Strait of Malaca

[P_Dub]

Does someone has current data for the Strait of Malaca?

[reflectionsv37]

I don't have electronic information but if you go to the Sail Malaysia website you can download their cruising guide and there is a very good write-up on the tides and currents in the Straits of Malaca. I also put together a GPX file that goes along with the cruising guide that you can download on the same site and install it is a layer file in OpenCPN.

Read the tide & current section a few times and pay close attention to the locations of the tides stations when it references them. Many of the references are for Penang which is more that 100 miles from the south end of the straits.

Basically, current flows NNE on an ebb tide. If you are heading north and planning to day hop, plan your southern departure in the morning at high tide, particularly around the highest tides. You can go north with the current all day! Suitable anchorages are far apart for a 6kt monohull so using the current makes a huge difference as current can approach 3kts in places. The further north you go the later the high tide occurs, so you don''t overrun it. If, at your new location, high tide is occurring to late, remain anchored for a day and let the tide become more favorable.

A couple years ago I used this strategy and had one of the fastest, most enjoyable trips up the Straits arriving at my next anchorage early in the afternoon. Spending the time to pay close attention to the tides times and current flows can really help. Sadly this strategy doesn't help much going south and if you're planning on going non-stop your going to get what you get. Better in that case to go when tides are not extreme.

Note - If you download the Sail Malaysia cruising guide and want to use the GPX file rename the cruising guide to replace the dashes with spaces if they are present. The guide was put on the website with dashes and that was an error. The GPX file won't find the guide if the dashes are in the file name.

[P_Dub]

Thank you, no access.

[reflectionsv37]

Not sure why you are having trouble. Here's a link to the page:

Sail Malaysia Cruising Guide – Sail Malaysia

[Dieselmech]

https://maps.tidetech.org/?layer=tid...gapore_straits give that link a click

[Dieselmech]

Sorry didnt realise this was an opencpn question

Originally Posted by Dieselmech

https://maps.tidetech.org/?layer=tid...gapore_straits give that link a click

[P_Dub]

For your own informations, I have 9 points along the Malaca strait with correct data (according to record), which provide fairly good currents; but I thought that someone could confirm by providing observations data. It seems that nobody has. Thanks, anyway.
Regards.

[reflectionsv37]

Originally Posted by Dieselmech

https://maps.tidetech.org/?layer=tid...gapore_straits give that link a click

Thanks for that link! I did not know it existed.

Gene

[P_Dub]

Have you look carefully at the grib file presentations? Haven't you see anything weir to it. The current pushing in 2 opposite directions! something does not sound right to me.

[reflectionsv37]

Originally Posted by P_Dub

Have you look carefully at the grib file presentations? Haven't you see anything weir to it. The current pushing in 2 opposite directions! something does not sound right to me.

The reason is due to the difference high/low tides occur from the south to the north. Regardless of location ebb tides flow NE and flood SW. Keep in mind it is nearly 400 miles from Singapore to Langkawi. When it is high tide in Singapore, it is low tide in Lumut(Pangkor), approximately a 6 hour difference and even more the further north you go. When the tide is ebbing in the south, it is flooding in the north.

Which is why I said you can leave the south in the morning on high tide and ride an ebb current for days. If you travel 75-100 miles a day, you can leave every morning at 8:00AM and be leaving at high tide because high tide occurs later as you move north in the Strait. This is why planning a departure for the right time can make such a difference.

[P_Dub]

The Reason why I am asking that, I have 2 others studies showing the current running North-westward from November to March and Eastward from May to September. And they are not saying anything about the current setting in opposite directions starting in the area of Malaca.
Best Regards.

[reflectionsv37]

I have no idea what studies you are reading, but I can assure that the currents flow north and south twice a day depending on the tides and they occur along the entire length of the Stait. Generally, the north flowing currents are stronger and last longer than the south flowing currents and the currents are much stronger in the south than they are in the north. There may be some slight changes due to the different monsoon seasons but they would be negligible.

[P_Dub]

I will try to adjust for what you say. That sounded weir to me.
Thanks.

[P_Dub]

Send me your email so that I can send you the harmonic and idx for the strait of Malaca. Then, you could see if it is OK or not!
Best Regards.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by P_Dub

The Reason why I am asking that, I have 2 others studies showing the current running North-westward from November to March and Eastward from May to September. And they are not saying anything about the current setting in opposite directions starting in the area of Malaca.
Best Regards.

That would be the monsoonal currents, not the tixal current.