Re: [Paddlewise] Rogue Waves

My comments may be digressive, but they are not a 'red herring.'

"Rogue wave" is a term seeing increased usage by different people to  
describe both experience & phenomena.

The scientific community is studying naturally occurring sea states,  
in part, because of anecdotal accounts.

The scientific, empiric approach to defining 'rogue wave' may or may  
not guide, inform, modify the anecdotal
usage.

When a well-respected, highly experienced, significantly accomplished  
sea going professional (the Captain and owner
of Pictou Castle) uses the term 'rogue wave' to assign causation to a  
fatality at sea, we're seeing the anecdotal
cross over into 'findings of fact'.   It's the Captain of Pictou  
Castle who is guilty of employing a 'red herring'
to deflect attention away from human failing and toward natural events.

Sneaker waves are only 'sneakers' because people are not paying  
attention, or they are not in a position from which the event can be  
observed.
Rogue waves may only be rogue because we cannot predict the pattern or  
overlay a pattern that explains their occurrence.
Having just spent some time on the Bay of Fundy, I heard all manner of  
localized stories concerning people who presumed the
dramatic tides rose with uniformity...and in acting on such  
presumption, found themselves stranded or in significant danger.
This does not make for a "Killer Tide."

Descriptive terms such as 'sneaker' and 'rogue' attribute human  
characteristics to naturally occurring events.
Sorry. Nature doesn't sneak, nor is nature capable of 'going rogue'.    
Nature is indifferent.
People can chase tornadoes. Tornadoes cannot 'chase' people.

I find it interesting that ocean scientists are using the term, 'rogue  
wave'.
It certainly sells their study much more effectively than "Anomalous  
Wave Pattern Studies",
at least to the general public.  Imagine meteorologists using the  
terms, "Assassin Tornados."

-Will
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed
here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire
responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author.
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************