Help with Absolute Tides app please…

[fredrussell]

Love this app but one or two aspects of it baffle me a bit. Firstly, in the following screenshot of today’s tidal curve for my area…


…What do the “lowest/highest tides before selected time” refer to. I’m fairly certain it’s obvious and I’m being a numpty, but the numbers don’t seem to me to tally up.

 

[MattS]

I was initially confused by this too.

It is telling you what the highest and lowest tidal height will be between Now and the time you have selected with your cursor on the graph.

You can see this working by first looking at the date list, and finding the next highest tidal height after today. Then click to display the graph for that day.

If you then move your cursor (the time selection) either side of that highest tide, you can see the "Highest tide before selected time" change.

I'm not exactly sure what the use case is yet, but you can bet there's a good reason for it being there!

You might find this site helpful Absolute Tides

 

[Plum]

Love this app but one or two aspects of it baffle me a bit. Firstly, in the following screenshot of today’s tidal curve for my area…


…What do the “lowest/highest tides before selected time” refer to. I’m fairly certain it’s obvious and I’m being a numpty, but the numbers don’t seem to me to tally up.

From the app help pages:

Finding a safe tide height for anchoring:

• Set the tide selection to the date and time that you wish to leave your anchorage.
• Go to 'Offset Tide Heights' and adjust the the offset until 'Lowest tide' matches your lowest safe depth (include a safety margin according to local weather conditions).
• 'Current Tide' now shows the minimum depth that you can anchor in.
• 'Highest tide before selected time' now shows the deepest that 'Current Tide' will get during your stay.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Think the key reason for it is to help you determine the scope required for your anchor rode, assuming you wil be anchoring over high water, and similarly whether you're likely to find yourself aground at LW.

 

[fredrussell]

I was initially confused by this too.

It is telling you …

Cheers for that. It makes sense but I can’t see it’s a function I’ll ever use - if anyone uses this function I’d be glad to hear how you’re using it.

Scala : thanks, I still think it’s a peculiar feature but what you say makes sense. Just out of interest, do you use this feature then?

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Cheers for that. It makes sense but I can’t see it’s a function I’ll ever use - if anyone uses this function I’d be glad to hear how you’re using it.

Scala : thanks, I still think it’s a peculiar feature but what you say makes sense. Just out of interest, do you use this feature then?

I do but never really thought about it in isolation; if I'm anchoring I'll always do the HOT check for adequate scope and this is as easy a way as any other. It's my favourite tides app.

 

[MattS]

I do but never really thought about it in isolation; if I'm anchoring I'll always do the HOT check for adequate scope and this is as easy a way as any other. It's my favourite tides app.

What's the HOT check out of interest?

 

[Sticky Fingers]

"Height of Tide" ie how much water will there be during the stay in the anchorage. You need to know what the depth will be at HW assuming you're staying. So you have enough chain out...! in other words, base your scope on what you might need later rather than what you seem to need when you arrive.

 

[MattS]

'Current Tide' now shows the minimum depth that you can anchor in.

I was a bit confused by this step, but I presume it means you need to anchor in that much water, or you will dry out at low tide?

 

[Sticky Fingers]

I was a bit confused by this step, but I presume it means you need to anchor in that much water, or you will dry out at low tide?

That's right assuming you've input your (draft + safety margin) correctly, and of course that the bottom hasn't shifted / shallowed, and the actual HoT matches prediction!

 

[MattS]

"Height of Tide" ie how much water will there be during the stay in the anchorage. You need to know what the depth will be at HW assuming you're staying. So you have enough chain out...! in other words, base your scope on what you might need later rather than what you seem to need when you arrive.

Oh yes - of course. Thanks

 

[fredrussell]

It's my favourite tides app.

Likewise. This thread definitely not meant as criticism- I use the app regularly.

 

[Plum]

. It's my favourite tides app.

Mine too. Especially as it has tidal streams too.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[MattS]

Mine three! Love it.