What or where is the nastiest wind against tide situation?

[Greenheart]

Just idle thoughts...

...picturing the 6-knot ebb pouring out of Chichester Harbour, meeting a sou'westerly F6. Very ugly I'd imagine, to take on that current under sail, relying on the fair wind.

Somebody here a few months back was defiantly claiming that wind-against-tide conditions are no worse than in unmoving water during wind of a strength equal to the combined speeds of the equivalent conflicting wind and tide. Sorry, I've managed to make that sound more rather than less complicated...

...but I'd like to read anybody's thoughts on this, and on the worst wind-against-tide situation they've encountered.

 

[dgadee]

Surely the Merry Men of Mey in the Pentland Firth just along from John o Groats?

 

[sailorgirl]

Try next door at Langstone with a southerly gale

 

[sarabande]

I'll raise you.

Hartland Point, N Devon

http://www.clovellysculls.co.uk/gallery2.php?i=8

View attachment 36420

 

[dunedin]

West of Corryvreckan ?

 

[ripvan1]

Menai Straights

and Raz de Seine

 

[Sneaky Pete]

The Mull of Galloway.

 

[l'escargot]

There is usually surface disturbance with tidal flow because of underwater contours. Certainly in the Solent I would expect very different conditions with a 12 knot wind against a 3 knot tide to a 15 knot wind at slack water.

 

[Gone sailing]

Earlier this year I stupidly came out of Chichester harbour sailing solo on a ebb tide with a southerly F5 gusting F6+. It was extremely rough to put it mildly, but I made it out! I was under presure to get to work amd made the wrong call! I will not be doing it again!
In my opinion chichester bar is far worse than Langstone harbour (i sail out of Langstone) but both can bite!
Jim

 

[Roberto]

wind-against-tide conditions are no worse than in unmoving water during wind of a strength equal to the combined speeds of the equivalent conflicting wind and tide.

I'd suggest a thorough revision of physics

or coastal engineering, or oceanography, or whatever

 

[BERT T]

Between Fair Head and Torr Head where just off Torr Head the Ebb runs up to 9 knots during Spring tides.

 

[dgadee]

I still think Pentland Firth:

Two killed as huge waves hit oil tanker

Rob Sharp and Mike Merritt Sunday November 12, 2006 The Observer

Two crewmen were killed and another seriously injured yesterday after their oil tanker was hit by huge waves in the Pentland Firth, one of the world's most notorious stretches of water. The men were believed to have been standing on the deck of the 42,000-tonne tanker when it was caught in a gale force eight storm and buffeted by waves over 20 feet high. The ship, the FR8 Venture, contacted Shetland coastguard shortly after midday. 'The ship may have got hit by a freak wave.' said the coastguard. 'As soon as the skipper realised the extent of the injuries he turned back to Scapa Flow.'

 

[Greenheart]

I'd suggest a thorough revision of physics

or coastal engineering, or oceanography, or whatever

Hmm. It wasn't my own theory, but somebody here was very sure that wind-against-tide as a worrying phenomenon of seagoing, is wholly in the imagination of sailors.

 

[alan_d]

Hmm. It wasn't my own theory, but somebody here was very sure that wind-against-tide as a worrying phenomenon of seagoing, is wholly in the imagination of sailors.

Hmm (again).
Experience teaches that somebody on here being very sure about something does not necessarily mean it is true.

 

[LittleShip]

Menai Straights

Your joking, that's positively calm co paired to Carmel Head at the top of Anglesey. I moved years ago from Holyhead to the Menia to get into some calmer waters

Tom.

 

[bikerbill]

The Sound of Mull and the Sound of Jura, both at spring tides. I remember leaving Rathlin Island heading for Largs. The weather got so bad we had to turn back to Ireland.

 

[guernseyman]

-

Just idle thoughts...

...picturing the 6-knot ebb pouring out of Chichester Harbour, meeting a sou'westerly F6. Very ugly I'd imagine, to take on that current under sail, relying on the fair wind.

Somebody here a few months back was defiantly claiming that wind-against-tide conditions are no worse than in unmoving water during wind of a strength equal to the combined speeds of the equivalent conflicting wind and tide. Sorry, I've managed to make that sound more rather than less complicated...

...but I'd like to read anybody's thoughts on this, and on the worst wind-against-tide situation they've encountered.

I thought it had been settled that the wind is largely irrelevant - except in so far as it generated the waves, but having done so it may as well die or change direction.

So the real elements are a wave train and an opposing tidal current.

 

[bikerbill]

Hmm (again).
Experience teaches that somebody on here being very sure about something does not necessarily mean it is true.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Surely the Merry Men of Mey in the Pentland Firth just along from John o Groats?

None of the others mentioned here come close to Pentland Firth. It has one of the fastest tidal flow rates in the world (18 knots in localized areas), a large extent, open to ocean swell, pretty much unavoidable without a detour taking days, slack water lasting only minutes, and high latitude for the UK with resulting higher incidence of grumpy weather. It gets very little press however, because so few leisure craft traverse it - less than 200 per year according to Scrabster HM.

 

[snooks]

Going through the Macdonnell race off Rathlin in more wind than was forecast coming from the north with the tide coming from the south wasn't one of my better ideas.

Three waves the size of big coaches all with crests bearing down on us from 3 different direction is something I never want to repeat.

Pretty sure the Portland Race in wind over tide can be a bit lumpy too.