tsunami warning

[wheels 543]

How about this one Wheels:

http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/Dart/index.html

shows where the tsunami buoy are position

Interesting how they seem to be biased to the Northern Hemi and the US side of that as well.

Which is a little silly when you think about the fact that the biggest events tend to come from South America. You would think putting most of the bouys down in those lats would be more prudent than especially the line of them running along the Alutians Islands(spell?).

[Megwyn 2]

How about this one Wheels:

http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/Dart/index.html

shows where the tsunami buoy are position

Interesting how they seem to be biased to the Northern Hemi and the US side of that as well.

Which is a little silly when you think about the fact that the biggest events tend to come from South America. You would think putting most of the bouys down in those lats would be more prudent than especially the line of them running along the Alutians Islands(spell?).

 

They are an American company based in Seatle, and we all know that anywhere outside of USA does not matter

[wheels 543]

Arrr yes, we "Mainlanders" have a similar belief. We have heard tales of another Island to the North and some have even said they have glimpsed it when the mist has momentarily parted. Much like the LocNess Monster and Big Foot I expect. And of a mystical city called Auckland that is so vast it takes up most of the Island and most likely would have taken all if it, were it not for a dividing Mountain Chain called the Rumataka's that are taled as being steeped in Mist and Witches and Wizards. I have even heard the darkest of tales told only in wispers and Darkness that the Gate to this mystical Land is home to creatures that not even the imagination can comprehend that breath Hot air and flick out Silver Forked Tongues and come together in on mass to huddle in a Semicircle around... Some have said a Dark deep cauldren, others a table with sacraficial articles much like Voodoo and a Leader wearing a dark flowing gown, so as to plot increadulous acts against the unfortunate people of the land and mystical city.

But nah, all a bit of a tale I reckon.

[El Toro 97]

I was in Issy Bay and CG came in and woke us all up and told us to move.

We duly did, went out a bit and waited... didnt see anything at all.. about the only highlight (sad I know) was hearing AC check in.

Did manage about 30 swims on way home though.. by jingo was a it hot!

[Fogg 427]

...about the only highlight (sad I know) was hearing AC check in!

 

PC, you really do need to get out more! Thanks though.

[Guest]

an hour to 1.5 after the 1st wave hit the Navy finally managed to get some boats away from the wharves.

 

LMFAO!!!!

 

Pearl Harbour, New Zealand style.

 

I too heard AC call in. I was coming back from Barrier and heard most of the Coastguard radio activity. One thing I learnt is that before you put in a call on 80 or 82 it pays to listen for a few minutes to find out what is going on. Some guy put in a call for a radio check a couple of minutes before the wave was due to arrive. Needless to say, the CG operator was blunt.

 

Speaking of radio blunders, I have just realised that I forgot to close off my trip report I'd better get in touch with them. I was distracted by coming back to the marina and finding someone in my berth. To those on A Pier at WestPark, A30 is my berth, I'm paying for it, it's not an empty berth and don't just tell people that they can use it - send them to marina management who know which berths are free and which aren't. Rant over. Thank you for listening.

[Fusion 0]

 

Speaking of radio blunders, I have just realised that I forgot to close off my trip report I'd better get in touch with them. I was distracted by coming back to the marina and finding someone in my berth. To those on A Pier at WestPark, A30 is my berth, I'm paying for it, it's not an empty berth and don't just tell people that they can use it - send them to marina management who know which berths are free and which aren't. Rant over. Thank you for listening.

 

CG don't worry if you don't close of your TR. Only if some one comes looking for you. I often can't call while in the marina.

[Guest]

That is why it is better to let someone know you are going out, and what time you are expected back.

If no-one rings the Police/CG to report you missing, a trip report still open is a waste of your breath calling it in.

[Atom Ant 0]

I didn't notice any wave action at all. I went out "just in case" and was aware that a 200 mm wave had passed under me but I couldn't tell it apart from all the other 200 mm waves. Spent a nice afternoon at Tiri, sailed home and got in around 1900. I did notice some strange eddies around the marina entrance and going up the fairway, nothing savage, just water action that isn't usual.

 

Yesterday a Weiti club member gridded his boat. he was nearly positioned when the tide just suddently dropped around 200 mm leaving him sitting there not properly positioned. He thought he was high and dry and then 10 minutes later he was floating again! This was strange as the tide had already been on the ebb for 2 hours.

[wheels 543]

Down here, if you don't cancel your TR on time, Radio Marlborough start calling you and they alert the Police 30mins after your designated ETA. I am not sure what actually happens then, if the Police imediately action anything or not.

[Guest]

Wheels, we are talking about giving a TR to coastguard only, not other organisations.

In Wellington if you gave a TR to coastguard they may do something about it not being closed, but only because of the novelty value of getting one.

[Fusion 0]

I would say and have heard it on VHF. For weekend trips in mild weather 1000s of TRs are fine.

 

In foul weather with few boats out CG would be more conscious of who is out and not back? Several years ago I was anchored off the east cost of barrier in a big SW blow for 3 days mid winter. CG were quite chatty and kept good contact.

[rigger 47]

Yesterday a Weiti club member gridded his boat. he was nearly positioned when the tide just suddently dropped around 200 mm leaving him sitting there not properly positioned. He thought he was high and dry and then 10 minutes later he was floating again! This was strange as the tide had already been on the ebb for 2 hours.

