Knowing the state of the sea is essential to be able to carry out sailing trips safely. One of the most important elements that you should know because of the way it affects navigation is the windy sea, so in this article we are going to try to know much better what this type of sea consists of.
Sea wind is known as the type of swell that is being generated due to the wind blowing over the surface of the water. Basically, the wind transmits its force by blowing over the surface of the water creating waves. The size of the waves will depend on how hard the wind is blowing and also how long it is blowing.
One of the main dangers of the windy sea is that it can create a fairly irregular swell for short periods, so navigation can be affected due to the difficulty of handling the boat in this type of situation.
How to tell if it's windy
It’s pretty easy to tell if there’s a windy sea. To begin with, if the wind blows quite strongly on the surface of the water, it is quite easy to intuit that there is probably a sea of wind.
This can be seen with the naked eye, as one of the most obvious indications that the sea of wind is occurring is the presence of white foam in the waves. In addition to the foam, you should look at the rest of the waves. When there is a windy sea, the waves are much more random, that is, they go in all directions.
Wind sea waves do not have a defined direction or type of wave, so we can find waves of different sizes, in different directions and with a completely variable movement constancy.
These types of waves usually appear in areas close to a squall, however, this is not a necessary indication that a windy sea is occurring. These types of waves can appear in an anticyclone and also near the coast, so you can be confident in no time. If there is a lot of wind in an area, it is most likely that there will be a sea of wind.
How to sail in a windy sea
As you can see, the waves with the wind become quite irregular, so the navigation can be affected. The first thing to keep in mind is that this is dangerous navigation, so you should adapt the speed of your boat to the sea conditions.
The best way to be able to navigate safely is to slow down, but don’t lose it completely. This will allow you to manoeuvre more easily, trying at all times to sail perpendicular to the waves. When it’s windy, the best thing you can do is stay the course and prepare against the waves.
As the waves are irregular, that is, you can find waves bigger than others, do not hesitate to turn the boat if you see that a large wave is approaching in the distance so that it hits you from the side.
To make manoeuvres easier, use the rudder, as it will help you to better maintain course and control directions. Regardless of the situation, when there is a windy sea it is very important to carry out manoeuvres gently and cautiously, as sudden manoeuvres can be much more dangerous.
Finally, we also recommend that you reduce the sails. When the wind is strong, it is a good idea to reduce the surface area of the sail to prevent the boat from tilting too much.
How to prepare against the windy sea?
As you have seen, the sea of wind can occur when the wind blows quite strongly in a certain area. This allows us to get a rough idea of where the sea of wind can occur, so we could anticipate this situation as much as possible.
Anticipating the windy sea means being better prepared and one of the best ways to achieve this is to make sure that the boat is in good condition. This involves taking into account the condition of the engine, the hull, completely checking the safety equipment to see that it is in good condition…
Basically, the sea of wind can be predicted if we check the weather forecast. Checking the forecast is always recommended before you set sail, so you can take a look at the weather and look for information about the waves, the period or the wind direction.
How is it different from the swell?
Swells occur as a result of windy seas. This is because waves that have been generated due to the action of the wind in a distant area end up traveling for several kilometers until they end up dying on the coast.
Unlike the windy sea, the waves in the swell no longer receive any more force from the wind. This means that as they get closer to the coast they begin to group in different sets, but always in the same direction unless a new wind makes them change.
Swell waves are more regular and longer periods compared to windy waves. On the other hand, they are also differentiated by having more rounded ridges and by the absence of foam, typical of wind sea waves.
While the windy sea usually requires a somewhat more experienced navigation, to navigate with bad bottom water requires a layered navigation to mitigate the impact of the waves on the hull. Checking the weather is always essential if the conditions are very hard, choose a better window to go sailing.
