Shown in the table below, the wind observations during the night. The wind in the area between Utö and Ristna where Estonia sank, was mean 15 m/s. In the early morning at 05.00 it was mean 18 m/s up to max 29 m/s at Ristna, but at Utö it was still mean 15 m/s.
One shall remember that 15 m/s is rough weather, specially for people not used to the sea. Most passengers aboard this type of ferry are not specially used to rough weather. People in a ferry like this get seasick on open water already with wind around 10 - 15 m/s, and believe there is a storm.
Wind observations (from the JAIC final report, table 5.3).
| Day/ time |
Söder- arm |
Svenska Högarna |
Bog- skär |
Utö | Rus- sarö |
Ristna |
| 27/9 1700 hours |
SW 09 mean 12 max. |
SW 12 mean 14 max |
SW 13 mean 14 max |
SW 09 mean - |
WSW 09 mean - |
SW 08 mean 12 max |
| 27/9 2000 hours |
SW 11 mean 13 max |
SSW 14 mean 16 max |
S 14 mean 17 max |
SSW 13 mean - |
SW 08 mean - |
SSW 08 mean 14 max |
| 27/9 2300 hours |
S 13 mean 17 max |
SW 16 mean 18 max |
SW 17 mean 18 max |
SW 15 mean - |
S 16 mean - |
WSW 16 mean 21 max |
| 28/9 0200 hours |
SW 14 mean 15 max |
W 17 mean 18 max |
SW 20 mean 21 max |
SW 15 mean - |
SW 12 mean - |
WSW 15 mean 22 max |
| 28/9 0500 hours |
W 20 mean 20 max |
WNW 24 mean 24 max |
W 19 mean 22 max |
WSW 15 mean - |
WSW 12 mean - |
W 18 mean 29 max |
| 28/9 0800 hours |
WNW 17 mean 20 max |
WNW 18 mean 25 max |
WNW 21 mean 24 max |
WNW 13 mean - |
WNW 09 mean - |
W 17 mean 26 max |
| 28/9 1100 hours |
WNW 12 mean 17 max |
WNW 14 mean 18 max |
- - - |
W 15 mean - |
WNW 11 mean - |
W 12 mean - |