Freak Waves

This happened in 2004, but I'm bored and it was a pretty wild experience so I thought I would share. Polygamist Al and I were dragging greenies around La Jolla on one of those perfect days. It was greasy flat, sunny and warm with no wind so we went way out over a mile off Black's Beach.  Out of the blue a series of increasing size swells came from the northwest. The swells just got bigger and bigger really quickly. The peak wave was huge and it was breaking on top. It washed over our decks swamping the cockpits, and we slid off the backside. Then the swells got smaller and it just went back to flat. I got one of those huge, this could be really bad, adrenaline rushes. Freaked me out but good. The ocean never ceases to amaze me.  

 

  1980.  Aboard USS VIRGINIA CGN-38 sailing around or crossing the Atlantic.  My duty shift was off and in our racks asleep as it was late at night (Maybe after midnight) we were in pretty rough seas as the ship was rocking pretty hard with steep 20-30 deg lists back & forth.  I was laying on my belly arms out to the side, hands under my head, to help me stay somewhat level (helped to counter the roll of the ship).
   Well, the ship entered a "Null" between the huge waves and I being in a sleepy state I relaxed my grip on my rack, THEN WHAM! the stbd side was hit with a what must have been an enormous wave.  All the racks on the STBD side of our birthing complex were ejected out of the racks!  I flew out of my rack with my mattress, landed my chin on a brass deck fitting , splitting it open, another guy, from a top rack landed and broke his leg, there were a few sprained elbows, and this was just in my crew complex. 
  All the racks in each crew complex along the STBD side of the ship from bow to stern were affected the same!  Everyone in there racks was knocked out of them!

  I didn't know I split my chin open till I went into the restroom (head) and with the red lights on still didn't see anything.  Someone had turned on the regular white lites and then discovered my chin and shirt were bloody.  Off to sickbay I went.  Roy (Broken leg) was air lifted to the carrier for medical better medical attention.  A few butterfly stitches and I was fixed.

  That was an interesting night!

I've read about those rogue waves out of no where on flat conditions. Hope I never encounter one. A real "Posidon Adventure". I also read that they monitored the oceans of the world with GPS for a month or so, and recorded several monster waves occuring that were close to 100' They speculated they may develop from currents coliding and storm surges and other natural occurances. Try googling "Big Wedensday" if you want to read about a huge set of waves that bowled through Mavericks a few years ago. Amazing, truely amazing. Some believe that's what happens in the Bermuda Triangle.