Why is the Tide Helpful to Sailors?

The tide is the regular rhythmic flow of the Earth's waters from the gravitational attraction to the Moon. As the moon orbits the Earth, its mass is significant enough to draw water to high points and low points in relation to land masses. This is known as the tide. Tidal forces are responsible for a number of effects on waters, both in the ocean and in large seas. These effects can help sailing vessels if sailors use them to their advantage.

  1. Tides

    • The tides are a regular action that appears as a rising and lowering of the base local sea level in accordance with the position of the moon and the sun. High tide and low tide are the apex points of the tidal shift. Each peak and trough of the cycle occurs every six hours, at which time the local sea level may rise or fall eight feet or more.

    Relationship To Currents

    • The is partially responsible for currents in water. Currents are streams of water within larger bodies of water, that flow in a specific direction. Currents are enabled by tidal forces and generally build up in strength as a tide moves from low to high tide. This effect on currents wanes as the tide moves from high tide back to low tide.

    Beneficial Currents

    • Currents are very important to all forms of water-based travel as they can significantly aid, or potentially hinder, travel in and on water. Currents are similar to pedestrian conveyor belts or moving sidewalks. When walking on a conveyor belt moving in the same direction as you are, you move at the speed of your walk plus the speed of the conveyor belt. Currents work the same way, and can benefit sailors traveling with the flow of a current to get to their destinations more quickly.

    Anchoring

    • The tides also affect how a sailor must anchor his vessel. Because the tide dictates how high or low a water level, in particularly shallow waters such as harbors or docks, sailors must take into account water levels in order to anchor their vessels without possibly damaging them. Sailors must determine if their drought level at the apex of low-tide will still give them enough clearance to stay afloat without bottoming out.