Low tide

[All U Get]

Another soul that tried high slack.



All U Get

 

[Scott T-Bird]

I had the same confusion as you until I read JohnB's post. Think about this situation - a tidal sea, a narrow opening, and a very large bay. As the tide rises in the sea, water will flow through the opening into the bay. But the bay is large, and the opening is narrow, so the bay won't rise as fast as the sea. At the time of high tide on the sea, the bay level will still be lower, so water will continue to flow into the bay. This will continue until the level of the sea falls to match the level of the bay. For all of that time, the current will be flowing into the bay, even though it's passed high tide in the sea and in the opening itself.

Now I finally get it! The beer analogy was good, too!

 

[Kings Gambit]

Hi all,

Just had something on my mind for a while and maybe someone could explain. When the tide is low why aren't the waters slack? Usually an hour or more in some places before the current turns. The water has to go somewhere.

All U Get

Here's another answer from Raban, Passage to Juneau, p 399: "The boat made little headway against a southgoing tide that kept on flowing more than two hours after it was predicted to turn in my favor, according to the table. Searching for an explanation, I found a note in the [coast] pilot: when the sun and moon are in quadrature, a continuous ebb sometimes ran in Stephens Passage." ... "The sun and moon had to be in line (as they are at the new and full moons) and pulling in consort to raise a flood tide strong enough to overcome the mingled river currents as they ran south to the ocean." ... "More often than not, the Alaskan tide tables seemed to me the work of a bogus fortune-teller, so little did they correspond to the water's natural behavior."

 

[All U Get]

Just went through the Cape Cod Canal which had some strange currents showing three flood maximums for one ebb during one complete cycle. Not the perfect flood to slack and then ebb and slack.

All U Get

 

[jibes138]

What would it be if you were going the other way?

 

[Chief RA]

Tide shifts in the mouth of Tomales bay (behind Point Reyes just above SF) can reach speeds of 8 knots. Most inboard sailboats can't combat that and must wait. Chief

 

[All U Get]

What would it be if you were going the other way?

Warmer? Just made the last leg of our journey home. Just checked low tide is 0712 and slack water is 0712 at Hussey Sound nearby. Ain't it great.

All U Get

 

[jssailem]

Of course it is great. Your home. Home is always better because it is familiar. But is there any current?

 

[All U Get]

Of course it is great. Your home. Home is always better because it is familiar. But is there any current?

Yes, and it's well mannered. Turns when its job is done.

All U Get