Innovative, low-cost wave measurements at Say Tan Island

NEWS - May 2020 Say Tan Island is part of famous Mergui Archipelago of Myanmar, which includes hundreds of islands with coral reefs and beaches. Emerging tourism in the recent years calls for opportunities to extend tours to those beautiful beaches and Say Tan Island is one of the interests of tourists. In order to design a safe and durable jetty to berth small cruises and yachts, Think Maritime conducted a feasibility study and technical assistance on the approach jetty design, together with Water Bridge Myanmar. One of the aspects of the feasibility study included a wave measurement campaign for which they made use of a WaveDroid.

The WaveDroid is designed by a start-up and has already proven its robustness and effectiveness in many projects over the world, among which also Myanmar. By using a combination of motion sensors and an electronic compass, the WaveDroid is able to measure the directional wave field with high accuracy. In this project, the WaveDroid was supported by the RVO programme of the Dutch government called "Leapfrogging delta management in Myanmar".

In the end of March the measurement campaign started and for a duration of 53 days the WaveDroid has measured the waves at the location where the jetty is planned to be constructed. This resulted in a better insight in the significant wave heights, peak period and the wave directions, which are all important parameters for the design of a durable jetty.