Wind and Tide

[terryw]

I know the best conditions are wind with tide, but what is best when that is not possible. Is it:
With wind, and against tide.
With tide, and against wind.
Or against both. ie Wind with tide but in opposite direction to travel.

We are on the South coast, and are hoping to extend our cruising range this year, which will mean many crossings of Lyme Bay etc, and it would be nice to keep her on the plane to cut journey times, (and perhaps stay a bit dryer).

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

<hr width=100% size=1>If your nose is running, and your feet smell, you are upside down.

 

[hlb]

I think your missing the point. The reason for avoiding wind over tide is because this heaps the sea up. How much it does this will depend on. How much wind and how much tide. In normal sort of weather say f4 this will not be much of a problem unless in areas of overfalls, usually found off headlands. So best rounded at slack water.
Idealy,crossing Lyme bay would be best in F3 or less with the wind behind you.


<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue> Haydn

 

[longjohnsilver]

Well it all depends on

1] how much wind
2] how much tide
3] how fast you intend to cruise

With say 15kts of W wind coming across Lyme Bay if you have a neap tide then not too much of a problem, but mid springs against you is not pleasant. But as you have said, best to be wind with tide or avoid the middle range of wind against tide.

You may already know this but in Lyme bay the east going tide starts about 2.5 hours before high water at any given place in the bay, we usually use Exmouth tide tables, so most tide occurs around high water, or low water.

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