0/0 south bound.  "Fun" for a few minutes...  We were on a US aircraft carrier and the ship was fairly stable.

[clo]

14 hours ago, donaldsc said:

I did a cruise to the Falklands and S. Georgia out of Ushuaia.  That is where all the ships to Antarctica depart. 

Actually, just a little tweak. We sailed on Hurtigruten from Punta Arenas. So did the Chilean fjords, then Antarctica and the Falklands. No Ushuaia. We were on a Gate 1 land/sea tour which began in Buenos Aires, then Argentinian and Chilean Patagonia and then the cruise. Amazing time.

 

https://www.hurtigruten.com/destinations/antarctica/great-explorers-and-solar-eclipse/?_ccid=20928&_ccst=1766

[getting older slowly]

16 hours ago, RMA888 said:

Does any one suggest a good time to cruise to  New Zealand? Went to New Zealand at the end of November when the ship just stopped in Auckland and skipped all southern island!

Have done many trips across the Tasman between Australian and New Zealand during the normal cruise season, October to March. 

 

You can't tell has been smooth to rough ( 5+ metre seas with winds 70+ knots )  as well as fog /low cloud, to sunshine, so very difficult to predict, 

 

We also on one trip  there was a two storm cells either side on the south island, so the cruise ended at Wellington missing the south island and ended up with lots of sea days on the way home.

 

So best time go.... is when the ship goes.... and just go with flow.

 

Don

[RMA888]

Thank you all for your remarks. I do realize that rough sea is unpredictable. Just wonder if there’s any time (season) that I should avoid! Like hurricanes season in the Caribbean.

[getting older slowly]

A short video taken from Skywalkers on the Golden Princess crossing the Tasman...

on one of our trips a couple of years ago

 

Fairly average weather     Don

 

[gerryuk]

Do trade winds have a factor? Every year thousands of sailboats head to Gran Canaria from all over Europe, then head over the Atlantic via the favourable trade winds to the Caribbean. This rally called the ARC (Atlantic Rally Crossing) always sets off in November. I believe it takes them about 2 to 3 weeks to sail over. Once in the Caribbean they spend a couple of months sailing around then head north via the American coast before heading back over to Europe via the Azores, again favourable trade winds. 

Many who sail in the rally are single handed so the sea conditions following the trade winds must be reasonable. Do trade winds have a factor in the condition of seas, swells?

[babs135]

You pay your money and you take your chance!!  Seriously though, no one can predict the weather.  We did a cruise from Perth to Sydney via Tasmania and New Zealand in November/December time.  Apparently the area around the south western tip of Australia can be choppy but it was mirror glass smooth as was most of the trip

Until

From Tasmania to the South Island was horrendous.  The ship, Rhapsody of the Seas, whilst suffering no actual damage, lost over 2,000 pieces of crockery and glassware, several bottles of wines & spirits (most people were very upset at this 🤣) and anything not tied down in the shops was also lost.  At his noon announcement the Captain admitted that it had been 'a bit rough'.  Unfortunately I can't remember the wind force that he said.  

Strangely enough the return journey of Wellington to Sydney was fine.

Must recount what happened at dinner time when the ship was pitching and rolling something horribly.  DH was enjoying it, I was not but went into the MDR thinking that I should make an effort to put something into my stomach.  Our table was not full but the one next to us had its full complement of 10 people.  All had ordered drinks and as the ship continued moving all over the place the steward arrived with a tray full of drinks, some already in glasses and proceeded to serve each and every one on the table and NOT ONE drop was spilled.  His table and ours gave him a resounding cheer and clap.

[K32682]

As I am quite resistant to motion sickness I privately hope for at least a day or two of rough weather on a cruise. It's quite exciting.

 

I remain mystified by people who know they will be seriously debilitated by anything less than calm seas but still insist on cruising. Wearing goofy glasses, bracelets madly popping ginger and Gravol and wondering about the effects of transdermal scopolamine and alcohol are not my idea of a good time. 

 

Besides when the weather is really rough you can always get a seat at the blackjack table. 

 

  

Edited March 15, 2021 by K32682

[gooch47]

Some of the roughest seas we've ever encountered was between New York City and Ft. Lauderdale.  Twice.

 

And of course, the North Sea.  We missed Greenland twice and arrived at Iceland so late all tours were cancelled.

 

Around the horn was extremely smooth.  And so was the area around the Falklands.

