Tidal range

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HOW Editorial

How much tidal range do you deal with when sailing? Is it insignificant, something you seldom think about... or does it impact your course and choice of anchorage? What aspect of sailing is most effected by the tides? Anchoring, docking, navigation, or other? Share the highs and lows of your cruising grounds here, then vote in this week's Quick Quiz at the bottom of the home page.
 
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Mike Pajewski

No High tides

Here on the Great Lakes, we just have progesively lower Low Tides, as they never seem to come up. Mike Pajewski Two Rivers, WI
 
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Gary Wyngarden

High Speed Elevator

Definitely a high speed elevator. The tidal range in the San Juans can be as much as 12 feet on spring tides. Though it's usually somewhat less, it is clearly a factor to be reckoned with for anchoring, navigation and course selection. In spots the tidal currents run five knots which either slows progress to a crawl or rockets you along. My Washburn's Current Guide is right there with my charts for each cruise. We're weenies compared to the folks up the coast where tidal currents can reach 16 knots and more in places. So with all this planning, why am I always trying to haul a heavy dock cart up a steep ramp at the marina?
 
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Jim Russell

40 Feet

Okay, not tital, but that is the range of the level on our 200 mile long reservoir over the past 20 years. At the moment we are down 17 feet from just two years ago, and dropping fast. Challenging to keep docks in order. Who is to blame ? Weather gods and the Corp of Engineers . . . . Seems like the limited barge traffic on the lower Missouri is more important than the extensive recreational dollar to the Corp . . . .
 
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Mickey Goodman

Tides in New England

I have experienced 10+ tides in Maine and Rhode Island. I am now sailing out of East Greenwich, RI which is on Naragansetts Bay. The Bay is shallow near East Greenwich about 10 feet at low tide and, in some places less then 4 feet and rocks which are hidden at high tide. Last year I saw sailing a Catalina 25 and went aground when I wasn't paying attention as to where I was. My depth sounder was also broken at that time. Luckly it was mud or sand and I was able to motor out with no damage. Now I am sailing a Legend 37 with a little larger draft. I do have the depth sounder working and do pay attention to where I am. I sailed to Martha"s Vineyard and went through Vineyard Sound where the current is 2 to 3 knots depending on the tide direction. I definately sailed through based upon the tide and got my boat "Endearvor" up to 10.2 knots per my GPS. Thats the fastest I have ever been on a sailboat.
 
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Tony & Michele

We plan our trips by the tides.

We are 3 miles up river from the mouth of the Merrimac, where the high and low tides range between 8 feet and run up to 7 knots. The word is, if you can dock here, you can dock anywhere. There has been countless times we've seen sailboats get sideways to the current and found themselves pinned against the bows of boats tucked in their slips knowing that all anyone can do is wait for the tide to change. We come and go as close to slack tide as possible, its just not worth the hassle to us and the great friends we've made who always run and help whenever someone leaves or returns to their slip. Our biggest lesson learned last week is, don't leave the harbor at ebb tide with a NE wind over 15 knots.
 
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Mark Johnson

Generally speaking...

the tidal range in Norwalk Harbor is about 7 to 8 feet depending on the time of the month. Certainly an issue when taking "short cuts"
 
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Wayne Estabrooks

Limited tidal range

We experience very little tidal variation in central NC on the rivers here. There is some change in water levels caused by wind which changes the water level ordinarily plus or minus 1 foot. In Ocracoke or Beaufort I have seen only about 2 to 3 feet tide range compared to the 6 to 7 ft. range I experienced in Connecticut on LI Sound. When we have a Hurricane as in hurricane Floyd last year we saw the water level rise about 9 feet!
 
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Marc Honey

Another lake report

It can seem like a tide when we flood and the lake is up 10-20 ft in 24hrs. but then thats only every 3 yrs. or so!!! Presently Lake Travis is at a 16yr, low or 37' below "full". I still sail in mostly 130' channel and seldom see less than 30' under my keel. Lots of marinas are moved out of their normal position (some a mile or more) but Marshall Ford is still snug in our deep-water cove up by the dam!!!I still love our 12 month season and use the boat weekly.
 
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Jay Kent

Lake Erie Report

I agree with the gentleman from Wisconsin. Low tides that never seem to come up are the "order of the day" for Lake Erie. It seems that the lake gets lower each year, and decreases earlier each Fall. With the major wind shifts that we get along the Southern Shore (near Sandusky and Huron), the depths can change a lot in just a matter of hours.
 
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Ben Braden

Puget Sound

We deal with a 12' high to an extreme low of -3 but usually -1 is more common. Tidal flow impacts my course, anchorage and point of sail very drastically some areas are like a river and takes on a whole new idea of sailing Mostly here it is Navigation that is affected by the tidal currents its important in navigation to take into acount your crab walking to keep proper bearings During the winter the high tides may push up over the bulkhed and the low tides in the summer and one in the winter will put most if not all the boats at my yacht club leaning on the dock
 
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Warren Blanchard

Abaco Tides

The tide range in Abaco, Bahamas is about 3 feet, but the water is pretty thin to begin with so the tide does play a role in planning your routes and anchorages. With our Hunter 460 drawing 5.5ft, we sometimes have to wait an hour or so either side of low tide to negotiate some of the harbor entrances (especially during Spring tides). Warren Blanchard, S.V. "Banana Wind"
 
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David Mccollough

Tricky

We run 6-7' with more in the spring. I'm on a sharp bend in Turner's creek. You'd think the current would follow the creek bed but it seems to really push you into the bank or the dock or other boats. Docking at the wrong time means a weird angle and all a 20 horse can do on a 33'. Normally there's a good crowd in the bar watching the action and cheering us on!!
 
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perry baskier

part of the game

Here in British Columbia tides of over 10' are quite common, as are tidal curents of over 12 knots in the many passes of the many islands. Planing to use or avoide them is just part in parcle. Not many people in 34 Hunters can say they have done over 15 knots, as I have coming though on a flood in Portier pass. But then there is places in Disovery passage where the only option some times of the year is just don't go unless you can clear the worst parts in slack. I have seen wirl pools in seemore narrows 40' arcoss and 4' lower than the serounding water, get cot in one of thouse in a sail boat and your staying till tide change. I obseved these conditions from the camand bridge of a high speed cruiser, I wouldn't be cot in such places with my 34. So when heading up north to visit our rocky cold waters don't forget your tide book. Perry
 
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HOW Editorial

Final results

Final results for the Quick Quiz ending 8/28/2000: What's the tidal range where you sail? 39% Under 2' (109) 28% 3' to 6' (79) 14% 7' to 10' (40) 13% 11' or more (38)
 
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Gary Guisinger

Highest tides.

I read with interest the posts concerning the tidal ranges some of you are dealing with. I thought some of you might be interested to hear that the tides in our area average 18 - to twenty feet and depending on the moon can be as high as twenty three feet. Currents in some areas at half tide are not to be dealt with with most sailboats. We are on the coast of Maine and actually part of the Bay of Fundy which has some of the highest tides in the world. Neeldless to say, everything we do is dictated by the tides. Gary Guisinger
 
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