Surviving cyclones - excellent advice for sailors

We hate to send our valued readers to other websites, but we were sent a link to an excellent discussion on cyclones and how to survive them. As a service to our readers, we include the introduction and a link to the full article:

A tropical revolving storm is an intense vortex of air swirling in the atmosphere named "Cyclone, Hurricane or Typhoon" with very strong winds circulating around it in an anti-clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in a clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere.

What needs to be clearly understood by seafarers is that the swirling mass of wind is not rotating like the spokes of a wheel travelling at a fixed distance from the centre, for the swirling moisture laden energy mass of air and waves are at all times moving in a 'curving' motion towards the lower pressure 'eye' of the Cyclone. The nearer it is to the eye the higher the waves generated and the faster the wind becomes, and it accelerates to known speeds of up to 300 km/hour.

Note: You must never ever head your vessel in the direction of the cyclone 'body,' for once you are 'running' with the wind or waves you will be unable to turn your vessel into wind without danger of 'broaching' and you will be 'forced' towards the centre and, as you get nearer the 'eye' the waves will become so steep as to thrust your vessel under. At all times your vessel must be heading away from the eye or anchored facing the waves using a Para anchor to hold it stationary as you wait 'safely' for the Cyclone to move away. If you are in its path and cannot 'beach' your craft or find safe haven then prepare to meet your ancestors as you 'pray' that it will change its direction..

The purpose of this document is to bring a little understanding to those who are not 'hardened' seamen with years of exposure to violent storm situations or cyclonic weather. It is written as a simple introduction to some weather processes that could affect offshore voyagers, and it is given here to assist you with a little mental preparation that could help you when offshore and bad weather is experienced.

I have spent many years fishing at sea in the equatorial regions between the equator and 5 degrees South on the East coast of Africa, and thus have never been exposed to cyclonic conditions that mainly occur in higher latitudes than 5 degrees. (5 to 30 degrees north or south of the equator)

The information that follows is purely my own deduction as I sit in seclusion far from the sea drawing upon my 72 years of various experiences. It varies in some aspects of what has been written by others, and thus it is necessary for you to look deeply at what is said so that you understand the situation clearly, for there could be terrifying and disastrous consequences for the unwary.

My intent is to give a clear and concise 'pre-meditated' course of action for any sea voyager to take if they find themselves unfortunate enough to encounter a cyclone that 'catches' them unawares. It is very easy to make decisions when one is on secure ground, but once the sea becomes rough and decisions need to be made quickly it can become quite confusing to some who become 'mentally' disturbed by indecisive thoughts that lead to irrational decisions being made.

Much is written on cyclones that gives readers the 'impression' that certain 'sectors' or semicircles are navigable, and I know that this is false teaching, as in my opinion one needs to understand that whatever 'sector' one may 'enter' into is very dangerous, and the nearer one is driven by wind and waves towards the centre, the greater the windy 'tempest' and wave heights and greater the danger of injury, drowning and loss of vessel.

The only 'reason' why one 'quadrant' becomes more dangerous than others is when the cyclone is moving over the sea surface, thus any vessel that is 'ahead' of the Cyclone is one that is on a 'quicker' collision course with the 'eye,' and the time for avoidance is lessened and all the dangers increase dramatically.

In the foreknowledge that a cyclone can change direction at any time and even halt and 'reverse' backwards, one will also then realise that a 'quadrant' or 'semicircle' with an apparent less danger may suddenly become a very dangerous one. Intensifying wind speed and lowering barometric pressure may be an indication of this.

I trust that the information and images provided will give the reader a little 'comfort' in the knowledge that they will be more prepared for an eventuality that may never arise. For those of you that are 'beginner' ocean voyagers it would be practical to obtain a copy of the "Times Atlas and encyclopaedia of the sea" published by 'Times books of London,' that gives a lot of pertinent information on waves and ocean currents and danger zones at the different times of the year.

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