Tidal Streams in Passage Planning and Pilotage

Tidal streams directly affect your course made good, speed over ground, and passage time. On a coastal passage, timing your departure to work with the tide can save hours — or avoid a dangerous situation where tide and wind oppose each other, creating steep, breaking seas.

A tidal gate is a point on the passage where the stream is strong enough that you must pass it at a specific phase of the tide. Planning around tidal gates is a key Coastal Skipper skill. For example, you might need to arrive at a headland during the last hour of the fair tide to avoid being swept past your destination.

In pilotage, the tidal stream affects your approach to harbours, channels, and anchorages. Always know the state of the tide and the stream direction when entering a narrow channel or making a harbour approach — the set can push you off line, and the height of tide determines whether you can clear any bars or shallow patches.