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    Sailing Directions Avoid and Survive Hurricanes
    Sailing Directions Avoid and Survive Hurricanes
    Sailing Directions Avoid and Survive Hurricanes
    Ebook119 pages2 hours

    Sailing Directions Avoid and Survive Hurricanes

    By Alan Phillips

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    About this ebook

    This eBook is illustrated and interactive, with hyperlinks to the relevant internet sites.
    This is THE reference for seafarers who need to understand hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons.

    Locating the center of a tropical cyclone;
    If intelligent action is to be taken to avoid the full fury of a tropical cyclone, early determination of its location and direction of travel relative to the vessel is essential. The bulletins and forecasts are an excellent general guide, but they are not infallible and may be sufficiently in error to induce a mariner in a critical position to alter course so as to unwittingly increase the danger of the vessel. Often it is possible, using only those observations made aboard ship, to obtain a sufficiently close approximation to enable the vessel to manoeuvre to the best advantage.

    As previously stated, the presence of an exceptionally long swell is usually the first visible indication of the existence of a tropical cyclone. In deep water it approaches from the general direction of origin.

    Maneuvering to Avoid the Storm Center;
    The safest procedure with respect to tropical cyclones is to avoid them. If action is taken sufficiently early, this is simply a matter of setting a course that will take the vessel well to one side of the probable track of the storm, and then continuing to plot the positions of the storm centre as given in the weather bulletins, revising the course as needed.
    However, this is not always possible. If the ship is found to be within the storm area, the proper action to take depends in part upon its position relative to the storm centre and its direction of travel. It is customary to divide the circular area of the storm into two parts.

    In the Northern Hemisphere, that part to the right of the storm track (facing in the direction toward which the storm is moving) is called the dangerous semicircle. It is considered dangerous because (1) the actual wind speed is greater than that due to the pressure gradient alone, since it is augmented by the forward motion of the storm, and (2) the direction of the wind and sea is such as to carry a vessel into the path of the storm (in the forward part of the semicircle)......

    ....In a sailing vessel attempting to avoid a storm centre, one should steer courses........ However, if it becomes necessary for such a vessel to heave to, the wind is of greater concern than the sea. A good general rule always is to heave to on whichever tack permits the shifting wind to draw aft. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the starboard tack in the dangerous semicircle, and.......

    Sailing Directions
    Avoid and Survive Hurricanes
    NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
    SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
    GENERAL
    Tropical Cyclones
    Locating and tracking tropical cyclones
    Signs of approach
    Locating the center of a tropical cyclone
    Practical rules
    Right or dangerous semicircle
    On storm track, ahead of center
    On storm track, behind center
    Coastal effects
    Wave Heights from Significant Wave Heights (SWH)
    Extratropical Cyclones
    Cold Fronts
    TROPICAL STORMS
    DESCRIPTION AND CAUSES
    Introduction
    Definitions
    Areas of Occurrence
    Origin, Season and Frequency
    North Atlantic:
    Eastern North Pacific:
    Western North Pacific
    North Indian Ocean
    South Indian Ocean
    Southwest Pacific and Australian Area
    ANATOMY OF TROPICAL CYCLONES
    Formation
    Portrait of a Hurricane
    Life of a Tropical Cyclone
    FORECASTING AND PREDICTING TROPICAL CYCLONES
    AVOIDING TROPICAL CYCLONES
    Approach and Passage of a Tropical Cyclone
    Locating the Center of a Tropical Cyclone
    Statistical Analysis of Barometric Pressure
    Maneuvering to Avoid the Storm Center
    Northern Hemisphere
    Southern Hemisphere
    CONSEQUENCES OF TROPICAL CYCLONES
    High Winds and Flooding

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAlan Phillips
    Release dateOct 12, 2010
    ISBN9781476079776
    Sailing Directions Avoid and Survive Hurricanes
    Author

