#white squall

[dudebriefers]

Ryan Phillippe in White Squall (1996)

[ltwilliammowett]

White Squall

A white squall is an extremely strong squall that occurs without warning and may be accompanied by fog or heavy precipitation. The event lasts between a few seconds and a maximum of several tens of minutes. Without the usual signs of a storm, the sudden gusts of wind cause white foam caps to form on the waves, and sometimes fog or a rising white cloud builds up extremely quickly in an otherwise clear sky. In some circumstances, snow may also fall. These ‘white’ accompanying phenomena gave its name.

The cause is probably strong changes in air pressure in cloud layers in the upper atmosphere, which trigger a sudden avalanche of hurricane-force winds and lead to extreme turbulence, comparable to a hurricane, down to sea level.

White Squall, Strait of Magallanes, Tierra del Fuego, on the steel-hulled yacht Challenge 67 Xplore Expeditions, 961 millibars > 75 knots, In the 18 hours up to the white squall the barometer dropped 41.7 millibars, by Butterfly voyages - Serge Ouachée (x)

White gusts have been frequently described in literature since the 19th century, but due to their rarity, they were mostly dismissed as sailor's yarn and underestimated by many sailors. Only recently have white gusts been more widely recognised as causes of accidents and researched in more detail. This is because they have already brought about the demise of several ships. Even though they are a rare weather phenomenon, they are very dangerous. The danger is particularly high for sailing ships, as the suddenness of such an event leaves little time for appropriate protective measures.

Windjammer sailor Daniel Parrott investigated some of the accidents and suggested that, in addition to white squalls, which he does not doubt were a factor, the causes could also lie in the insufficient stability of the ships, which was mainly impaired by large sail areas. It is possible that the effects of the squalls could have been weathered off with greater stability.

So it is not only in the age of sail that sailing ships were lost; even in modern times, some have been lost due to a white squall. The sudden and untraceable disappearance of the German five-masted barque Maria Rickmers after leaving the Sundastraße on 24 July 1892 in the Indian Ocean may be attributed to a white squall. On 26 July 1932, the training ship Niobe sank in the Baltic Sea off the island of Fehmarn in a white squall.

On 2 May 1961, the training ship Albatross sank on its way from Mexico to Nassau in the Bahamas, which is at least partly attributed to a white squall and was featured in the film White Squall. This accident prompted the US Coast Guard to review the regulations governing the construction of training ships, which resulted in a legislative decision in 1982 (Sailing School Vessels Act of 1982).

A similar accident befell the square-rigged schooner Pride of Baltimore, a replica of a historic Baltimore clipper, on 14 May 1986: the ship sank 250 nautical miles north of Puerto Rico, presumably as a result of a white squall.

So not everything that is dismissed as a sailor's yarn is actually one.

[myboyfriendx]

Scott Wolf, Ryan Phillippe, Eric Michael Cole, & Jason Marsden

[sharkchunks]

White Squall (1996, Ridley Scott)

[starlight-and-whiskey]

When it struck, he sat up with a start; I roared to him, “Get down!” But for all that he could hear, I could as well not made a sound So, I clung there to the stanchions, and I felt my face go pale As he crawled hand over hand along the rail

Now, I could feel her heeling over with the fury of the blow I watched the rail go under then, so terrible and slow Then, like some great dog she shook herself and roared upright again Far overside, I heard him call my name.

I absolutely adore Stan Rogers, but this one in particular always breaks my heart. As a lass with a naval past, this one speaks.

[benedictusantonius]

White Squall (1996) directed by Ridley Scott

[muchemovies]

RIDLEY SCOTT films of the 1990s

which have seen? which did you like?

THELMA & LOUISE

1492: CONQUEST of PARADISE

WHITE SQUALL

G.I. JANE

i haven't seen any of these

i've seen thelma & louise, but...

i've seen g.i. jane, but...

i can't see white squall anywhere...

i can't see g.i. jane anywhere...

Voting ended onSep 12, 2025

[itsmyfriendisaac]

White Squall: Ridley Scott’s maritime masterpiece chronicles the last voyage of the Albatross, a real life brigantine ship that sank in May 1961 with 14 sailing students onboard. Each member of that ill-fated crew overcame a personal obstacle, particularly Gil Martin & his paralyzing fear of heights!