Adios
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Its a bit counter intuitive but it shouldn't be to sailors who are well used to the difference in apparent wind speed when we turn into the wind and find it blowing a gale. But in practice we all put a bit more power on when pushing the tide out of [at least mild] frustration at the lack of progress, so all our experience is "going against the tide = the sound of more RPM". And then there's the usually true "fighting against something takes more effort".Athomson I do like your explanation. I wondered from the outset whether we are all to fixed on the boat moving through a homogeneous media (the water) when it is more complex because there are two very different media involved and perhaps the water is less homogeneous that we give credit.
I also agree my observations are wholly inadequate (scientifically). However they are a little uncanny in their consistency. I must motor upper and down the same stretch sometime!