Thread: Wind Speed

John these are some guides I have come across while learning about paddling kayaks - some may be relevant (and mildly amusing).

The first one is the description usually used in weather reports.

“Sea”
Description Height (M) Effect
Calm (glassy) 0 No waves breaking on beach
Calm (rippled) 0 – 0.1 No waves breaking on beach
Smooth 0.1 – 0.5 Slight waves breaking on beach
Slight 0.5 – 1.25 Waves rock buoys and small craft
Moderate 1.25 – 2.5 Sea becoming furrowed
Rough 2.5 – 4 Sea deeply furrowed
Very rough 4 – 6 Sea much disturbed with rollers having steep fronts
High 6 – 9 Sea much disturbed with rollers having steep fronts
(damage to foreshore)
Very high 9 – 14 Towering seas
Phenomenal over 14 Precipitous seas (experienced only in cyclones)


This one will probably be the most useful for relating observed conditions to a wind speed.
Beaufort No Term Sea state Description
0 (<1 kn) Calm Calm Like a mirror
1 (1-3 knots) Light air Calm (glassy) Ripples like scales
2 (4-6 knots) Light breeze Calm (rippled) Small wavelets, glassy crests, not breaking
3 (7-10 knots) Gentle breeze Smooth Large wavelets, crests begin to break, glassy foam.
4 (11-16 knots) Moderate breeze Slight Small wavelets becoming longer, fairly frequent white horses
5 ((17-21 knots) Fresh breeze Moderate Moderate waves more pronounced long form,many white horses
6 (22-27 knots) Strong breeze Rough Large wave crests begin to form, white crests more extensive everywhere
7 (28-33 knots) Near gale Very rough Sea heaps up with white foam from breaking waves
8 (34-40 knots) Gale High Moderately high waves of greater length, much foam
9 (41-47 knots) Strong gale Very high rolling High waves, dense streaks of foam along the direction of the wind


The third is specifically a guide for canoeists.
Beaufort number Description/effect
0 Everybody goes out and gets sick.
Open canoes cross Bass Strait. Surf canoeists commit suicide.
1 (1-3 knots) Same as for 0 but too rough for open canoes
2 (4-6 knots) Same as for 0 but too rough for open canoes
3 (7-10 knots) Life gets interesting for all. Good for practice capsize drill.
Getting tough for beginners.
4 (11-16 knots) About the limit for the Sea kayak Skills Standard paddler if on journey
5 ((17-21 knots) Anyone over Sea Kayak Skills Standard would enjoy this.
Usually makes good surf. Long distance travel is out.
6 (22-27 knots) Short trips by advanced paddlers all right but reaching the borderline.
7 (28-33 knots) Surf is big. Experts are beginning to swear.
8 (34-40 knots) Surf gets very big. You spend time holding onto your canoe on the beach.
9 (41-47 knots) Same as 8
10 (48-55 knots) Surf enormous and you get blown away with your canoe.

John, rather then read any books or note clever comparisons with natural events (fags waving, trees swaying, etc.), the very best thing you can do, is try to ignore what everyone has to say about anything other then the most basic sailing stuff.

At this point you should just get out there on a sailboat. Forget about all the port, starboard, keel hauling crap and just spend some time on a boat. Sailing is a very intuitive thing, your body will figure it out pretty quickly. The boat will lean a little, get use to this, it's just like a motorcycle in a turn, your body will naturally lean the other way. You will pick up the basic skills in an afternoon. You will not be able to take on a fleet of PDR's yet, (well you could, but get use to the back of the pack for a while) without a little embarrassment, but hell you're building a PDR so you can take criticism pretty well already right?

The boat is ridiculously stable, unless you rig it like I would, which 99% wouldn't. If black and white, hand drawn mice can do it, you can too . . . now get out there and get wet, the PDR world needs you . . .

Oh Paul, sometimes your wise words are just so poetic ....

PS-I'm sure you meant "Flags Waving"

Originally Posted by johmar

Apart from knowing what is safe for particular skillset, (as an absolute novice, this will probably be a gentle zephyr rippling the water), it would be nice to know what the windspeed "felt" like at a given time against the boats performance.
John

G'day John,
unless you carry an anemometer or sail near a BOM weather station whilst checking
the 5 minute observations on-line, the numbers are a best guess. People who've been
doing it a long time might get close.

As a rule of thumb, if the boat keeps being blown over, it is time to reef. Or pack up.
The actual wind speed this occurs at will vary with crew weight, agility & skill.
With practice, you'll learn to reef before then...
And get a feel for when it'll be fun on the water, & when it won't.
That's all that matters.
cheers
AJ

Originally Posted by Mickj

Oh Paul, sometimes your wise words are just so poetic ....

PS-I'm sure you meant "Flags Waving"

Yes he does have a way with words

"but hell you're building a PDR so you can take criticism pretty well already right?"

