The Solent - flood and ebb

[jaminb]

Hello.

Does the tide flood into the Solent with high water Dover i.e. west to east and ebb east to west or Flood into the Solent with high water Falmouth i.e. east to west and ebb the opposite way

Thanks

Ben

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Both. It’s a complex pattern with two separate floods and ebbs which create a challenge to understand the flows. Caused by the water entering and leaving the Solent at both E and W ends.

 

[rotrax]

I stick with what most of the South Coast tide tables tell me.

The Flood is W to E, the Ebb E to W.

Parts of the Solent have double high waters, notably Southampton Water.

Met a top Kiwi offshore sailor in Auckland ten years ago. "Kin Solent" he espoused "I bin there, sailed backwards too! Bloody place..............."

 

[burgundyben]

In most areas the ebb turns west 1hr before HW Portsmouth.

On springs flood, young flood stand, remaining flood, hw and second hw can be 9hrs, so ebbb is in 3.5.

I've been watching Solent tides 45 years and it still sometimes surprises me.

 

[capnsensible]

solent tidal streams pdf - Google Suche

There are loads of tide stream publications. I used the Admiralty one a lot but my favourite was Reeves-Faulkes.

Happy hunting!

 

[Bobc]

Both, it's weird.

It basically comes up the Solent with Dover, but also comes in the other end during the last couple of hours, so at the Portsmouth end the tide turns 2 hours before HW, at the middle, it's about 1 hour before, and at the west end it's at HW.

 

[jaminb]

Thanks all. Think I will stick with Rotax's simple description for now - Flood is W-E Ebb is E-W

 

[Habebty]

Buy a tidal atlas!

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Thanks all. Think I will stick with Rotax's simple description for now - Flood is W-E Ebb is E-W

That’s generally right but local variations apply.

 

[jaminb]

Buy a tidal atlas!

got this one for the solent

but for a general description of what the tide is doing in the Solent, and I am aware of (some of ) the variants but was interested to know if there was an E-W W-E convention for flood and ebb

thanks again

 

[LiftyK]

Or get Tides Planner on your phone. It shows tidal streams as well as tide heights and is very handy, and inexpensive.

 

[Daydream believer]

Monty mariner has the tidal streams on his website. This link is for the east but he also has west solent under the "tides" section
Monty Mariner tides
I O W

 

[Chiara’s slave]

If you’re out for a family potter, the loose rules work fine. But as has also been pointed out, really knowing the streams is a lifetime commitment. And even then, sometimes you just have to take it on the chin. It took us, in a fast trimaran, 30 minutes to actually round a racing mark on Saturday, the wind was so light and flukey. Clearly if we’d been pottering, we’d have started the engine!

 

[Tomaret]

Thanks all. Think I will stick with Rotax's simple description for now - Flood is W-E Ebb is E-W

If you are based in Portsmouth Harbour and tend to head west for a potter, the change of tide two hours before HW is important to remember, especially if you are heading home!

 

[ashtead]

Buy a plastic card with a sliding insert and just set the hour -brilliant device and not dampened by water etc. I have 2 having been gifted one by a retiring sailor along with his Reeves-F mentioned above. Use the plastic sliding one more though in Solent

 

[Iliade]

Have a look at windy currents

Far from perfect but...