TravelTalkOnline Forums Thread Like Summary - First time bare boating, question on northern swells

Hey all,

Been researching this trip for almost a year now, can't wait to get down there. I have read a lot on the dangers of northern swells and looking at the forecasts for next week it's looking like I'll be dealing with them quite a bit. I'm trying to get a better sense of when I'm at risk. Forecasts are predicting 1.1m swells from the north to northeast. That sounds pretty benign to me, although maybe less comfortable on the ball overnight.

Is there a particular height that should be setting off alarm bells?

@zlehmann - the dangers of a north swell are related to the energy in the waves as they get into shallow water and start to break. The wave energy is a combination of both the wave height and the wave frequency. The longer the frequency, the more energy. Currently, Windguru BVI shows 12-14 second period, which is very long. That, coupled with an almost 2m north swell means that many places are going to be uncomfortable at best, and dangerous at worst.

I've had to leave Cane Garden Bay in breaking waves (with surfers coming in while I was going out) in less than this... If you are on a mooring, the water there is deep enough to prevent bottoming out, but there's always a risk of breaking the mooring line (or popping out the anchor). Little danger if you are aboard. The BVI has protected anchorages from the north swell inside the Virgin Gorda north sound and also at Diamond Cay.