Quick Search of DRB:
Lijit Search
drb rss about
suggest
advertise
subscribe
rss rss
rss
airplanes | animals | architecture | art | auto | boats | famous | cool ads | funny pics | food | futurism | gadgets | history | japan
military | music | nature | photo | russia | sci-fi | signs | space | sports | steampunk | technology | trains | travel | vintage | weird

Friday, December 14, 2007

Ships vs. Big Waves


"QUANTUM SHOT" #336
link



Overwhelmed! - Heavy Seas, Part 3

Also Read Part 1 and Part 2

Short of facing actual tsunami or the infamous "rogue wave" (see "Poseidon" to catch up on what rogue waves look like), ships are built to withstand a barrage of elements, but only to a certain point. And exactly where this breaking point lies, no sane seaman ever wants to discover on his own. The following is a collection of heavy storm pictures, testing and trying the nerves of sailors and the building quality of ships.


(original unknown)

Coast Guard Rollercoasters

Gary Robertshaw took incredible photographs depicting a U.S. Coast Guard 47-foot Motor Life Boat fighting for her life against a set of two, or possibly three giant waves in Morro Bay, California (photos used by permission). The storm produced waves 15-20 foot high... here is what Gary has to say:

"I did see these approaching in the distance, however I had a considerably higher vantage point than they did. By the time they could spot these waves from the boat, I seriously doubt they had many choices as to what action to take. The first wave of the set passed by them without incident, but the second, much larger one followed very quickly. The fact that no one was hurt or killed, and that the boat made it through and was immediately operational really attests to the competence of the crew and the equipment."
















(all images copyright: Gary Robertshaw, used by permission)

Apparently this kind of a "vertical ride" is not something unusual for Coast Guard lifeboats, as their crew routinely face similar situations as part of their heavy surf practice:





"Looking for subs" -






(all images copyright: Gary Robertshaw, used by permission)

These photos were taken in Morro Bay, California, but the Coast Guard in UK has to deal with the similar conditions off St. Ann's Head in Wales, and Canadian Coast Guard in Nova Scotia battle similar swells, too.


Some Harrowing Videos

Check out the rough going in these short clips. Nobody with camera stayed on the job for too long... It's a huge struggle just to remain upright:

Somewhere in Atlantic:





On the North Sea:





New Zealand ferry departing from port in a huge swell:




Hopefully you put your coffee cup away for a moment, as the nausea sweeps over your abused visual senses... OK, the moment's passed, we are back to normal text now.

Open the gates! The Sea wants to come in -


(image credit: Gert Nordoy)

stuff brewing over the board...


(image credit: sancholamancha)


(image credit: nadworks)

Some ships fare worse than others:
This is "Cougar Ace", and here is the great story how a team of "sea cowboys" took a challenge to straighten it up.



Here is a spectacular communist artwork, showing the struggling ship: looks like the artist knew first-hand the danger of the high seas...


(cover for TM, Russia 1954)


Tsunami's Power

Nobody would take a photograph of the event shown in this painting, simply because nobody would survive this giant wave's onslaught. The ship carried on its crest is simply airborne:


(art by R. Avotin, TM 1970, Russia)

Perhaps it is the similar tsunami wave, that deposited the ship in the next picture - in the middle of the Russian forest!



Imagine, going on a hike and seeing the prow of a huge rusty ship barging through a dark thicket. You can cross yourself and give it a wide berth. Or climb over to explore it and put a claim on the shipwreck.

READ THE PREVIOUS PART HERE

Also Read Part 1 and Part 2

+StumbleUpon

Permanent Link...
Category: Nature,Ships / Boats

Dark Roasted Blend's Photography Gear Picks:

READ LATEST POSTS:

November 4, 2009 - Quantum Shot #597
Weird Food McDonald's Sells Around the World

Spaghetti! Soaked! In Sugarrr!


The World's Most Magnificent Pipe Organs

Simply Blockbusters of Their Time!

Biscotti Bits
Mixed Links & Images

incl. "The Unsinkable Pygmy Gecko"

SFSite
"Steampunk Anthology" Reviewed, in All Its Brass Glory

Making all sci-fi punks in the world "feel lucky", since 2008
(for other weekly "Biscotti" issues - see our main page and monthly archives)

COMMENTS:

9 Comments:

Blogger Tim said...

Huh. That picture of the Russian ship in trees is interesting. The Russians have a lot of ships on dry land around the Aral sea because they've diverted so much of the water for irrigating crops that they've ended up beaching boats in the middle of what looks like desert (well I suppose technically it is desert). But the trees are interesting, since it seems that if there wasn't water for the lake there wouldn't be water for the trees. I guess it could be a tsunami.

