Green Water

Sailing to Semerara
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

This patch of green water gave us a start. We were sailing over the top of Semirara, between the shore of the island off to leeward, and some large areas of reefs to weather. It was windy and rough, and the seas got really big as we entered this area. Then we saw spots of lighter color water, spotty, (not solid like it is here) and it looked just like shallow water ahead. The chart said it is plenty deep, no reefs, but it put us on full alert as we headed directly towards it. I didn't really think it was shallow water, but it looked like it. I had my hand on the helm and my eye on the depth sounder. If I saw any reduction in depth as we passed into the green water I would have spun Wings right around in a flash. But it was not to be, the color was just that, colored water, probably from a mining operation on the island. The water deep. The chart was correct. We sailed on.