 

Looking at he tide graph at work this morning there were still surges happening

[Deep Purple 511]

Interesting day. Woke up to the alerts and watched the news. Wasn't too concerned with 20cm reports at the Chathams. Then they reported 1.5 metre surges so I decded afer a text from AC to take SD out to sea. We're down to one motor at the moment but got off the marina okay dspite an onshore breeze and sailed out. Well after the 10:52 eta I noticed all the navy boats still tied to their wharves and thought it can't be that serious. Then 2 tugs arrived and pulled the frigate off the outside berth (god knows why a warship needs 2 tugs to get it off a windward wharf) Went for a lovely sailing right round Rangitoto/Motutapu and stopped off for a swim just inside Issy Bay. Perfect day

 

Got to say, despite all the advances in early warning systems, the whole thing was a fiasco. Once again a total waste of time and a lot of needless cancelations and warnings.

[wheels 543]

Wheels, we are talking about giving a TR to coastguard only, not other organisations.

Yeah it was just for interest of our procedure that I chimed in. And we don't have a CG, although there is one of sorts in Picton.

I don't understand the point of making a TR if no one is going to act on it. Isn't that the whole point of making a TR? knowing someone will be looking for you at some time after you ETA. It certainly would help with Moral if you are cold and keeping your head above water to know that at 30mins past your cancellation time, someone will be starting the process of looking for you.

[Deep Purple 511]

Sorry I find the whole idea of making a TR report to say you are heading out from Westhaven to Motuhie and return on a perfectly fine weekend day with thousands of boats out on the harbour and expecting your trip to be logged and followed up on, wankism in the extreme.

 

One night I listened to a prat leave westhaven bound for issy bay, he logged his departure, arrival at issy bay, then requested assistance for an imediate return to westhaven because he discovered his port nav light wasn't going. Now presumably he's a member so there would be no cost for that, but it's a disgraceful waste of resources on both parties.

[Guest]

totally agree Wheels with the value of a TR that won't be followed up.

 

I didn't go and work on my yacht for the day "just in case", and was pretty pissed off by the end of the day. I would have got a second coat of Interprotect over the decks and cabin.

 

I'm not sure how to react in future to warnings, like SD the 1.5 metres at the Chathams made me think it was serious. I would probably react the same way I guess as Sunday.

My boat is on the hard at the moment, but still close to waters edge.

It normally lives in Clyde Quay, so if the tide went out suddenly there is not enough depth to stay off the bottom. I would probably go out into the harbour and stay out of the channel.

 

One of my mates was working on his yacht alongside the wharf at Clyde Quay. He was about ready to thump someone by the end of the day. Every man and his dog was telling him there was a Tsunami coming, and he should get away from the water.

By this stage the worst of it had already passed. Maybe he shouldn't have been there, but he made the decision. He said " Wellington harbour is about as landlocked as Switzerland for f**ks sake!!"

 

The Dom Post this morning has people from CD pissed off that they were ignored, and people went to watch the proceedings.

As we have said, Darwinism should be allowed to run it's course with some people.

They were talking about the police being allowed to order folk away from the water.

I can imagine how boaties are going to take not being allowed to go to their boats to get out to sea.

I also read that the Americans were able to observe with satellites the waves, and think in the future they will be able to predict the height more accurately using these images. There still needs to be more work they say, but the camera's picked up a change in the seastate.

[Atom Ant 0]

Interesting case really. To take your boat out or not. There was a Tsunami warning. It would be here in a few hours. It was a weekend day and I was close by. It was a BEEEYOOOTEEFULL day. It would be somewhere between nothing and 3 metres. The advice was to stay out of bays (and a marina is a bay) be more than 1/2 a k from land and in 20 metres etc. The south end of Tiri Channel did all this and was only a 20 minute motor from Gulf Harbour. It arrived at Auckland at around 11. Approx 1 1/2 hours before low tide. It was a biggish tide and therefore at dead low my keel sits on the bottom on a spring tide. In the event there was a 600 mm drop in Gulf Harbour. At 1 1/2 hours before low and a 600mm drop my keel would've probably sat on the mud for however long the water was low. Would the boat have leaned over and tangled its spreaders with the mast next door? Probably not but it was a possibility. Would there have been other damage? After the fact probably not but beforehand it seemed possible. I figured that if it was 3 metres then I might have a bit of a job on if it was a big wave, but Tsunamis aren't typically surf waves so a 3 metre swell didn't worry me. I did of course put on my inflatable harness thingy and did not attach to the jack stays. Again I figured that if it was a nasty then I didn't want to be attached, but rather be able to swim clear if there was a problem.

 

More than anything I think that Kiwis (and maybe it's just people in general) don't take these thing seriously. As long as I can get to my boat in time then I will take it out to sea to protect it. If I'm told there's a 20 metre Tsunami coming then I'm screwed and I'm literally heading for the hills. I'm glad I went out in my boat and I know it was the right thing to do.

[Fogg 427]

AA - horses for courses. I was already out so stayed out. But if I had been opn the marina I probably would have stayed in, checked my lines and my insurance and hoped for the best. On the basis that if it was going to be risky I'd rather risk my boat than myself. But admittedly it was a lovely day.

 

The biggest risk is that people get too complacent about these warnings and say "It'll be alright" and of course it will be - right up until a bad one comes, but you never know when that will be!

 

SD - completely agree about over-use of TRs. I only ever put one in if I'm sailing at night or if I'm sailing singlehanded in marginal conditions.

[Guest]

I also agree about overused TRs. I use one if alone and if going further afield - I think a solo trip to Barrier probably justifies one.

 

But I have friends who dutifully put in a TR even going from their marina to Issy Bay or, say, moving from Issy Bay to Motuihe. They are experienced sailors in a well found boat and IMHO it is a complete waste of Coastguard's time and resources.

 

To those who complain about the tsunami warning I have only one thing to say: Boxing Day 2006.

 

Tsunami are complex natural phenomena and their effects are hard to predict - better to be safe than sorry.