Tidal Atlas

claymore · 8 Apr 2003

I use this all the time as the Scottish West Coast tides are strong and to get them wrong means to sail backwards.
As you know they relate to HW Dover and yet I use the Oban tide tables to give me the times of H and L water which is obviously vital when I'm planning to get into and out of places that are shallow around low water or when anchoring.
Does anyone else find this a faff or do you use a simpler method?

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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madman · 8 Apr 2003

Postits with the time on stuck to the relevant pages of the tidal atlas. Saves a lot of hassle.

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Twister_Ken · 8 Apr 2003

Don't quite get the problem (my day for being thick).

Yes, you need to know local HW and LW times for reduction to soundings if you're planning to go anywhere marginal in the depth stakes. But as for which direction the water is whizzing at any particular time, does it make any difference to have to write in your plusses and minuses based on Dover. After all Dover and Oban are in the same time zone. Granted you've got to look up two pages in the armagnac, but how long does that take - an extra minute?

Just wait until there's real home rule up there - then the Scottish Hydrographical Office can issue tidal atlases based on HW Leith!

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Aja · 8 Apr 2003

CCC Sailing directions havn't failed me (yet). They give direction of stream relating to HW Dover and also to local port - for Crinan to Ardnamurchan it is Oban.

Otherwise I have a quick shufti around and if all the boats are going the same way up to Fladda I know the tides going that way too!!!!

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claymore · 8 Apr 2003

Well

I've read the 3 valuable responses so far and I have to say that I would find it easier if the Hydrographer made a tidal atlas that related to Oban rather than bloody Dover.
Postits, times pencilled in, looking at what everyone else is doing - all strategies I've employed - but transposing one set of information over another to predict a third does just seem like ball-ache

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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Badger · 8 Apr 2003

Re: Well

You need to persaude Michael Reeves -Fowkes to do one of his brilliant faff free ones which give you time, tidal set and drift and intermediate and secondary port heights all on one page ! I just checked, he hasn't done a west coast one I'm afraid.

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Viking · 8 Apr 2003

It puzzling but over here (Norway) I cant find a Norwegian chart with any tidal info on at all.
I hope to cross over to the Shetland isles but I wont attempt it with out some tidal info. I still use pencil and chart along with GPS.
I have been trying to get hold of a Imray chart C70A Northern North Sea.

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claymore · 8 Apr 2003

Surely Admiralty charts cover the area so there will be tidal diamonds. I'll look at the catalogue tonight at home and get back to you

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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rhinorhino · 8 Apr 2003

Re: Well

And since he is dead, and enjoying a very well earned rest I hope, nor is he likely to.
Agree however the consept is a brillent one and deserves to be extended. Who owns the rights I wonder?

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sailbadthesinner · 8 Apr 2003

looking at a charter in oban in july possibly just aweekend to take some friends out
are the tides strong there then
i have been around arran and rothesay bute etc
not madly strong tides there.
will oban need more plannig then ?

<hr width=100% size=1>I can't walk on water, but I do run on Guinness

Oldhand · 8 Apr 2003

It sounds like you have defined the argument for going electronic. Get a PC onboard with decent software and call up a picture of tidal flow with a click of the mouse. MaxSea works well but the tide packages aren't cheap.

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LadyInBed · 8 Apr 2003

Taint no faff. On the page that says HW Dover write LW Oban and take it from there /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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claymore · 8 Apr 2003

Hmm
I already have this and do use the realtime tidal graphs which effectively solve the problem, I still rely on the tidal atlas as my software doesn't do tidal arrows but I'm hoping they'll be developed. Its multi-tasking thats my nemesis!

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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claymore · 8 Apr 2003

Well, there's always the odd knot in the Oban area. the strongest are obviously where it narrows so you get bits at the entrance to the Sound of Mull - nothing much really but he strongest are in the Firth of Lorne by Pladda where it can get up to 5 or 6 knots on springs and through Cuan Sound which is very tidal and has an awkward bend in it with a rock or two. - in summary there's more bits of tide than in the Clyde but nothing terrible as long as you have a decent tidal atlas base on HW Dover and tide table for Oban!

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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claymore · 8 Apr 2003

Yes - I don't seem capable of doing that without making something of a bugger of it, all down to mathematical incompetence I'm afraid.

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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Twister_Ken · 8 Apr 2003

Tut

>down to mathematical incompetence<

The quality of people teaching our youngsters today!

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extravert · 9 Apr 2003

You will need tidal stream information for sailing round the Shetlands and Orkneys. Tidal streams in Pentland Firth are amongst the strongest you get anywhere in the world, with a maximum reported extreme of 16 knots, and 8-10 knots being quite normal in places at full flow. These sorts of tides completely rule a sailor's day.

As you go further north the tides decrease but are still very strong around the Orkneys, decreasing again but still considerable in the Shetlands.

All the UK Admiralty charts for these areas have tidal stream information on them, but they are in table form and are not as easy to interpret as flow diagrams. Every UK almanac I have seen has tidal flow diagrams in, although these are not detailed for far away places like the Shetlands. The best source of information is to get a tidal stream atlas for this area, which will have detailed diagrams which give a good overall impression of what the water is doing at different states of the tide.

It's a great place to sail (despite the weather) and you will meet lots of other Scandinavians there as well. If you get the time zip across the top of Scotland and round Cape Wrath to have a look at the West coast too. Kinlochbervie is the first safe place to stop.

<hr width=100% size=1>Adventures of the <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.xrayted.fsnet.co.uk>Teddy Bear Boat</A>

claymore · 9 Apr 2003

Re: Tut

Thank you for that my Boy. Fortunately for them and myself, I don't teach Maths although I did scrape a GCE at the 2nd attempt back when San Francisco was the place to be.

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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Twister_Ken · 9 Apr 2003

Re: Tut

>back when San Francisco was the place to be. <

What, the Gold Rush?

<hr width=100% size=1>Edited by Twister_Ken on 09/04/2003 09:15 (server time).

claymore · 9 Apr 2003

Re: Tut

Cheeky Sod!

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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