Maritime Topics On Stamps :
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State of the Sea Scale !
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Next to the Beaufort Scale for the force of the wind, with a range from zero
to twelve, there is a similar scale describing sea conditions, with
categories from zero to nine.
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The height of a wave is the vertical distance from
the top of a wave to the following trough.
The length of a wave
is measured from one wave crest to the next, or between two successive troughs.
The wave period is the observed time difference
between two successive crests.
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State of the Sea Code 0 :
Mean max. height of waves : 0
Mean lengths of waves : 0
Description: glassy calm,
mirror-like sea
Windforce Beaufort scale : 0
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State of the Sea Code 1 :
Mean max. height of waves : 0-1 foot / 0.1 m
Mean lengths of waves : 0-3 feet / 0-1m
Description: calm, ripples, sea appears to represent scales
Windforce Beaufort scale : 1
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State of the Sea Code 2 :
Mean max. height of waves : 1-2 feet / 0.1-0.6 m
Mean lengths of waves : 3-23 feet / 1-7 m
Description: smooth, wavelets, crests of glassy appearance
Windforce Beaufort scale : 2 and 3
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State of the Sea Code 3 :
Mean max. height of waves : 2-4 feet / 0.6-1 m
Mean lengths of waves : 23-50 feet / 7-15 m
Description:slight, small waves,becoming longer, numerous whitecaps
Windforce Beaufort scale : 4
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State of the Sea Code 4 :
Mean max. height of waves : 4-8 feet / 1-2 m
Mean lengths of waves : 50-90 feet / 15-28 m
Description: moderate, long waves with many whitecaps, some spray
Windforce Beaufort scale : 5
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State of the Sea Code 5 :
Mean max. height of waves : 8-13 feet / 2-4 m
Mean lengths of waves : 90-160 feet / 28-49 m
Description: rough, large waves, whitecaps everywhere, more spray
Windforce Beaufort scale : 6
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State of the Sea Code 6 :
Mean max. height of waves: 13-20 feet / 4-6 m
Mean lengths of waves: 160-250 feet / 50-76 m
Description: very rough, sea heaps up,
white foam from breaking waves begins to blow in streaks
Windforce Beaufort scale : 7
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State of the Sea Code 7 :
Mean max. height of waves: 20-30 feet / 6-9 m
Mean lengths of waves: 250-540 feet / 76-165m
Description: high waves of increasing
length, crests form spindrift
Windforce Beaufort scale : 8
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State of the Sea Code 8 :
Mean max. height of waves: 30-45 feet / 9-14 m
Mean lengths of waves: 540-880 feet / 165-240 m
Description: high waves, rolling seas,dense streak of
foams, spray reducing visibility
Windforce Beaufort scale : 9
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State of the Sea Code 9 :
Mean max. height of waves: over 45 feet / above 14 m
Mean lengths of waves: over 880 feet / larger than 240 m
Description: phenomenal, exceptionally high waves,
sea covered with white foam, ‘medium
sized’ ships disappear in wave troughs
Wind force Beaufort Scale.....: 10 (wave heights up to 38 feet / 11.5 m)
and11 (waves heights above 46 feet/ 14 m)
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The state of the sea consists not just of single waves, but of groups of
many waves, so-called ‘wave packets’. Such groups have five to seven
noticeably higher waves. A popular expression speaks of ‘the seventh wave’,
the one with the highest crest.
Take a look to our wind force Beaufort scale!
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