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1. 

   ChesapeakeTJAM
   Member

   Hey guys and gals, with snow on the ground and an increasing layer of ice on top of that, my mind is on the EC.  While I've participated in 2 ECs I haven't really done a ton of research on the tides and flow ahead of time.  My mindset has been it's just another speed bump to over come.  I'll likely have the same approach but I can at least anticipate.  I'm on a SUP so tucking and hiding from wind and current is paramount.

   I use Navionics where it gives tidal info as well as current direction and flow.  However, some areas are not covered or are confusing as to which direction the flow is.  An example is the Venice canal;  Does an incoming at Venice Inlet cause a southerly flow through the canal or is the flow northerly up from Lemon bay?

   Most areas the direction of current is obvious with a rising or falling tide but what other areas have you encountered with a quirky flow pattern?

   C-TJAM

   Posted 7 months ago #
2. 

   LuckyMe
   Member

   Our experience with tide flow would suggest an answer to your first question as "it depends on the wind."  Normally the incoming flow at Venice Inlet will cause a southerly flow through the canal.  But if the wind is strong out of the South, the wind will push the water in Lemon Bay North and the flow in the canal will be stopped or North, even on an incoming tide. 

   We've experienced the same behind Marco going to Goodland.  Tide flow should have been South, but a strong wind was pushing the water flow North, making a very unpleasant and difficult surprise.  It always seems to be that South wind that creates difficulty, that is until Whitewater Bay and then it's the East wind.         

   As a wise Triber told us in the channel going into Flamingo a few years ago, "just one more challenge of many."

   Posted 7 months ago #
3. 

   KayakVagabond
   Member

   C-TJAM,

   Following is a copy of something that I posted last year. That said, as LuckMe said so well, the wind can enhance, negate, or even reverse tidal flow, so it's as much art as science, especially since there are few stations along the coast that provide data on tidal current flow.

   ---------------------------------------------------

   Just a reminder, a very common mistake that gets people in trouble frequently is to assume that slack current occurs at high tide or low tide.

   Along the EC course there is always a lag ( water takes time to move and gain momentum and waterways are complex and don’t fill or drain evenly ). Most tide tables give you tide height ( vertical water depth ) but not current (horizontal flow of water). If there is not a current station, and you don’t have local knowledge, then I often assume that the current will start to change about an hour or so after high or low tide. For example, heading into Indian key you want an incoming tide, so if low tide is at 1pm then you will probably get flow ( flood ) into the channel starting soon after 2pm. Likewise if high tide is at, say, 8pm, then the water will probably keep flowing in past 9pm for awhile.

   Caution, this is a very rough approximation and doesn’t work everywhere. In addition, wind can dramatically affect tides, by blowing water out of a bay or into a bay. Get local knowledge if it’s critical.

   Greg

   Posted 7 months ago #
4. 

   Guitarman
   Member

   Venice inlet is swift moving in or outgoing.   It's a wind and tide reactive inlet as it's the only gulf access south of Sarasota and north of stump pass, can be quite challenging if outgoing tide is heavy with onshore wind.  

   Posted 7 months ago #
5. 

   AkaAka
   Member

   So, the obvious conclusion is that the flow can help or hinder, and because of all the variables involved, it is nearly almost impossible to predict and is in effect, a crapshoot. 
    
    

   Posted 7 months ago #
6. 

   KayakVagabond
   Member

   AkaAka, IMO,  you need to plan for the tidal currents, especially at Big Marco Pass, Chokoloskee and Shark River, for maximum success.

   Just because winds can affect the tidal currents doesn't mean that you ignore them entirely and just call it a crapshoot. Know when the tidal currents are with or against you, and factor in the wind -- whether it will help or impede the currents and their times.

   Otherwise you can just plow ahead and try to deal with whatever you encounter, but someone who is clever with the tides will have the advantage.

   Posted 7 months ago #
7. 

   Conchistador
   Member

   My experience is about 2 hours delay for flow. But I agree with vagabond. Timing is crucial and I have a policy of never stopping on a favorable tide. I ride that sucker out.

   Posted 7 months ago #
8. 

   Bermudaboy
   Member

   For it is has been written from before all time, shell mounds & mypillow: 

   "There is only one True Tidal Current to Fear...  Oh that my courage alloweth me to be delivered to her bossum just ath she drink in deep the pure waters of Mehico,  immediately hence following devourance of  my miller light & cubanized blackend mahimahi sandwich with extra mayo, woe from Choko, expel me in spades upon her glorious exhale of  pristine muddy waters..."

   Posted 7 months ago #
9. 

   Cat5
   Member

   Running tides isn't a crap shoot but it's not as easy as reading a bus schedule either.
   I headed in towards Chok at around low slack with the idea of having the tide pull me in. That put me too early with the tide still against me and a big tide flat to cross when I got to the check point. I would have been better off taking a nap and arriving a few hours later but with much less effort. I rested instead of taking the next tide out but was still good to leave Chock a few hours after the next high slack.

   Posted 6 months ago #
10. 

    danceswithmullet
    Member

    The wrong tide can also be dangerous. Last year when the first checkpoint was canceled I continued to sail south and entered Boca Grande Pass on a heavy wind against tide situation. I knew it would be bad, just didn't know how bad. I was sealed up in Fingermullet so there was no way to get swamped but I definitely went through the rinse cycle. I couldn't see anything but white water and the only comforting thought was watching progress on the plotter and I was going to just going to clear quarantine rocks. I must have said F me a couple hundred times on the ride in. I anchored behind Ueseppa to straighten things up and that's when the adrenaline wore off and I started shaking. Of course that is why we do this race right?

    Posted 6 months ago #
11. 

    ClamCounter
    Member

    DWM - Those were some mean swells at Boca Pass on day 1 after sunset last year. Impressive you took it on!

    Posted 6 months ago #
12. 

    danceswithmullet
    Member

    I wanted out of the Gulf. This will sound strange but I was also "egged on". If I get a nervous in rough weather birds sometimes come for a visit. This happens on my ketch also. When just getting ready to enter boca grande I heard what sounded like a wet beach towel on my port trampoline. When I looked out my window I was looking into the green eyes of a cormorant. He calmly walked up to the forward crossmember and settled there for a perch. He was only looking for free ride but I felt a little less alone. Of course he bailed on me when the going got really rough. I am not spiritual so this seems kind of wiered but I have had so many bird visits like this there may be something to it. Or maybe I am nuts.DWM

    Posted 6 months ago #
13. 

    NowWeTryItMyWay
    Member

    I suggest the "AyeTides" app.  Its $8.  It downloads both tides and currents (where available) and tells you lots of helpful stuff (e.g. "4:05 PM EST - Slack before ebb... 11:13 PM Slack before flood").  After you download all the points you want up and down the coast, everything is available offline.

    Posted 6 months ago #

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