Of course in a likelihood it's probably just an old boat that was decommissioned and then moved out into the woods to serve as a party member's dacha.

___  
Blogger Chris Z. said...

Excellent coast guard pics. I was stationed on a CG Cutter on the Columbia, crossed the river bar a few times in some nasty weather/surf.

___  
OpenID oanjao said...

The large cargo ship lying almost on its side is the Cougar Ace. A great article about its rescue can be found at
Cargo Law.

The 47-foot motor lifeboats are self-righting under all conditions--they can be flipped completely upside down and they will right themselves quickly. While on a tour of the US Naval Academy in 1992, I saw a video of an actual test in which a lifeboat was flipped over and righted itself--maybe you can find this video around the Web somewhere.

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

lol... "no one could take a picture of a tsunami because no one survived"
uummmmmmm... what about the 2005 tsunami- hundreds of thousands dead, millions of videos and pictures taken-?

___  
Blogger Ryan said...

There's a great write-up in Wired this month about saving the "Cougar Ace" boat that you have pictured under "Some ships fare worse than others:" (the one on its side)...

___  
Blogger Spankr said...

Uh, I live in Nova Scotia and have several friends in the Canadian Coast Guard. They don't do anything like what the US Coasties go through in training in Morro Bay, California

___  
Anonymous Dean Bird said...

What a fantastic story, It amazes me how much power the ocean has. Some of the pictures you have posted are amazing.

I know that it isnt on the same scale as the pictures you have posted but I once got caught going across Moreton Bay in Queensland (Australia) we had 3 meter swells in the bay and we had to try and make it back from Moreton Island to Brisbane. If you are interested here is a picture from the trip.
http://photos.birdfamily.id.au/?p=48

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Got caught once in the Atlantic in December, north of 50, and got hammered by a massive winter storm. The scary thing is that waves never appear as big in photos...usually about 50% bigger in real life.

There is a famous photograph taken in the 50's of storm swell breaking on the headland north of Faial in the Azores. The waves / swells are in excess of 10 meters. The photo was taken as one of the swells crashed into the headland - the spray makes a perfect outline of a bearded man (Neptune) with amazing detail.

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Heinrich Behrmann (out of Bremen, Germany)beached herself near Ensenada, BCN, Mexico a few years back due to navigational errors. - She was unloaded by helicopters, a ditch was dug around and under her and she was successfully refloated by several tugs after about 3 months' hard work.

___  

Post a Comment

<< Home


SF ART & BOOK REVIEWS:
Don't miss: The Ultimate Guide to SF&F Writers!
Fiction Reviews: Alastair Reynolds "Chasm City"
Short Fiction Reviews: Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness" (with pics)
New Fiction Reviews: The Surreal Office

MORE RECENT POSTS:


The World's Most Magnificent Pipe Organs

Simply Blockbusters of Their Time!


Lovely Cowgirls in Vintage Westerns

Beauties with guns scorched the screen... and it was good


Weirdest Cell Phones Ever!

Totally non-conventional looks and futuristic specs.


British Pubs: Signs of the Times, Part 2

Pub signs are almost like time machines...


Fabulous Las Vegas: Vintage Treasures

Part 1: Glamour vs. Kitsch


Incredible Astronomical Clocks

Antique and medieval technology blended with art


Battersea, and Other Abandoned Power Stations

Part 2 of popular urban exploration series


Hilarious & Crazy Signage

Part 13 of this side-splitting series


Living, Growing Architecture

Grow your house one root at a time


Alone in the Wild: Yukon Survival Saga

How to eat porcupine livers, and more!


Unusual and Marvelous Maps

Alternate histories, sea monsters, weird politics


Airships & Tentacles

Exclusive Interview with artist Myke Amend


Jet Engines on Trucks (For Fun and Profit)

Snow-blowers from hell, and more...


Star Wars for Your Mind, Heart and Soul

Part 3 of the popular series


Britain's Colorful Pub Signs, Part 1

A map to your last night adventures


Flying Colors! Creative Paint on Airliners

Groovy additions to the fleet...


