Help Tide Times

[ScoutLeader]

Hi all you knowledgeable raggies,

Can anyone help me with tidal info for Portsmouth for March 2005. I will be taking about 50 Scout Instructors etc from Royal Navy Recognised Sea Scout Groups on a 'blow the cobwebs out' water activity weekend and want to book the best weekend possible wrt to tides.

Randy

ps Neraida, was that you I saw moored up in West Cowes enjoying a Sunday Lunch in the sun on Sunday May 30th.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[paulrossall]

What do you want to know? Do you want springs or neaps, high water early, lunch-time or later (may also be as early).
If it is of help I can predict the water level will be going up and down each day during March 2005 but unless we know what conditions you are looking for it is impossible to answer your question. Paul
PS I do have a tide prediction program that give me 3 days at a time for March 2005 which I will run if you let me know what you are looking for.

<hr width=100% size=1>" there is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats".

 

[Neraida]

Yup, That was us!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[johna]

PM me with an email address of fax number and I will send them to you.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Trintella]

Try:

http://www.ud.infn.it:8080/locations/5183.html

It uses the simple harmonic principle so is not totally accurate but it should give you a pretty good idea - it can be 30 mins - 1 hour out compared to the Admiralty tables.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Moose]

Why not buy "Tide Plotter" from Belfield. It is only £15ish for the tides up to the end of 2006.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[cliff]

See <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.wxtide32.com> Here </A>

Down load, read the simple instructions and run

<hr width=100% size=1>

Stay put when I hit you!

 

[cliff]

Portsmouth, England
Units are meters, timezone is UTC
March 2005 low is 0.4m, high is 4.9m, range is 4.5m.
Historical low is -1.0m, high is 6.8m, range is 7.8m.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

02-27 02-28 03-01 03-02 LQtr 03-03 03-04 03-05
H0101 4.6 H0129 4.6 H0204 4.6 H0246 4.5 H0338 4.3 H0440 4.1 H0548 3.9
L0623 1.1 L0655 1.0 L0731 1.0 L0812 1.2 L0901 1.4 L1006 1.7 L1137 1.9
H1308 4.6 H1341 4.5 H1420 4.4 H1508 4.3 H1609 4.1 H1716 3.9 H1834 3.8
L1838 0.8 L1912 0.9 L1950 1.0 L2033 1.2 L2127 1.5 L2244 1.9

03-06 03-07 03-08 03-09 New 03-10 03-11 03-12
L0025 2.0 L0159 1.8 L0257 1.4 L0341 1.1 L0422 0.8 L0502 0.6 H0020 4.9
H0714 3.9 H0857 4.1 H0957 4.4 H1040 4.6 H1117 4.7 H1154 4.8 L0541 0.6
L1320 1.8 L1431 1.4 L1519 1.0 L1601 0.7 L1642 0.5 L1721 0.4 H1232 4.7
H2025 3.9 H2143 4.2 H2230 4.6 H2308 4.8 H2343 4.9 L1759 0.4

03-13 03-14 03-15 03-16 FQtr 03-17 03-18 03-19
H0059 4.8 H0139 4.7 H0222 4.5 H0305 4.3 H0354 4.0 H0449 3.8 H0555 3.6
L0619 0.6 L0657 0.8 L0733 1.0 L0810 1.3 L0849 1.6 L0939 2.0 L1225 2.2
H1312 4.6 H1355 4.5 H1439 4.3 H1530 4.1 H1626 3.8 H1728 3.6 H1842 3.5
L1837 0.6 L1914 0.8 L1950 1.1 L2027 1.4 L2108 1.9 L2219 2.3

03-20 03-21 03-22 03-23 03-24 Full 03-25 03-26
L0103 2.3 L0157 2.1 L0237 1.9 L0311 1.6 L0345 1.3 L0417 1.1 L0449 1.0
H0713 3.5 H0835 3.7 H0934 3.9 H1011 4.2 H1040 4.4 H1108 4.5 H1138 4.6
L1331 2.1 L1416 1.8 L1453 1.5 L1527 1.3 L1600 1.1 L1632 0.9 L1705 0.8
H2008 3.6 H2123 3.9 H2207 4.2 H2235 4.4 H2301 4.5 H2328 4.6 H2356 4.7

