Recently I looked through some YouTube video links sent by friends showing sailboats coping with big waves. These are always fun to watch, of course, and (perhaps sadly) who doesn't love a good disaster as long as no one gets hurt? Here are two of my favorites, which contrast interestingly to show us what we should all know and never forget to consider when caught in big waves on our own boats. The first shows a boat heading straight into breaking waves, its bow bouncing up 45 degrees or more but still maintaining control. The second shows a disabled boat drifting sideways to the waves and then caught and rolled by a breaking wave. The message is obvious: do your best always to avoid a broaching situation! So... watch the videos and learn from the experiences of others. (I'm not condoning the actions of the first boat's sailors, heading out to sea through such breakers - because if they were thrown to one side they could just as easily have ended up in broaching and being rolled and dismasted.) If you're caught in heavy weather, here are some tips for managing your boat.
