How good are you at catching the tide for a weekend on board

[jac]

Have to admit that our attitude when on board for a weekend is much more driven by the clock and the need to relax from the week, hence get up when we want and if it means motoring / motor sailing to get where we were intending to go then so be. (Young children = short tolerance for trips and like to go to somewhere)- obviously safety related tide matters are one thing - I'm thinking here about getting early to catch the full tide as opposed to staying in bed for 2-3 hours and wasting 1/2 of it.

If we're on board for a week r more, we are much better at getting up and catching tides but I am aware that some do this even for the odd weekend.

 

[prv]

I quite often pick the destination to fit the tide

Pete

 

[stevebrassett]

I always try to work the tide - I like sailing, not motoring.

 

[TSB240]

All our sailing is tidal dependent

We sail in and around Anglesey! Don't do pond sailing anymore.

I am not prepared to motor flat out doing 1 knot SOG into a five knot tide ever!

The only reason for a clock is to tell you what the tides are doing or about to do!

Sleeping and cat napping is our norm but not usually when actually sailing.

 

[Marsupial]

I always try to work the tide - I like sailing, not motoring.

when we were both working we were based in Dover and had a certain reputation - we were often two or three tides late for the trip to France; sleep, that valuable commodity that does not respect tide tables - so glad we retired.

 

[john_morris_uk]

I ticked 'always' as we usually decide which way to go or when to go depending on which way the tide is running and for how long.

For longer passages the alarm clock is set to catch the tide, but I've no qualms about breaking into watches (even very informally) and getting a cat nap in en route! Time and tide waits for no man.

 

[Garold]

I quite often pick the destination to fit the tide

Pete

+1

I usually check tide times and directions the day before, and having checked what the tide is doing about 10ish the next morning, consider the tide-friendly destinations.

Obviously, however, I sometimes do the opposite, and look at the destination we fancy and work out the best passage plan to take advantages of tides. But ususally for a weekend, if it requires a very early start, we often select another destination.

Then there's the weather to think about too. I sometimes prefer to leave so that I avoid lumpy wind over tide conditions too.

And then there's those tidal places, that are inaccessible, or not recommended at certain states of the tide. So I like to have that in hand too.

Too much planning sometimes I think.

Cheers

Garold

 

[prv]

If the question were instead phrased as "do you ever deliberately plan to travel against the tide" (thus covering fitting either time of departure or choice of destination around the tide) then my answer would be "almost never". With a tubby 24' gaffer, we'd never have got anywhere if we did that

Bit more flexibility, in weaker streams, with the new faster boat.

Pete

 

[Blueboatman]

On the side of St Mary church by Putney Bridge is writ large ' time and tide wait for no man'. ( I may be paraphrasing it)
Possibly written by a yottie stuck in traffic trying to get away...