Walled Cities: Keeping Out the Joneses

Highlights of the defensive architecture


Postage Stamps From the Future

...and some alternative realities


The Glamour of Flight: Sexy Stewardesses

Part 4 of highly popular series


Flags of Forgotten Countries

Don't just wave a black flag... consider your options


Spectacular Steampunk Art Update

Part 2 of this eye-popping, mind-boggling series

MORE OF THE RECENT POSTS:








Anything for the Perfect Shot! Part 3
Charmed by the Unknown Brazil
Ekranoplans Showcase, Part 2
Riot Vehicle with Water Cannon
Thrilling Vintage Movie Posters
Cheers to Beers!
Most Interesting Bridges, Part 3
Mesmerizing Kinetic Sculptures
Real Life Spy Gadgets
Tangled & Crazy Wiring
Underground Cities and Bunkers
Extraordinary Clocks & Watches
Pasta Monster & Other Strange Food
How Morgan Cars Are Made
Abandoned Boeing-747 Restaurant
Surprised Astronauts (Funny Pics)
One-Track Wonders: Early Monorails
Komodo Dragons: They Eat Meat
Spring Cleaning of the Mind: Surreal Art
Crazy & Funny Faces, Part 5
Wonder Weapons of World War Two
Narrow Buildings in Japan & Around the World
The Cutting Edge of Retro Tech
Bladerunner Tokyo Large-Format Photography
Nightmare Playgrounds, Part 3
Victorian Flea Circuses: A Lost Art Form
Strangest Music Scores, Part 2
Monstrous Aviation: Huge Helicopters!
- many more in the Archives and in the Contents Index (left bar)


FULL ARCHIVES (with previews, fast loading):

September 2009 -- August 2009 --
June-July 2009 -- May 2009 -- April 2009 -- March 2009 --
February 2009 -- January 2009 -- December 2008 --
November 2008 -- October 2008 -- September 2008
August 2008 -- July 2008 -- June 2008
May 2008 -- April 2008 -- March 2008
February 2008 -- January 2008 -- Dec, 2007
November 2007 -- October 2007 -- Sept, 2007
August 2007 -- July 2007 -- June 2007
May 2007 -- April 2007 -- March 2007
February 2007 -- January 2007 -- Dec, 2006
November 2006 -- October 2006 -- Link Lattes




CATEGORIES:
airplanes | animals | architecture | art | auto | boats | books | cool ads | funny pics | famous | futurism | food
gadgets | health | history | humour | japan | internet | link latte | military | music | nature | photo | russia | steampunk
sci-fi & fantasy | signs | space | sports | technology | trains | travel | vintage | weird



Discretion Advised! These cartoons contain some extreme animated violence!






Airplanes
Animals
Architecture
Art
Auto
Boats
Computers
Cool Ads
Extreme Weather
Food
Funny Pics
Futurism
Gadgets
History
Humour
Link Latte
Military
Music
Nature
Oops Accidents
Photography
Robots
Science
Science Fiction

Space
Sports
Technology
Trains
Travel
UE Abandoned
Vintage
Weird




Avi Abrams
Rachel Abrams
M. Christian
James Golbey
Simon Rose
Paul Schilperoord
Scott Seegert
Constantine vonHoffman
Steve Levenstein

- Join Our Team -
Guidelines








  • re: the basketball picture -- I'm guessing there used to be a basketball court there, with the floor mounted on those little brick pillars. But, it was abandoned and the floor scavenged by the locals, so all you've got left are the pillars.
    Read more

  • Well done Anonymous, that's precisely that...
    Read more

  • The dragon is a fake, no surprise there, but it was created in the 1890s!
    http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/28/1075088090949.html?from=top5&oneclick=true
    Read more

  • Actually, the hoax was also a hoax - it wasn't made in 1890.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickled_dragon
    Read more

  • More specifically, it was made by a professional firm:

    http://www.crawley-creatures.com/creatures/pickled.htm
    Read more

  • This Obi Wan Kenobi street is in Poland. And actually it is not a joke, it's a real thing :)
    Read more

  • Search the web for "femtroopers" and you will get more interesting troopers (safe for work!).
    Read more

  • I found you site via Flickr Stats. DragonCon is a blast.

