Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (MCDVs)
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Hard to say because the camera flattens the seas, but likely 4-6m based on how much of the bow is coming out at the crests.
There is a tendency for people to massively exaggerate the significant wave height, turing 5m Seas into 10m ones for their stories. The same happened in Kandahar... everybody was 200m from the rocket, it was hotter where they were, and the camel spiders were bigger.
Oldgateboatdriver
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I agree with Furniture here. I think most people who have not experienced it don't know what 10 to 15 meters seas are. I almost want to say pray you never do, because they are the type of seas that give meaning to Gordon Lightfoot's words " Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
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I think that line is the most poignant line in modern music...
When you've been in actually frightening seas, and you know help is days away, it really brings things into focus.
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I was holding onto the handles of the Aft Gyro (doing rounds at sea) when we took a 42 degree roll on CHA back in the 90s.
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I mind a bridge I was on (a 600 footer - The Ocean Phoenix) and I was doing alternate deep knee bends trying to keep centred - Inclinometer was somewhere in the +/- 30 degree range.
I spent that night in the bunk with my leg jammed between the bunk and the bulkhead.
I also spent a good deal of time in these ships
The American Triumph
Northern Jaeger
I spent that night in the bunk with my leg jammed between the bunk and the bulkhead.
I also spent a good deal of time in these ships
The American Triumph
Northern Jaeger
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KevinB
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That last picture looks more submarine than surface ship.
Colin Parkinson
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People who have taken a MCDV in to these seas have a deep appreciation for the crews of the WWII Corvettes
where was the photographer? Wow
What were the poor soles doing in the RHIB in the 3rd frame?
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That was divers in a flat bottomed Mamba witnessing the historical mine ordnance detonation.
Czech_pivo
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Lol
About 33yrs ago I experienced about 3 meter waves on a 27ft sailboat on Lake Ontario - we were on a 13 day sail starting in Port Dalhousie and sailing the entire lake, starting on the US side down to Oswego and then across to the CDN side down to Ashbridges Bay Marina and then finally across to Port Dalhousie.
The day of the 3 meter waves, and a good strong wind, was leaving Oak Orchard Yacht Club and attempting to sail to the Genesee Yacht Club, there were 3 of us on the boat and none of us had done any sailing at that point this extensive/long. Man, I can tell you we were a bit nervous and in the beginning there was a few 'Are we sure that we can manage this?' until we finally just quieted down and dealt with it. I do believe that being only a few miles offshore and seeing land the entire time made things more bearable.
I can't imagine the sea states that you guys are talking about. Full respect to all that have sailed in 10-15 meter seas.
Oldgateboatdriver
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It's been a while, I wasn't onboard either of these ships (at the time - I was on PRO later in the 80's), so the exact details of time and ship are fuzzy, but here is the tale:
In the late 70's, an East Coast AOR, either PRO or PRE, went through a hurricane in the North Atlantic on their way back from Europe, sailing into the winds and sea, at night. The bow would raise right out of the water and come crashing down in the through with water breaking over the bow and spray washing into the bridge window, get passed, clear the view for the watch on deck to peer out for a few seconds and the cycle would repeat all over. Then, after one such cycle, the OOW peers out the window and ... grabs the phone and calls the CO: "Captain , Sir. I think you will want to see this for yourself", leading to the fastest sprint to the bridge by a four ringer in the history of the RCN.
C.O. gets there and they both peer forwards: The bow chaser ( a twin 3"50 gun turret right at the bow) had been washed clear off the ship by a wave but by some miracle, didn't hit anything on its way to Davie Jones locker. All that was left was the empty hole where the gun turret had been.
We've all seen rigging, or boats, or even davits crushed or taken out by the sea, but a whole gun turret? That is the only instance I know of.
In the late 70's, an East Coast AOR, either PRO or PRE, went through a hurricane in the North Atlantic on their way back from Europe, sailing into the winds and sea, at night. The bow would raise right out of the water and come crashing down in the through with water breaking over the bow and spray washing into the bridge window, get passed, clear the view for the watch on deck to peer out for a few seconds and the cycle would repeat all over. Then, after one such cycle, the OOW peers out the window and ... grabs the phone and calls the CO: "Captain , Sir. I think you will want to see this for yourself", leading to the fastest sprint to the bridge by a four ringer in the history of the RCN.
C.O. gets there and they both peer forwards: The bow chaser ( a twin 3"50 gun turret right at the bow) had been washed clear off the ship by a wave but by some miracle, didn't hit anything on its way to Davie Jones locker. All that was left was the empty hole where the gun turret had been.
We've all seen rigging, or boats, or even davits crushed or taken out by the sea, but a whole gun turret? That is the only instance I know of.
Oldgateboatdriver
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That last picture there is actually a twin 3"50 turret. Exactly the type I mentioned as the bow chaser of the AOR. In the above case, the gun's protective turret was shredded by seas. In the AOR case, everything: turret, guns, the lot, was gone from inside the barbette.
Thank you for sharing these spectacular pictures. Especially HMCS Qu’Appelle (264, bow submerged and stern exposed ) & the Iroquois class (bow exposed and stern seemingly submerged).
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