markpageant
New member
I'm thinking of sailing the roughly 40m from the outer Forth and up the Tay on Friday. Any advice on shifting sand and rate of tidal stream up to Broughty Ferry ?
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Advice, entering the Tay from the South
- Thread starter markpageant
- Start date
alan_d
Well-known member
The Tay channel is extremely well marked, but with big ships in mind. As you will see from the chart, the non-drying continuation of the Abertay Sands hooks northwards west of the Abertay buoys, but provided your draft is not too great and there has not been a sea kicked up by strong easterlies you can cross the bar and enter the channel at the Abertay buoys when coming from the south. If you are worried about depth, however, or if there is a significant sea running you would do better to stay in deeper water until you reach the Middle Buoys.
It is no fun going up the Tay against a strong ebb; many is the time I have been making respectable speed through the water, apparently upstream, only to see objects on the shore moving the “wrong” way. The tidal range on Friday is just on the neapy side of midway between Springs and Neaps, but you could still find yourself battling a 2 knot stream if you tried to come up against the ebb. Ideally, you would want to use the ebb to take you north from the Forth to the Tay, arrive at the Tay bar at slack water and use the flood to help you up the river, but the problem on Friday may be daylight. Low water at the Tay bar is about Aberdeen plus 60 minutes, which on Friday would be about 1915 BST, while sunset is 2045, so you might have to tolerate the last of the ebb in the river. At the moment the forecast is for easterly force 4, which would afford you a reach along the coast and then blow you up the river.
It is no fun going up the Tay against a strong ebb; many is the time I have been making respectable speed through the water, apparently upstream, only to see objects on the shore moving the “wrong” way. The tidal range on Friday is just on the neapy side of midway between Springs and Neaps, but you could still find yourself battling a 2 knot stream if you tried to come up against the ebb. Ideally, you would want to use the ebb to take you north from the Forth to the Tay, arrive at the Tay bar at slack water and use the flood to help you up the river, but the problem on Friday may be daylight. Low water at the Tay bar is about Aberdeen plus 60 minutes, which on Friday would be about 1915 BST, while sunset is 2045, so you might have to tolerate the last of the ebb in the river. At the moment the forecast is for easterly force 4, which would afford you a reach along the coast and then blow you up the river.
markpageant
New member
Thanks
Thanks Alan that's really helpful
Thanks Alan that's really helpful
martinf
New member
Hi Mark
I sail from Tayport and am often in and out of the river. I endorse Alan's comments and add a few additional notes.
The Abertay sands have shifted and during the past three years several bouys (including those of the Tay approaches) have been moved, others have been removed. The whole river is well marked and in good conditions offers easy pilotage. However, in poor vis, e.g. a haar, it will be handy to know exactly where the bouys are. Dundee Port Authority have all the up to date info. on this.
In good conditions, most locals do cut across the sands approaching the river from due East heading for the Abertay Cardinal (Racon). However, few would recommend crossing the sands on a first visit to the Tay and even fewer with a following wind.
I hope that you enjoy your trip to to the Tay, Britain's biggest river. Should you wish an alongside berth, there are visitors berths at Tayport. Approach: A cable north of the entrance two red triangles (one on the harbour wall and other 100 metres back atop a post) give the line in - a 2knot cross tide is common. We have circa 1 metre at M.L.W.S. in the approach and slightly more in the harbour. At night the lights of Tayport provide ample illumination for mooring.
I sail from Tayport and am often in and out of the river. I endorse Alan's comments and add a few additional notes.
The Abertay sands have shifted and during the past three years several bouys (including those of the Tay approaches) have been moved, others have been removed. The whole river is well marked and in good conditions offers easy pilotage. However, in poor vis, e.g. a haar, it will be handy to know exactly where the bouys are. Dundee Port Authority have all the up to date info. on this.
In good conditions, most locals do cut across the sands approaching the river from due East heading for the Abertay Cardinal (Racon). However, few would recommend crossing the sands on a first visit to the Tay and even fewer with a following wind.
I hope that you enjoy your trip to to the Tay, Britain's biggest river. Should you wish an alongside berth, there are visitors berths at Tayport. Approach: A cable north of the entrance two red triangles (one on the harbour wall and other 100 metres back atop a post) give the line in - a 2knot cross tide is common. We have circa 1 metre at M.L.W.S. in the approach and slightly more in the harbour. At night the lights of Tayport provide ample illumination for mooring.