Thank you Gents,

Remebered that thing called the Beaufort scale this morning and was going to Google, but Labr has already posted it.

Thanks Labr, that is what i was thinking of and as a kayaker loved the last set.

Thanks PAR and A.J - dead right of course, just go and get wet and learn as I go without clouding the process with detail is the approach.
Not sure about the indicating standards with homosexual tendencies, but I'll wave back - yes??/no/maybe not.

John

Hi John,
I just noticed that you are in Brisvegas.
From what I understand that weather systems there are pretty much all over the place, hard to predict.
Here in Perth the weather is very predictable. A typical summers day here is - Easterly winds 5.00am - 12.00noon(anywhere from 5-15kts). Then we get an afternoon sea breeze (south westerly) from noon to about 7.00pm(anywhere from 5-30kts).
It usually follow this pattern 90% of the time. But it is always good practice to check the weather bureau every time you go out. Sites like this Weather Forecast for Kiteboarding, Windsurfing, Sailing, Boating, Surfing, Stand Up Paddle, Fishing, and more! come in very handy.


Cheers


Mickj

Wave only if you're an especially sweet fella . . . (okay, now recite that sentence with a lisp).

In regard to the weather, you'll learn within minutes that there are angles of heel that you just don't like. This is the novice's emergency brake and the heel angles will be quite modest at first. This is because you'll have no idea how far she can go and you'd rather not crap your paints on your first outings. This natural sphincter awareness, will keep all but fools within a reasonable comfort zone. With experience comes a well tuned sphincter and the more daring you'll be. Eventually you'll crap your paints, because you screwed up and a lesson will be hopefully learned. This respect for mother nature has to be earned, so work up to it with a high fiber diet.

Par you have absolutly nailed it again, in just a few words you have told any novice so many things re what is to much wind.
I am thinking I might have to build one of these PD boats just for the fun of it ( After I finish the Auk). Or better still build two and take them down to Pittwater NSW and see how many of our cruising club has the "touch". Could I fit 2 PD's in the back of a VU comodore ute?
The learning curve regarding what is to much wind can be very step, a couple of months ago it was gusting to 35knts( gut felling plus a wet finger) in the relative sheltered Pittwater and after a navigation exersise with the club I decieded to to stay out and have a sail. When the port gunnel on a 32ft motor sailer is under the water you know:
1) you have to much sail up
2) you should be on the mooring siping G&T with your mates
3) what is going to break loose and damage your pride and joy.
What I am trying to say is push the limits but do it safely.
Ian L
Wavedancer

Hi John, Re the beaufort scale, this is a very useful tool in open seas but means very little in costal waters as there can be to much influence from land , depths of water and tides.
Our European freinds could probaly confirm that the beaufort scale is used widely in the Mediteranen, but in Aus we just use Srength of wind and we have to work out what the seas are going to be.
Mickj, I was lucky enough to spend a few years over the "west" and your observations are pretty good, however running into a cyclone of Exmouth with 10m seas was interesting (H.M.A.S Morsbey circa 1979).
Ian L

There's really only three states of wind strength, not enough, way too much and everything else. Most quickly realize which is which, those that don't drown and self weed themselves out the gene pool . . .

PAR,

Sailing tips and dietary advice - what a wonderful forum this is.
Now if someone else would like to give advice on how to remove paint stains from my pants.....................?

Seriously, sound and logical advice, natural caution outweighed by "boyish" enthusiasm, followed by accident (read pain, claret(sorry - OZ for bleeding) and embarrasment) and return to lesser level of natural caution.
Hence, "The Learning Curve". This is where the curved hull runs you down because you've done sumthink stoopid.

Thanks for the link Mickj. Am sure will be handy.

Little secret of absolute novice - the thing that gets him sweating - gets 20 people to launch day and finds can't sail away from beach because he doesn't understand wind speed yet, or anything else.

In retail/hotel openings, I think they have things called "soft" openings, I think I'll have a "soft" launch - sneak away and practice first.
PAR, you are on notice - no comments about being embarrased enough now.

John

The soft launch is "trials" where you find out if the waterline you painted needs "adjustment", if the thru hull fittings are closed or their hose clamps tight, if the rudder will float out of it's gudgeons, the usual stuff, you'd prefer not to have everyone you know witness and tease you about for the remainder of your life. Then you have the official launch, with the national anthem playing and some cheap bubbly splashed on the bow, etc. Naturally, the LWL is painted in it's proper location, the scars from the sea trials filled with putty, the rudder has a spring loaded keeper, the thru hulls closed and dogged and you're sober this time.

If you don't get wet as you learn how to sail, you can't appreciate how much you'd rather not get wet as you sail, so just go for it and see how it works.

Originally Posted by PAR

If you don't get wet as you learn how to sail, you can't appreciate how much you'd rather not get wet as you sail.

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