So. There was a Tsunami warning last night. That I didn’t hear about until long after it was cancelled.
Guess why I didn’t hear about it?
I WAS OUT ON A TINY BOAT IN THE OCEAN.
Funny thing is, there were plenty of other boats out there with us, and while I’m not exactly up on my marine safety protocol in the event of a major disaster, you’d think someone out there would’ve looked a little more worried than anyone did. But no. Everyone just continued to hang out on the water like a giant wave wasn’t on its way to crush us – which it wasn’t, but it might’ve been!
I should probably re-read my life insurance policy.
Don’t underestimate the power of the public to ignore warnings. I used to work in a restaurant, and our fire alarm would go off all the time when our oven fans broke down. Not ONCE did anyone get up from their seats. Sure, the alarms were “false”, but the customers didn’t know that.
I think it’s group mentality…if and when the first few boats start scrambling, THEN you’ll see panic. No one wants to be the first…
oh my that is insane.. small boats during big waves would not be wise…. looking forward to drinkies with you. have a great day!
Didn’t you watch the video at the intro class? Turn the boat broadside to the waves. It’s in the video. You must watch the video. The video will be your saviour. The video has all the answers.
Actually, you were safer on a boat in the water than you would have been anywhere near the beach… the wave doesn’t actually get big until it’s quite close to shore, and the devastation is more a cause of the inrush of water where there was none before. Er… just to be technical about it 🙂
I was at most… 500m off shore… and yes. My tiny boat can TOTALLY take the tsunami – thanks guest coach :p
Also.. the video must die.
An 8 is not a tiny boat, imho. 🙂
Wasn’t the tsunami warning for southern California? I know they can travel pretty far, but for a 7.0 earthquake, that would really be pushing it.
Okay, looking at it now, they offered the warning to Alaska as well. That’s rather far on the safe side IMHO, we’re talking Chicken Little territory here.
LOL on the ‘chicken little’ comment!
Actually, to get all technical on the technical people, there are a lot of things that need to come together for the wave to get big.
That being said, unless you are actually OFFSHORE, you are close enough for the wave to do major damage. The wave builds as it reaches shallow water – and generally changes shape as it hits the continental shelf (read some 100 plus miles offshore – variable). Then when the wave starts to propigate it builds by pulling water from the shore (can’t create its own water) hence the getting sucked off the shore then pounded back on it.
That said, the rowing club is relatively sheltered, any Tsunami would have to funnel itself up the Strait of Juan de Fuca, bend around Vancouver Island, then bend around in to English Bay, through the narrows and then take a hard right in to … well… you get the picture…