Best way to find speed of tide when stationary

Knowing the present rate via your log would be very handy if working upstream against the ebb...f'rinstance...

Speed under motor... 5 knots.... ebb running at 6 knots.... go back to your book...

Ebb running at 4 knots... consider getting under weigh...

'Apps' - whatever they may be, tide tables etc etc are simply a prediction for somewhere in your general area and make no allowance for weather conditions... pressure, recent rain in the catchment... or the prevailing wind...
 
There used to be a handy table that gave estimates based on what angle buoys were due to flow .... can't find it now ...

But mainly I'm interested in direction and strength when berthing / anchoring and departing ... inbetween only if its obvious the flow is getting a bit too strong !!
 
MOB drill with average crew in swim suit.
If they drift further astern either
non-swimmer (poor pre-task selection),​
crew needs more swimming lessons,​
crew needs some incentive to return,​
tide running fast than you estimated.​
If they swim back alongside either
crew above average swimmer and worth keeping​
tide running less than 1.73795 kts​
 
G, A, B, C.

But mostly G, with a strong element of pour another beer and enjoy the view

If I'm at anchor somewhere, I've already got a pretty good idea of what the tide's doing and know when it's time to go to get a useful current to get where I want to go next.
 
Refueler said:
There used to be a handy table that gave estimates based on what angle buoys were due to flow .... can't find it now ...

But mainly I'm interested in direction and strength when berthing / anchoring and departing ... inbetween only if its obvious the flow is getting a bit too strong !!
Click to expand...
It normally doesnt take long for people to be able to estimate tide speed looking at the wake past a buoy.
 
WFA said:
MOB drill with average crew in swim suit.
If they drift further astern either
non-swimmer (poor pre-task selection),​
crew needs more swimming lessons,​
crew needs some incentive to return,​
tide running fast than you estimated.​
If they swim back alongside either
crew above average swimmer and worth keeping​
tide running less than 1.73795 kts​
Click to expand...
The tide is the same for the MOB and the boat so disregard.
 
capnsensible said:
Your boat is ashore in the yard then. Even the Med has currents all over it, strong in places. Plus of course a set from the wind.
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Yep .... strong in two places but both nowhere near little ol' me. Everywhere else, you can fugedabowtit. ;)

The set from the wind is not "the speed of the tide" which is, presumably, the instantaneous rate in mm/min that the tide is rising or falling vertically at each point of the tidal curve? :unsure:

Richard
 
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Flick ash if end of fag and watch. But serously Larry Pardy recommends floating a sheet of toilet paper on the surface.
 
It depends on the time of day. I can do the Dutchman's log thing before my evening drink, but after that it's a case of "One knot is 6,000ft per hour, which is 100ft per minute, and if my floating cherry stone takes 2.5 secs to do 30-ish feet from bow to stern then the tide is running at ...er, let's look at the speed log".
 
RichardS said:
Yep .... strong in two places but both nowhere near little ol' me. Everywhere else, you can fugedabowtit. ;)

The set from the wind is not "the speed of the tide" which is, presumably, the instantaneous rate in mm/min that the tide is rising or falling vertically at each point of the tidal curve? :unsure:

Richard
Click to expand...
What do you think causes water to move apart from the rise and fall of tide?
 
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