Tehuantepecer (MAR 06)

On March 02, ROTTERDAM's captain first mentioned the potential of experiencing "mountain-gap" winds on our passage from Queztal, Guatemala to Manzanillo, Mexico. I turned to Wikipedia for more information. 

Tehuantepecer, or Tehuano wind, is a violent mountain-gap wind traveling through Chivela Pass, most common between October and February, with a summer minimum in July. It originates from eastern Mexico and the Bay of Campeche as a post-frontal northerly wind, accelerated southward by cold air damming, which crosses the isthmus and blows through the gap between the Mexican and Guatemalan mountains. The term dates back to at least 1929.[1] This wind can reach gale, storm, even hurricane force. The leading edge of its outflow (or cold front) may form rope cloud over the Gulf of Tehuantepec. These winds can be observed on satellite pictures such as scatterometer wind measurements, they influence waves which then propagate as swell and are sometimes observed 1,600 km (1,000 mi) away (such as in the Galapagos Islands). These strong winds bring cooler sub-surface waters to the surface of the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean and may last from a few hours to 6 days.

Today at 0130 the wind was 3 knots. We slammed into the eastern side of the Tehuantepecer at 0330. By 0500 winds were a sustained 60+ knots with gusts over 77. Waves were 20 feet. The wind was forward of the starboard beam, but still created a sustained list to port.
Our stateroom being on the starboard side, it was exposed to a  wind which created so much pressure against our verandah door that I could not open it just a crack, even putting my full weight (augmented from its norm by steadily over-eating on this cruise) against it.  

I went out on deck aft, but the pictures there did not adequately capture the conditions. Going midships, the swimming pool was more demonstrative. 
By 0800, we were to the west of the cone. In addition, ROTTERDAM was in the lee of the land. Wind and seas subsided rapidly. 

At 0900, the captain came on the PA system to describe the conditions the ship had experienced during the night.  He added that the cone would be widening today. Although Huatulco was currently outside its influence, that would not remain true throughout our scheduled time there today, hence the shift to Manzanillo tomorrow. 

By 1100, the true wind was back to 3 knots and the seas were calm.
Holland-America's Master (Fleet) Captain had been aboard for several days, ostensibly on a routine visit. Today, he gave an interesting lecture on the 'Blue Riband' golden era of Transatlantic passenger ships.

To make up for lost time passing through Tehuantepecer, the captain cranked the ship's speed up to 23 knots. Many boats and ships have a speed at which the engines generate a harmonic that resonates in other parts of the ship. The increase of just three knots from ROTTERDAM's normal maximum cruising speed created vibration in the stern and a cyclical rattling of some pipe, panel or ??? throughout staterooms in the starboard side aft.  The sound would build, hold, then fade away, repeating the cycle about every 10 seconds. While both the vibration and rattle were annoying but tolerable during the day, we had an unpleasant night physically and acoustically.

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