The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

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[saken41]

What do you do when you're out to sea with a big liner, and you suddenly see with your binoculars a huge 90 ft wave comes splashing agaisnt your ship... what do you do? Why did Poseidon capsize? Could she survive the wave if she sailed straight into it?

[dharl]

The best action would have been to head straight into the wave and hold on!   If i remember i read the book of the film a few years ago, which stated that the Poseidon was sailing with out a lot of ballast and extra weight down below which made her more top heavy and prone to capsize.   This of course is a work of fiction as before ANY commercial vessel sails a stability calculation has to be done, even on old run down ex atlantic liners pushed into cruising, and so if this was the case she wouldnt have sailed.

Made a good film though!! 

[saken41]

The best action would have been to head straight into the wave and hold on!   If i remember i read the book of the film a few years ago, which stated that the Poseidon was sailing with out a lot of ballast and extra weight down below which made her more top heavy and prone to capsize.   This of course is a work of fiction as before ANY commercial vessel sails a stability calculation has to be done, even on old run down ex atlantic liners pushed into cruising, and so if this was the case she wouldnt have sailed.

Made a good film though!! 

Yeah I think you're right, sail straight into it would be the best way to avoid capsizing.

LOOK : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVlIlC8qrsw

[posiedonfan]

well actually i would have turned thinking i would  avoid the wave and so the wave would crash in the stern but no one knew that they would not be able to finish turning

[saken41]

well actually i would have turned thinking i would  avoid the wave and so the wave would crash in the stern but no one knew that they would not be able to finish turning

Yes that could have helped too .

[dharl]

Why would you have turned?  ???The bow of a ship is designed to go through waves...the stern isnt!! 

[posiedonfan]

no! i mean the stearn will pass to the wave while turning and the ships in that days waere NOT very modern so   thats why!

[IRI5HJ4CK]

My theory is that if she had of sailed into the wave she would have survived with minor damage (external damage), but we will never know, the general rule out at sea is that you sail into the waves. The bow has the less surface area whereas the port or starboard has a wide surface area giving the waves something to push against. But chances are the wave would have reached poseidon before she could do a decent turn into the wave. It works the same in ship simulator like out in the atlantic, if the waters are rough sail into the waves and you'll notice that you will have more control over your boat/ship and it will just "surf" the wave/waves.

Kind Regards
IRI5HJ4CK

[Paddy134]

As any good captain would do, steer head on into the wave and keep my fingers crossed.

[posiedonfan]

theres also a possibility for passengers to be in outer decks and so they would get of the ship because of the wave or drawn