many weather reports quote wind stength in beuforts like 4-5 SE for athens right now.

any ideas how would that feel in a 5 hr hydrofoil trip? i am trying to translate beuforts to bumpyness. thanks

Here's a link that might help: www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/webpage/beaufort

If you scroll down to the bottom of the article, you'll see a table that converts the Beaufort numbers to wind speed in knots. It also shows you a picture of what the sea-state would look like in those conditions.

I'm not too familiar with the handling characteristics of Greek hydrofoils, but I suspect you'd hardly feel a thing at 4 on the scale, which is an 11 to 14 knot wind. I'm not sure what it would be like at 5, which is equivalent to 17 to 21 knots.

If you'd like to convert knots to kilometers per hour, multiply by something like 1.9, I think; knots to miles per hour: mulitply by 1.15.

Anselm

Where are you going on a five-hour hydrofoil trip? Hydrofoils were used mostly for trips in sheltered waters, but their numbers are now dwindling rapidly. Most of the ones in Greece were Soviet-built, and they are now coming to the ends of their lives.
The Greek weather forecast is on www.emy.gr. Ferries are generally allowed to operate up to force 8 (a gale) but it depends greatly on the route and the direction of the wind. A hydrofoil would be unpleasantly bumpy on the open sea in a force 5, but their routes are generally sheltered by land, so it would depend on the direction of the wind.

The hydrofoils are being replaced by catamaran-hulled passenger vessels such as the one that travels from Crete to Mykonos and back.

http://www.greekislands.gr/hfd/

The only Hydrofoils operating now are in the Saronic, N. Sporades islands or the Dodecanese. I suspect you actually mean a Catamaran hi-speed car ferry which are much larger, although there are a number of small foot passenger only ones. The wind speeds for Athens are no use at all, neither are averages. In the Aegean the Meltemi wind springs up for days on end and this can disrupt ferries, the small ones stop running the larger ones usually run late.

Hi CC,

When I lived on a sailboat, my Lady Wife and I would argue over whether a B5 was pleasant sailing or a hurricane (I thought that it was the best time for sailing.)

We both agreed that 7 was too much wind.

For what you are considering, B7 is too much for a landlubber.

Arrrrrrgh, Matey!

Watch out that your parrot doesn't give you a lack spot.

ChevyChasen:

Ii have never travelled on a hydorfoil in force five, but would imagine if the fetch is long enough the seas would make it a bumpy ride. While they may be rated to be able to operate in a force 8, they would have to slow way down -- and I certainly would not want to be aboard for very long.

I have been on the larger catamaran ferries in a force five or six, and they are relitively stable, having the two widely spaced hulls. They thus don't roll as much as a single hulled vessel. They still give a jerkey ride, however, when bucking into any sort of seaway.

Ira: We may have had the same wife. Mine used to give me the same static about leaving the dock if the surface of the water was even slightly ruffled. She also wanted to tuck our heads under our wing in a sheltered harbor if even a drop of spray came aboard.

Sigh ---