Nearly undone by moon suck

[Twister_Ken]

Boy, the tides were big this weekend. I rowed ashore from mooring at mid ebb. Flowing too fast to row upstream against the mid-river flow, so crabbed across towards the shallows. Unfortunately went too far and ended up grounded. Some futile punting with the oars produced no results. Needed to get out and push back into slightly deeper water. By the time I got back into the boat, reorganised self and oars, and started rowing back upstream the place where I'd run aground was above water and you could see my footprints. If I'd been a tad slower getting unstuck we might have had to sit out six hours stranded, waiting for the water to come back.

Sneaked back up the shallows towards the marina pontoons, got to the critical corner (it's where the downstream end of Mercury marina - which is effectively a bay in the river bank – kicks back out into the Hamble), and was spun out towards the mainstream by at least 5 knots of cross current. Frantic rowing just allowed me to get to the corner of the downstream hammerhead. While sitting there panting a big mobo trying to reverse into a berth just upstream from the corner was also spun out, despite much food processor noise from the bow thruster, so I didn't feel quite so bad.

Conclusion, should have stayed on the boat and had a snooze while waiting for the ebb to lose enthusiasm.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Portsmouth harbour entrance

I have never seen the current so strong at the entrance to Portsmouth. It was swirling out of the entrance, so hard that we were bodily moved sideways and just missed the red pile outside the harbour entrance. We normally creep up the edge of the channel to avoid the worst of the tide.

According to the Gosport boatyard ferry guys, the tide hardly dropped at all until about 16:15 - after normal half tide, then someone pulled the plug out.

Never seen any thing like it - Even ChristopherColumbus would have had to start his engine to get in!

 

[FullCircle]

Boy, the tides were big this weekend. I rowed ashore from mooring at mid ebb. Flowing too fast to row upstream against the mid-river flow, so crabbed across towards the shallows. Unfortunately went too far and ended up grounded. Some futile punting with the oars produced no results. Needed to get out and push back into slightly deeper water. By the time I got back into the boat, reorganised self and oars, and started rowing back upstream the place where I'd run aground was above water and you could see my footprints. If I'd been a tad slower getting unstuck we might have had to sit out six hours stranded, waiting for the water to come back.

Sneaked back up the shallows towards the marina pontoons, got to the critical corner (it's where the downstream end of Mercury marina - which is effectively a bay in the river bank – kicks back out into the Hamble), and was spun out towards the mainstream by at least 5 knots of cross current. Frantic rowing just allowed me to get to the corner of the downstream hammerhead. While sitting there panting a big mobo trying to reverse into a berth just upstream from the corner was also spun out, despite much food processor noise from the bow thruster, so I didn't feel quite so bad.

Conclusion, should have stayed on the boat and had a snooze while waiting for the ebb to lose enthusiasm.

Hm, we had a leisurely punt against the tide to get home yesterday. I could almost count the blades of grass on the riverbank whilst putatively doing 5.5kts on the log. It was a nice afternoon, and I kept my patience. Also made getting into my berth very easy as I just hovered on the spot at 2.3kts tide against with very little wind.

Advantage? 4.5m over the Ray Sand channel.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Was interesting going between the piles and into the entrance channel to Shotley...... at 45° to direction of travel...

 

[Twister_Ken]

Sort of map

(PS - yes, I know my boat is missing!)

 

[Giblets]

I have never seen the current so strong at the entrance to Portsmouth. It was swirling out of the entrance, so hard that we were bodily moved sideways and just missed the red pile outside the harbour entrance. We normally creep up the edge of the channel to avoid the worst of the tide.

According to the Gosport boatyard ferry guys, the tide hardly dropped at all until about 16:15 - after normal half tide, then someone pulled the plug out.

Never seen any thing like it - Even ChristopherColumbus would have had to start his engine to get in!

Predicted tidal height was 130% of Mean Springs on Sunday.

