Technical Meeting .
Bureau Veritas .
Speaker " Mr M. Huther"
‘Evidence and Effects of Freak Waves’ .
Event to be held at the Hotel Elizabeth Hull
Ferriby High Road,
North Ferriby,
East Yorkshire,
HU14 3LG
How to find them
Travelling towards Hull on the M62 and joining the A63 take the turning signed North Ferriby village.
Passing through the village the hotel can be found approximately ˝ mile on the right.
Contact information:
Telephone: 01482 645 212
Fax: 01482 643 332
Brief synopsises
EVIDENCE AND EFFECTS OF FREAK WAVES
(by Michel Huther – Bureau Veritas – Marine Division / Michel Olagnon – IFREMER)
Since the origin of use of ships by mankind, sailors have related exceptional waves, but they have been often
considered as pure inventions of the imagination, myths, until the 70's, when a tenth of large powerful
container ships were damaged on the South Africa coasts [1]. Therefore the naval architects considered with
more attention the old stories and begun to study the exceptional wave phenomenon.
Analyses and studies in model basins allowed confirming and explaining the possibility of exceptional
phenomena It was concluded that they were due to a particular sea bottom profile associated with particular
meteorological conditions and the remedy has been to improve meteorological forecasting and to pay great
attention when navigating in this area. No modifications with respect to ships structural strength have been
considered necessary.
In November 2000, then in October 2004, some seventy sea waves modelling specialists from around the
world who participated to the seminars organised in Brest (France) by IFREMER confirmed the reality of the
abnormal freak or rogue wave phenomenon. They agreed on the evanescent character of the phenomenon,
but showed that freak waves are in fact really abnormal with respect to their violence but not uncommon with
respect to their occurrence, which is rather frequent. Numerous observations nowadays exist all around the
world, from ships, offshore platforms and measurement installations, with damages as bonus.
Therefore we have considered of interest for Naval Architects and Marine Engineers to review the State of Art
on the matter and the known consequences on ships and offshore platforms.
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