    Alan Phillips

    ABOUT THE AUTHORTwice Around-the-World +Alan Phillips did his first circumnavigation in a boat called “Scorpio “starting in 1980. His next circumnavigation commenced in 1992 onboard “Wallaby Creek “. This voyage lasted 15 years.He has also done a two year passage to China via Solomon Islands, Micronesia, Philippines etc.His is Australian and has circumnavigated Australia and done numerous passages out into the Pacific Ocean from Australia, including seven times into Papua New Guinea and six times across the China Sea.After 25 years and 100,000 nautical miles of ocean cruising he is one of the most experience cruising sailors on earth.Along the way he has developed his own philosophies and has views that exhibit original thinking.OTHER THINGS HE HAS DONESailed my small boat thru the very eye of a tropical cycloneand lived to tell.Hit a reef, wrecked my boat and was castaway alone on Orchilla Isle in the Caribbean to live like Robinson Crusoe.and lived to tellLooked into the barrel of a PLO gun with the terrorists screaming at me in some languageand lived to tellLooked into the barrel of an Israel machine gun while being screamed at in some languageand lived to tellHad a beer in the Beirut yacht club while the Israelis rocketed and bombed with everything they had and lived.Sailed up to and anchored at Pirate Island in the Southern Philippines and shared a bottle of rum with the piratesand lived to tellGot caught smuggling in Panama and then had to drink the customs officer under the table. After which we altered the paperwork and were friendsand stayed out of jailEscaped from the immigration police in Indonesia by stealing a speed boat and pulling Wallaby Creek thru the reefDrilled out my own tooth with tools from the tool box.Circumnavigated Australia and twice around the world.Found a Polynesian tribe that is still living an uncivilized life and has never been visited by a tourist.Been becalmed for 3 weeks under the tropical sun and at the end had counted out our last meals.Found a cave in PNG with dozens of human skeletons from people who entered the cave in order to die.Fathered a beautiful baby with a young Swiss girl and married her even though she is 25 years youngerand also younger then 2 of my other children.Survived three shark attacks where the sharks ripped my spear and fish from my hands. I continue to spearfish at every opportunity.Spent months alone at sea in a leaky boat with no motor and no electrical or electronic thing on the boat.Left a crewman with a primitive tribe in PNG and returned a year later to look for him. Received a message in a bottle.Crossed the jungles of the Western Province of PNG where no white man had been for 20 years.Did a seven-week single-handed passage from Panama to Tahiti. And didn’t end up much crazier.

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      Book preview

      Sailing Directions Avoid and Survive Hurricanes - Alan Phillips

      Sailing Directions

      Avoid and Survive Hurricanes

      BY Alan Phillips

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright 2012 Alan Phillips

      Other books by this author

      AROUND-THE-WORLD CRUISING GUIDE

      CLOUDS

      WEATHER SCHOOL

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      SAILING DIRECTIONS

      AVOID AND SURVIVE HURRICANES

      NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

      SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

      GENERAL

      TROPICAL CYCLONES

      LOCATING AND TRACKING TROPICAL CYCLONES

      SIGNS OF APPROACH

      LOCATING THE CENTER OF A TROPICAL CYCLONE

      PRACTICAL RULES

      RIGHT OR DANGEROUS SEMICIRCLE

      ON STORM TRACK, AHEAD OF CENTER

      ON STORM TRACK, BEHIND CENTER

      COASTAL EFFECTS

      WAVE HEIGHTS FROM SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHTS (SWH)

      EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONES

      COLD FRONTS

      TROPICAL STORMS

      DESCRIPTION AND CAUSES

      INTRODUCTION

      DEFINITIONS

      AREAS OF OCCURRENCE

      ORIGIN, SEASON AND FREQUENCY

      NORTH ATLANTIC:

      EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC:

      WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC

      NORTH INDIAN OCEAN

      SOUTH INDIAN OCEAN

      SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AND AUSTRALIAN AREA

      ANATOMY OF TROPICAL CYCLONES

      FORMATION

      PORTRAIT OF A HURRICANE

      LIFE OF A TROPICAL CYCLONE

      FORECASTING AND PREDICTING TROPICAL CYCLONES

      AVOIDING TROPICAL CYCLONES

      APPROACH AND PASSAGE OF A TROPICAL CYCLONE

      LOCATING THE CENTER OF A TROPICAL CYCLONE

      STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF BAROMETRIC PRESSURE

      MANEUVERING TO AVOID THE STORM CENTER

      NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

      SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

      CONSEQUENCES OF TROPICAL CYCLONES

      HIGH WINDS AND FLOODING

      WHAT IS A HURRICANE?

      HURRICANE FAST FACTS

      HURRICANE BASICS

      HURRICANE BASICS

      WHAT IS A HURRICANE?