[capriccio]

Our South America cruise story:  As we sailed into Ushuaia the weather was lovely and the sea was calm.  Within an hour of docking the winds picked up and our afternoon boat excursion was cancelled.  We were due to depart at 6 pm but the winds were so great the ship couldn't push off from the dock.  We didn't leave until after midnight when the wind calmed down enough to push away.  The next morning was rounding Cape Horn.  When he showered that morning, my DH came our of the bathroom and told me to check out the water in the bathtub.  It wasn't draining.  Instead it was pooling in the back of the tub because of the angle of the ship.  That phenomenon was a big topic of discussion at breakfast.  As we approached Cape Horn the captain made an announcement to take a look at it in the distance; we were on our way to the Falklands and the sail would be much calmer.  And it was.

 

The worst weather we ever experienced was on a Quebec City to Fort Lauderdale cruise in late October.  Our last port before Fort Lauderdale was Charleston, SC.  The sun was shining and we were in sight of the dock when the captain announced that the weather was due to change rapidly, he didn't want to be trapped at the dock, and we were heading back out to sea.  Over 40 passengers that had permission to disembark in Charleston were stuck going to Fort Lauderdale!  The tropical storm was impressive with 50 mph winds and waves crashing against the windows on Deck 7 during the dinner service.

[Heidi13]

5 hours ago, gerryuk said:

Do trade winds have a factor? Every year thousands of sailboats head to Gran Canaria from all over Europe, then head over the Atlantic via the favourable trade winds to the Caribbean. This rally called the ARC (Atlantic Rally Crossing) always sets off in November. I believe it takes them about 2 to 3 weeks to sail over. Once in the Caribbean they spend a couple of months sailing around then head north via the American coast before heading back over to Europe via the Azores, again favourable trade winds. 

Many who sail in the rally are single handed so the sea conditions following the trade winds must be reasonable. Do trade winds have a factor in the condition of seas, swells?

 

Interesting questions, which I will try to answer in fairly basic terms.

 

Trade winds result from the uniform heating over an ocean mass. The extreme heating at the equator causes hot air to rise, which cools in the upper atmosphere heading towards the poles. This results in low pressure at the Equator. By latitude 30 degrees, the hot air has cooled, so it sinks to the surface, creating high pressure. To complete the system, air must move across the surface from 30 degrees to the Equator.

 

These are the Trade Winds, but they don't go South in the Northern Hemisphere, as due to the Coriolis effect of the Earth's rotation, they are deflected to the right, becoming the NE Trades. They blow consistently at about 10 to 20 kts.

 

You also have a similar reaction between the poles and 60 degrees, which causes a surface flow from latitude 30 to 60 degrees, which with the Coriolis effect becomes the prevailing SW'lys.

 

In the Southern Hemisphere the same system applies, but the Coriolis effect causes deflections to the left.

 

With the Northern Hemisphere NE Trades blowing almost continuously, they do generate a sea state, which is a combination of wind waves and swell. Wind waves are those generated by the immediate wind, while swell can be from winds hundreds to thousand miles away. The waves increase with the wind speed, length of time it blows in a consistent direction and fetch, which is the unobstructed distance.

 

However, trade winds are generally not of sufficient strength to create overly rough seas. The rough seas are created by frontal depressions where 2 air masses meet, or Tropical Revolving Storms, which develop in the Equatorial region. With frontal depressions, the lower the pressure, the tighter the isobars, so stronger winds and rougher seas.

 

With respect to the yacht routing, in addition to trade winds they also consider current, which like air movement, must complete a system. The well known Gulf Stream up the US Eastern seaboard crosses the Atlantic as the N Atlantic Drift, then heads South as the Canary Current?? then it heads West as the N Equatorial Current.

 

A mariners understanding of Meteorology from 40+ years ago, so if we have any Meteorologists, please feel free to expand.

[donaldsc]

19 hours ago, clo said:

Actually, just a little tweak. We sailed on Hurtigruten from Punta Arenas. So did the Chilean fjords, then Antarctica and the Falklands. No Ushuaia. We were on a Gate 1 land/sea tour which began in Buenos Aires, then Argentinian and Chilean Patagonia and then the cruise. Amazing time.

 

https://www.hurtigruten.com/destinations/antarctica/great-explorers-and-solar-eclipse/?_ccid=20928&_ccst=1766

 

Good point.  We actually did sort of the same cruise as you did but in the reverse direction.  Started in Ushuaia and ended up in Puntas Arenas.  The Chilean Fjords are amazing.  We have done them twice.

 

DON