The Harbour Patrol had to tow 3 in against the full ebb who couldn't manage it . [so they do have their uses ;-)]

 

[KristiferColumbus]

I have never seen the current so strong at the entrance to Portsmouth. It was swirling out of the entrance, so hard that we were bodily moved sideways and just missed the red pile outside the harbour entrance. We normally creep up the edge of the channel to avoid the worst of the tide.

According to the Gosport boatyard ferry guys, the tide hardly dropped at all until about 16:15 - after normal half tide, then someone pulled the plug out.

Never seen any thing like it - Even ChristopherColumbus would have had to start his engine to get in!

Just a note here;I normally make sure that I come in or go out with the tide behind me & I noticed that despite it being reported as a 5 meter tide the actual level was at least a foot lower than I have seen it before (up at the fareham end).

 

[jonjo]

I noticed that despite it being reported as a 5 meter tide the actual level was at least a foot lower than I have seen it before (up at the fareham end).

What was the pressure down south this weekend?

 

[KristiferColumbus]

What was the pressure down south this weekend?

I was just about to make a PS about needing the tide heights to be linked to barometer pressure if we are going to get any true idea of Global warming when I saw your post.Don't know but it has been pretty high for several days now.It currently stands at 31.25 according to the barometer a couple of feet above my PC.
Correction;30.125 or about or about 1022 millibars.I read the thing wrongly.

 

[Chris_Robb]

What was the pressure down south this weekend?

1026 Mbars - which presumably held the height down of the high tide.

 

[KristiferColumbus]

Just for the record despite having seen considerably higher tides I did notice that it was flowing very fast.Are there other factors that can come into play?Maybe the moon has suddenly decided to overtake the sun

 

[Poignard]

1026 Mbars - which presumably held the height down of the high tide.

Hmm. My barometer only recorded 1002-1005 in the Solent.

Hey-ho. Something else to add to the winter defect list.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Just for the record despite having seen considerably higher tides I did notice that it was flowing very fast.Are there other factors that can come into play?Maybe the moon has suddenly decided to overtake the sun

The major factor is the extraordiary length of the stand at highwater, - nearly 2.5 to 3 hours. No wonder that it appeared that the plug was pulled!

 

[KristiferColumbus]

Hmm. My barometer only recorded 1002-1005 in the Solent.

Hey-ho. Something else to add to the winter defect list.

I think you can calibrate it by twiddling with a thing on the back.Not a problem.Just look out for the local MET office reading.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Hmm. My barometer only recorded 1002-1005 in the Solent.

Hey-ho. Something else to add to the winter defect list.

My reading came from the history of Chimet at www.chimet.co.uk

 

[Poignard]

(PS - yes, I know my boat is missing!)

I remember being given a temporary berth on one of the pontoons to the NW of where it says 'The End', when I went to Hamble for a rally some years ago.

The memory of trying to extract a Twister from there whilst keeping off the mud haunts me still.

 

[KristiferColumbus]

The major factor is the extraordiary length of the stand at highwater, - nearly 2.5 to 3 hours. No wonder that it appeared that the plug was pulled!

Can't say I noticed anything extraordinary up where I was loafing by Pewit Island though I could have done with a bit more wind......maybe Thursday.

 

[KristiferColumbus]

I remember being given a temporary berth on one of the pontoons to the NW of where it says 'The End', when I went to Hamble for a rally some years ago.

The memory of trying to extract a Twister from there whilst keeping off the mud haunts me still.

I remember coming home one lovely summer evening about 25 years ago in an old Westmacott/Woodnutt sloop I owned & shearing off all the railings from a gin palace moored out in mid stream there because the tide had just turned & the wind died suddenly.A very salutary lesson!

 

[BlueSkyNick]

One assumes you had the gorgeous Madame with you .... any other crew you would have chucked out to push and kept your own feet dry, I suspect !!

 

[Poignard]

I remember coming home one lovely summer evening about 25 years ago in an old Westmacott/Woodnutt sloop I owned & shearing off all the railings from a gin palace moored out in mid stream there because the tide had just turned & the wind died suddenly.A very salutary lesson!

Serves 'em right for being in the way.