    Russell Limprecht
    Read more

  • realy funny pics ! I love it ! :D
    Read more

  • haha ver funny
    Read more

  • When I lived in Tucson Az I worked with a guy who's legal name was Obi Wan Kenobi. He was an actor and he said he changed his name to something people would remember. I have a Christmas card that he gave me that he signed as Obi Wan Kenobi.
    Read more

  • am i the only one who thinks the storm trooper outfit is kinda hot?
    Read more

  • That lady with the long black hair seated by the huge stone is Cher. I think that's the cover art of her album Heart of Stone, which was released in the early 90s. If I'm not mistaken, that album is where the single "Turn Back Time" is from.
    Read more

  • The third image without credit is from Jonathon Bowser: http://www.jonathonart.com/nati4.html
    Read more

  • It is Heart of Stone, and interestingly enough, that album cover was recalled because it was thought to be too morbid. That's the one I have, though, and I've never seen what they replaced it with.
    Read more

  • I grew up around that Cher album (yes it is Heart of Stone) and had never noticed the illusion until now... very groovy
    Read more

  • the two paintings (flowers and leaves forming a female face, birds forming a female face) come from the artist Octavio Ocampo. Great work! Keep it up! ;)
    Read more

  • omg, i cant beleive it! the one where u have 2 find the F's..first i counted 3, then i read the answer..i counted again, found 4, and the 4th time, i saw 6, haha!!

    im such a blonde!!
    Read more

  • Maybe, you will like this:
    http://bp1.blogger.com/_cxmptAPYR-s/Riuhmraat7I/AAAAAAAAAtM/DTXiwpnUC1g/s1600-h/Hantitle1.JPG

    Its from the beginning scene of the movie Hannibal and it's Hannibal Lecters face made out of pidgeons.
    Read more

  • Neat article.
    There is one f in that sentence. You meant how many are in the following sentence. You made a word illusion.
    Cool.
    Read more

  • I think that second painting credited to Jos de Mey is actually by Rene Magritte. He frequently used the juxtaposition of night and day in his landscapes, and the birdcage fellow appears in many of his paintings.
    Read more

  • oh, Did I see some Michael Jackson look alike in the graphic associated with the movie 'Alexander' ?
    its on the bottom-left of the big face.
    Read more

  • The cameraman needs a few lessons.
    I have motion sickness now.
    Read more

  • That "asteroid" is in fact a meteor. :) Asteroids are large bodies smaller than a planet, located typically in the asteroid belt, meteoroids – smaller bodies, but still in space. Once they enter the atmosphere, they produce a ball of fire and this is called a "meteor".
    Read more

  • The meteor photo has been found to be the reflection of the sun off ice particles left by a airliner's engines. Here's another photo from about 10 kilometers away http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=031013_fireball_heywood_02,0.jpg
    Still looks spectacular though!
    Read more

  • The multi-coloured Beetles ("afterlife") were sold as such from the Mexican production line. They took 4 different-colour beetles and a small team just took the various parts off and assembled them on the other bodies just as they felt inspired that day. They then were sold as "clown"-version.
    Read more

  • please consider not using "[wiki]" if the link goes to wikipedia, as a "wiki" is the type of software in general that wikipedia and many other sites use. in that sense it is as useful as using "[blog]" or "[site]" or other generic terms.

    in short: "wiki" is no good abbreviation for "wikipedia".
    Read more

  • will do!
    Read more

  • That nazi aerosled is not nazi but Finnish. Finnish army was well prepared for snow operations and the use of the swastika in its armed forces comes earlier than the nazis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika#Finland
    Read more

  • Karamazov is absolutely right. The aerosled is Finnish. The German Wehrmacht never used the swastika on their vehicles. Trucks, tanks kubelwagens, etc., always used the standard German Cross.

    Only in need, when there was aerial support, did they put a flag (with the swastika) over the tanks and trucks to signal them to Luftwaffe.

    The Finnish used a blue swastika over a white background, as can be perceived from the black-and-white photograph.
    Read more

  • in case you were wondering, the three b&w pictures with the different variants of the one snow mobile , written in russian and translated as follows : passenger variant, business
    variant, and "sanitary" variant ( or sterile).


    great stuff. i wish that last tank/ship had been made.
    Read more

  • An interesting, but topical aside is the US prewar entry for the Antarctic. The Antarctic Snow Cruiser. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_snow_cruiser

    Somewhere it now seems at the bottom deep sea buried.
    Read more

  • Great post! Don't forget Bombardier's beautiful snow buses, some of which are still used for ice fishing in Canada. http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w90/sugarzebra/BRPBusPOTN.jpg
    Read more

  • I know that Highway. It's in the land of Photoshop. Same cars side by side, inconsistent shadow values and direction. Fun though...
    Read more

  • That "look me in the eye" lemur thing is on drugs. Seriously. I'm going to go have to look at something else compelling now or I'll have nightmares.
    Read more

  • yes, there are patterns in the cars on the road, clone stamp obviusly
    Read more


Send us your topic ideas, site suggestions, rants or sweet unpublished poetry. We love to hear from you.



Misc.:
Compare Prices
Samsung LED TV






Blu