tide tables

theforeman

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 Sep 2005
Messages
1,472
Visit site
the tidal predictions on this ( ybw ) website do not seem to include predictions for greenock. a surprising omission imho.

www.Onpassage.com has 2 tidal predictions - easytide and xtide. there can be differences of 20 minutes in the times of high and low water between these tables. is anyone sufficiently familiar with easy or x to say which is the more accurate ?
 
differences of 20 minutes - Hey! what's 10 mins here or there. Weather / Atmospheric conditions can put the PREDICTED height and time out by that much.
Remember it is a PRIDICTION not a statement of fact /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Go with the earlier HW, and then, if you get stuck (if its that dodgy), you can wait and float off. I'm sure that there will be enough other things on the go that 20 mins will be irrelevant.

I was once told of someone who planned the whole weekends cruising on the thursday evening, everything by the hour with all tides and winds etc, and yet then when one of the crew was an hour late arriving it messed up his complete plan for the weekend. A very experienced sailor told me that his planning was to go from a to b... no more detail than that as you can work it all out en route.
 
thanks all.
awol - mums the word /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
not so much concerned about grounding than getting through tidal gates. 20 mins can sometimes be the difference between a dawdle and a struggle.
 
FYI yesterday evening the last predicted lockout for Portishead was 1800, but by 1735 the water was down to the minimum on the outer sill. Just as well no-one wanted to leave!

The pressure wasn't high and we had had south-westerlies for a day or two, so you would expect higher than normal tides. The tide was indeed above predicted height at HW, but decided the timing itself /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Some folks get annoyed when first and last lock times have to be adjusted on the day! Tide tables aren't Time tables, as others have said.
 
I have never had a problem using xtide 25 (no longer available now it seems) in the Clyde - seems pretty accurate ± maybe 10 mins max. Some slight variation with xtide 32 but nothing worth worrying about IMHO.

Can't comment on easy tide
--------------------
hammer.thumb.gif
"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
sailroom <span style="color:red">The place to auction your previously loved boatie bits</span>
 
I dont think there are any tidal gates in the Greenock area.

All the tidal data for the Clyde from the YBW website should be used with caution. If I remember correctly East Loch Tarbert (Loch Fyne) uses Oban as a Primary port. Not good.

No. i was wrong - it uses Oban for the Mull. Only half right.

Donald
 
the only feature approaching a tidal gate in the area is the narrows at colintraive. i like to practice my sailing techniques by going through the narrows under sail. it helps to have the tide with you /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
however this weekend we`re off down arran way.
 
The narrows is possibly the only place, right enough, but being 'local' we treat it with a bit of contempt.

Only run aground once and that was way back in my Dad's boat... ooops hope he's not having a shuftie here...

We're racing this weekend. Kip - round Little Cumbrae and back to Rothesay... 26 miles of interesting decisions. Inside or outside Great Cumbrae....time will tell.

Donald
 
Top