Storms And Wild Water

by Dag Pike

Overview

Storms are terrifying, awe-inspiring and provide an unparalleled thrill to those who encounter them - and survive. Despite centuries of technological advances in boat and ship design, sailors still talk about the storms they have experienced in hushed, reverential tones. On land a storms's severity is measured only by the strength of the wind. At sea the situation is doubly worse, as storm-force winds have a devasting effect on waves, creating deadly conditions for boats and ships caught out in terrible weather.

Exploring the worst that nature can inflict on the sea, Dag Pike details the experiences of both big ships and small craft in every ocean of the world, relating stories of dramatic rescues and narrow escapes, as well as tragic losses. And the spectacular photography truly brings home the danger of storms and wild water. This fascinating book is a sobering insight into the power that nature can unleash.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781574092899
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	10/01/2009
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	7.44(w) x 9.74(h) x 0.46(d)

About the Author

Chapters feature: world weather and wind conditions that whip up storms; small-boat experiences in storms; sailing and modern ships in storms; the impact of storms on the land; formation of hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones; "perfect" or exceptional storms; storms on the North Atlantic trade routes; the wild Southern Ocean; monsoons of the Indian Ocean; storm experiences in the Pacific; whirlpools and maelstroms; tsunamis; and global warming.

Dag Pike began his career as a merchant captain. He took up fast boat navigation, winning a string of trophies for powerboat races around the world, including navigating Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic Challenger on the record-breaking fastest Atlantic Crossing by powerboat. He is now a boating journalist in demand around the world.

Table of Contents

1 The Eye of the Storm 6

2 Forecasting Storms 16

3 Ships in Storms 24

4 Small Craft in Storms 36

5 World Weather and Storm Creation 48

6 Tropical Revolving Storms 56

7 Extreme Waves 66

8 Perfect Storms 84

9 When the Storms Meet the Land 90

10 The Wild Southern Ocean 104

11 Atlantic Ocean Storms 112

12 Indian Ocean Monsoons 118

13 Pacific Ocean Cyclones 122

14 Regional and Local Winds 128

15 Wild Water and Whirlpools 136

16 Tsunamis 146

17 The Future 152

Index 158

Editorial Reviews

In a word, this book is 'awesome'. Dag Pike's name is synonymous with safety at sea, and his first book, Disasters at Sea made for a riveting read. In his new publication the author again draws on historical fact and on his own experiences during 60 years at sea. But then he throws the sea and wind into the equation, and as the forces of nature are unleashed, the accounts are at the same time incredibly interesting, almost terrifying, and certainly sobering enough to make you thankful you are doing the reading in safe, warm conditions — on terra firma. There are dramatic stories aplenty, involving craft big and small, and they take place in every corner of the oceans. Every type of storm is described, from tropical revolving storms to tsunamis, and every condition, from holes in the water to extreme waves — and the eastern seaboard of South Africa, with its Agulhas Current gets more than one mention for its notoriety. The writing is excellent, whether informative or descriptive, and the photographs are added testimony to the forces of wind and water.

Sailing

Adventure and daring abound in Storms and Wild Water, ... by Dag Pike, who discusses what creates storms on the sea and recounts the experiences of the vessels that have been caught up in them. The full-color pages bring home the severity and magnitude of the elements and chapters cover such topics as the Southern Ocean, Indian Ocean monsoons, regional and local winds and whirlpools. Pike also discusses the impact of such maelstroms on the land. Pike is a boating journalist and has won trophies for powerboat races around the world. In his 60 years at sea, he has sailed through 30 severe storms, as well as rogue waves, and has been rescued 10 times....

Soundings: An Interdisciplinary Journal

Adventure and daring abound in Storms and Wild Water, ... by Dag Pike, who discusses what creates storms on the sea and recounts the experiences of the vessels that have been caught up in them. The full-color pages bring home the severity and magnitude of the elements and chapters cover such topics as the Southern Ocean, Indian Ocean monsoons, regional and local winds and whirlpools. Pike also discusses the impact of such maelstroms on the land. Pike is a boating journalist and has won trophies for powerboat races around the world. In his 60 years at sea, he has sailed through 30 severe storms, as well as rogue waves, and has been rescued 10 times....

Soundings: An Interdisciplinary Journal