03-27 03-28 03-29 03-30 03-31 04-01 LQtr 04-02
L0522 0.9 H0026 4.7 H0059 4.7 H0137 4.6 H0223 4.5 H0320 4.2 H0426 4.0
H1208 4.6 L0556 0.8 L0631 0.8 L0709 0.9 L0752 1.1 L0843 1.4 L0955 1.7
L1738 0.7 H1240 4.6 H1317 4.6 H1400 4.5 H1453 4.3 H1559 4.1 H1709 3.9
.............. L1812 0.7 L1849 0.8 L1929 1.0 L2015 1.3 L2113 1.7 L2242 2.0

<hr width=100% size=1>

Stay put when I hit you!

 

[RPC]

You can find any tide for anywhere in the world online....this is how

go to the yacht cruising website designed for cruising yachts worldwide....

www.onpassage.com

select Tides worldwide in left hand index

then on the tide page select the first link (Xtide tide prediction) and enter the port you want (Portsmouth in this case). You will then be presented with all the Portsmouths in the world, select Portsmouth England.

This is a great system as you can get tides for the day, month or year of your choice all online and then print them off. You select monthly or annual tides after it has given you the daily prediction.

There is also loads more information on the site www.onpassage.com for cruisers.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[AndrewB]

One has to be careful with freebie tide calculators, specially for a tricky place like Portsmouth.

I've just compared calculations from the site you give with predicted HW times given by the UK Hydrographic Office for several sample days at Portsmouth. They are typically ½ hour different, and some are up to 1 hour different.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[ScoutLeader]

Thank you all for your help.

My preference is for Neaps with highs about lunchtime. That way I get a little more time on the water and I am not recovering over mud at the end of the slipway on Sunday lunchtime.
We will be sailing dinghies drascombes etc and using RIB's and Dory's so I am not so constrained.

Neraida, I was in one of 2 RIB's following a Motor Launch, Black Swan, up the Medina. There were 12 Sea Scouts on board Black Swan learning chartwork and navigating around the Solent, (no electronics here), we were providing the 'fun factor' teaching them hi-speed maneouvres and also doing some wave hopping and wake jumping. (Also looking after those that felt sea-sick on board Black Swan).

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[RPC]

As you will see on all free tide calculations, and also on a lot of PC software, tide calculations will have height and time variations. All of these systems clearly state they will vary in this way. Admiralty tides are also not exact (see below).

Having just completed a circumnavigation, and 10 years cruising around the world and using such information, I can say that a prudent skipper will not be put out by such small variations. One should never sail into situations where minor tidal prediction variations will affect your safety.

As you may be aware, NO tidal calculations are precise, even the admiralty tide calculations are not exact. Small changes in atmosheric conditions will change tide heights and times as well as other factors. Comparing one set of tidal predictions against another always show different predictions. Normally it is more precise to use locally generated tide tables (such as Admiralty for UK for example).

Whether you use free tidal predictions, or paid ones, you should always leave a reasonable margin for error. They will never be exact.



<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[ScoutLeader]

Just as an aside, I do know the waters very well, as I sail quite a lot out of the RNSC on Whale Island and so variations an hour either side or so are no bother. I just wanted to get my weekend right.



<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[AndrewB]

Interesting point. It is true that getting the exact time of high or low tide a bit out generally doesn't matter that much. But when one interpolates to mid-tide, an hour makes a huge difference in terms of height, in areas where there are significant tide differences like Britain.

Elsewhere in the world, in many places the tide range is so small that it barely matters. The irony is that its easiest to get the rough and ready predictors most accurate for the areas where it matters least. But sailing round the English Channel, also places like the San Juan Islands, there have been times when errors of an hour would have left me very embarrassed indeed, I do rely on greater accuracy than this.

Of course you are correct that all tidal forecasts are predictions, but those supplied by the UKHO are generally pretty good, they can be out in exceptional weather but that is normally self-evident.

<hr width=100% size=1>