No. 1
This breathtaking compilation shows big boats in monstrous seas. How big? At one point waves are breaking over the bow of an aircraft carrier. Later, an enormous cruise ships wallows like a toy.
No. 2
A commenter who purports to know the Tahitian waters well where this was shot, suggests that living on the edge as seen here is common practice in that area. Maybe so and more power to these boys; still, I’ll pass!
No. 3
A rescue chopper is called out to check out a 21-foot flat-bottomed skiff making a crossing in rough seas off the Shetland Islands. It’s easy to think “No way!” at a glance at the aerial footage. Then after we watch for a bit we see that this big boat and crew are not in trouble and in fact seem to be gliding over the tops of the seas with relative ease. Turns out there’s more to the story. This is all part of a plan: The Tampa-based skiff in fact is the smallest powerboat to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
No. 4
Few places on earth get more treacherous for boaters than river bars — where shallow waters meet the ocean — and the more so when an ebb current is running into a shorebound swell. Add a zoom lens to the mix and it doesn’t seem real, but it is. Greymouth, on New Zealand’s South Island, requires alert boat handling and a bit of luck. But commercial purse-seine boats do it regularly — and in fact this is the same bar that sport-fishing charters must traverse to get to what are arguably the biggest southern bluefin in the world.
No. 5
Either these guys are having engine problems or they haven’t a clue; just inside breaking waves is not a good place to be. Neither is standing at the bow when trying to punch over a breaker — as you’ll note. Ouch.
No. 6
Very short video of big oceangoing vessel facing storm-whipped, treacherous seas.
No. 7
Not for the weak of heart. I’m not talking about experiencing it, but just watching it. Of course the Deadliest Catch is known to many but, still, this trailer is a must-see when it comes to men working routinely in seas that most of us would call crazy. Also, the quality of the Discovery Channel’s video makes the segment all the more amazing.
No. 8
The chap who posted this one seems to think it’s hilarious. Not sure how so much misery and damage to people and property is all that funny, but it is remarkable to see what it’s like in a big cruise ship in what must be force 9 seas.
No. 9
The preceding eight vids are the real thing, while this one is all CG, but it’s become something of a classic scene and is still pretty darn frightening.
