A tropical cyclone developing off western Australia to the south meant it was time to skedaddle, and what lay in front of us was a 30-mile passage through the Lombok Strait. This was going to be a great opportunity to test all the systems we had replaced or repaired in the boat yard.
After around six months of working on the hard SY Esper, while going back and forth to the UK, we were looking forward to leaving the shelter of Medana Bay Marina to begin our next adventure into new places.
In the coming days, with the tropical depression building south of the Sunda islands, we anticipated winds to strengthen. And this would mean an untenable sea state. We needed to be tucked away inside a protected anchorage, so it made sense to head south to the southern Gilis where we hoped to find shelter between the islands at Marina Del Ray.
Tropical Cyclones
‘Tropical cyclone’ is a generic term for big, circulating weather systems, but the names change in different parts of the world.
“In the North Atlantic, central North Pacific, and eastern North Pacific, the term hurricane is used. The same type of disturbance in the Northwest Pacific is called a typhoon. Meanwhile, in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, the generic term tropical cyclone is used, regardless of the strength of the wind associated with the weather system.”
– National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
To add to the confusion, tropical cyclones are categorised further by strength, which can vary from day to day:
- Tropical Depression: maximum sustained winds of 38 mph (33 knots) or less.
- Tropical Storm: maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph (34 to 63 knots).
- Hurricane or Typhoon: maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher.
Tropical Cyclone Climatology – National Hurricane Center
Peace and fair winds!
Liz and Jamie xx
Check out the video for lots more detail…
If you like our content and would like to support us, we will give you ad-free access to our videos before they go live to the public, discounts in our shop, access to Jamie’s iconic full-res photographs, and supporter-only blog posts. Click our ugly mugs for more info!
