're VMG, What's XTE?

Dan Tribe said:
I once helped bring a boat back from Denmark. The skipper was fixated by XTE.
I was steering a compass course and after 1/4 hr the skipper complained that I was off course. I explained that when the tide turned it would bring us back on course. He seemed satisfied with that but an hour later complained that I was even further off course.
So we spent the rest of the trip steering into the flood, then into the ebb. Must have added miles to the trip but the skipper was happy!
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Hah I've often had this conversation..... I've given up now, if they are happy leave them to it.
 
SteveGorst said:
Hah I've often had this conversation..... I've given up now, if they are happy leave them to it.
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Maddening isn't it. I tried on here a decade ago to explain to people who couldn't understsnd the concept. I laid out what would happen on a Needles to Cherbourg trip at 4 knot boat speed. I was accused of picking my figures so then I showed it for 3knots and 7 knots. This made some posters even more cross as they said I used the same tide figures for the first few hours for all of the speeds whereas tide changes depending on how fast you go, and anyway the 7 knot boat was effected a lot less than the other speeds as I chose to go at less of an offset for the 7 knot boat which proved that the closer you go to your route over the ground the faster you get there.

I gave up, as suspect many people do when the crossing takes too long without the engine.
 
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