Ships in stormy seas

[Mauretania1907]

Captain Sir Arthur Henry Rostrom (master of Carpathia and Mauretania, among other ships) was known by his crews as The Electric Spark. Captain William Turner was known as Bowler Bill, because he wore a bowler hat when not on the bridge.

[Twynkle]

On SKY News

'Killer 26ft Wave Smashes Into Cruise Liner'
'Two cruise-ship passengers have been killed after a 26ft wave smashed into the ship off the coast of France.'

'Nearly 2,000 people were on board the ship
A Greek coast guard statement says another six people suffered minor injuries on board the Cypriot-owned Louis Majesty.
It says the accident occurred near the French Mediterranean port of Marseilles, as the ship was sailing from Barcelona to Genoa in Italy with 1,350 passengers and 580 crew.
The victims have been identified only as a German and an Italian man...'

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Cruise-Liner-Hit-By-26ft-High-Wave-Killing-Two-And-Injuring-Six-Passengers-Off-Coast-Of-France/Article/201003115566656?

[Rob Lightbody]

Wow!

However, should a 26 foot wave be 'killer' ?  ...

Although its not a huge ship, a fair bit smaller than QE2 I think.

[Twynkle]

Rob - she was lengthened by 33.76m in 1999
'The lengthening of the Norwegian Majesty however was more technically complicated than those of the other ships, as she had not been designed for such an operation.[4]'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Majesty
with a draft of just over 20 ft...

Another report - Associated Press
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gzhc8h8Y1HQaxCe6JsuyHrMA2G6gD9E7DLP80


I wonder about how a wave(s) is/are measured as accurately as to the nearest foot - specially with a sea running and in big swells?  One for the technical guys, maybe!

[Louis De Sousa]

Louis Majesty has arrived in Barcelona.

Louis

[Peter Mugridge]

The BBC has got hold of footage of the actual impact from inside:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8550025.stm

[Rob Lightbody]

The BBC has got hold of footage of the actual impact from inside:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8550025.stm

Yikes!  Just watched it 3 times... the bit at the start where the water comes in is pretty scary, but the people don't really look panicked or anything... if i'd been there i think i'd have been sprinting stern-wards rather than standing around righting upturned chairs as one guy does.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/cruise-passengers-tell-of-terror-after-two-killed-in-giant-wave-1916055.html?action=Popup&ino=2

The windows that have come in are in a very odd position, never seen windows there before in any other ship.... if i was them, i'd plate them over before anyone else gets killed.

[Rob Lightbody]

[Twynkle]

Do you think the windows were on deck 5?
And what about the possibly posh-er cabins on 6....
Aren't both decks still fairly high for an 8 metre wave?
http://www.louiscruises.com/decks_pdf/LM_deckplan.pdf

(So now 'it' makes sense...
The reason for many 'dividers' between panoramic windows in the Commodore Club (lounge - qV)
And these are high up above, and well aft of the bridge!)

[Louis De Sousa]

The clean of the damaged windows

[Twynkle]

There is a post on Liners List suggesting that the Louis Majesty was designed to be a ferry  

About giant waves
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/science/03/05/giant.waves/

[Louis De Sousa]

There is a post on Liners List suggesting that the Louis Majesty was designed to be a ferry 

True Rosie read here

http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/RoyalMajesty.html#anchor27760

[Twynkle]

Good find, Louis.
Those windows look incredibly vulnerable.
With all the tight regulations, isn't it surprising that she was 'allowed' to sail
(with those glass windows) anywhere other than in sheltered coastal waters?

[Louis De Sousa]

Dozens of ships freed from Baltic Sea ice

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8550687.stm

Louis

[Twynkle]

Interesting to note the level of those windows in the BBC video, too!