      TROPICAL DEPRESSION

      TROPICAL STORM

      HURRICANE

      HURRICANE NAMES

      ORIGIN AND LIFE CYCLE

      THE BIRTH OF A TROPICAL CYCLONE

      STAGES OF HURRICANE DEVELOPMENT

      GROWTH AND MATURITY

      THE STORM'S END

      THREE STAGES OF TROPICAL CYCLONE DEVELOPMENT

      HURRICANE STRUCTURE

      THE EYE

      THE EYEWALL

      THE SPIRAL RAINBANDS

      HURRICANE SIZE

      HURRICANE CIRCULATION AND MOVEMENT

      THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE STORM

      OBSERVATION

      HURRICANE HAZARDS

      HURRICANE HAZARDS SUMMARY

      STORM SURGE

      HIGH WINDS

      HEAVY RAINS

      TORNADOES

      HURRICANE FORECASTING

      OBSERVATION

      ANALYSIS

      SUMMARY

      FORECAST INFORMATION

      AUSTRALIA

      AUSTRALIAN WIND MEASUREMENT AND TROPICAL CYCLONE CLASSIFICATION

      TROPICAL CYCLONE CATEGORIES

      REMAINING IN PORT

      THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE

      STORM SURGE SCALES AND STORM SURGE FORECASTING

      THE END

      Sailing Directions

      Avoid and Survive Hurricanes

      The terms hurricane, and typhoon are regionally specific names for a strong tropical cyclone. A tropical cyclone is the generic term for a non-frontal synoptic scale low-pressure system over tropical or sub-tropical waters with organized convection (i.e. thunderstorm activity) and definite cyclonic surface wind circulation.

      Tropical cyclones with maximum sustained surface winds of less than 17 m/s (34 kt, 39 mph) are called tropical depressions (This is not to be confused with the condition mid-latitude people get during a long, cold and grey winter wishing they could be closer to the equator. Once the tropical cyclone reaches winds of at least 17 m/s (34 kt, 39 mph) they are typically called a tropical storm and assigned a name. If winds reach 33 m/s (64 kt, 74 mph), then they are called: hurricane (the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific Ocean east of 160E)

      typhoon (the Northwest Pacific Ocean west of the dateline)

      severe tropical cyclone (the Southwest Pacific Ocean west of 160E or Southeast Indian Ocean east of 90E)

      tropical cyclone (the Southwest Indian Ocean)

      severe cyclonic storm (the North Indian Ocean)

      NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTRE

      http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

      SECRETS FOR SURVIVAL

      TRUE STORY CAT 4

      CHOOSE A HURRICANE HOLE

      NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

      Hurricane season in the northern hemisphere is June, July, August, September and October.

      The most dangerous months are August and September.

      They spin anti-clockwise and move in a west or north-west direction. They may curve back to the east as they mature.

      When the barometer has fallen 5 milibars and the wind has increased to near gale (at 28 knots) you need to take evasive action. You may be around 200 miles from the eye. To work out where the eye is you should face into the wind and then the eye of the hurricane is 100-125 degrees on your RIGHT side. As it approaches this angle gets closer to 90 degrees. You need to get south of it and head towards the equator. See diagram. Basically the idea is to run south.

      If you heave-to put the wind on your starboard bow.

      SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

      In the southern hemisphere the months are December, January, February, and March. Most dangerous are Feb and March.

      They spin clockwise and move west or south-west. They may curve back to the east as they mature.

      When the barometer has fallen 5 milibars and the wind has increased to near gale (at 28 knots) you need to take evasive action. You may be around 200 miles from the eye. To work out where the eye is you should face into the wind and then the eye of the hurricane is 100-125 degrees on your LEFT side. As it approaches this angle gets closer to 90 degrees. You need to get north of it and head towards the equator. See diagram. You should run north.

      If you heave-to put the wind on your port bow.

      Coriolis Effect: Northern & Southern Hemisphere Cyclone Rotation

      GENERAL

      No month is entirely safe as hurricanes can occur in any month. They form at 5-7 degrees from the equator, start to move away at 10 knots and intensify from there.

      In all areas they occur between 5 Degrees and 25 Degrees latitude. They can go past 30 degrees latitude and the effects are felt by a sailing yacht over 1,000 miles away.

      Hurricanes can cause danger even to large and well found ships. In our small boats we should not get within 100 miles of the centre Now I personally have been through two hurricanes at sea and a couple along the coast of Australia.

      The first time I simply allowed the yacht to go free; lay a-hull. My family and I sheltered on the saloon floor under the table with the cushions pulled down around us. The waves were 12 metres (40 feet) high but were in very long trains with the crests more than 200 metres apart. The difficulty for the boat and the crew was the few seconds as we went over the crests. It was a 4 metre waterfall and the boat took a huge hit at this minute. Then there was a few minutes respite till the next breaker arrived.

      The second time I was enroute from Bali back to Darwin in Australia. My motor had been out of operation for months and I had been enjoying the sailing. However I was in the cyclone season and became becalmed for three weeks; then faced a cyclone. This time I needed to use the hurricane force winds to move the boat towards Australia before we ran out of food

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