Tidal Range - Windward Islands

[Pete7]

Out of interest, as I sat on board the other day watching 5 metres of English Channel tide disappear from under our keel, I wondered if the Windward Islands have tidal ranges?

Pete

[s/v Moondancer]

1 metre or less as I write from Prickley Bay Grenada.

[speciald@ocens.]

Most places -hardly noticeable.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by speciald@ocens.

Most places -hardly noticeable.

FWIW: A point within a tidal system, where the tidal range is almost zero, is called an amphidromic point.

[Pete7]

Folks thanks, I seem to remember Belize was similar when we dived there some 20 years ago. However it was just enough to lift all the beer cans out of a fishing keepnet and wash them down the beach for about 2 miles one night The mornings breakfast was delayed whilst we did a clean up.

The other reason for asking (and it is still a pipe dream at the moment) I did wonder if we could dryout on our twin keels which would be useful and save the cost of lifting her out.

Pete

[sobriyah]

Originally Posted by Pete7

The other reason for asking (and it is still a pipe dream at the moment) I did wonder if we could dryout on our twin keels which would be useful and save the cost of lifting her out.

Pete

Interesting concept. A few years ago I watched a French sailor with a lifting keel alminium yacht motor right up onto the beach at No Mans Land in Buccoo, Tobago. He tied the boat to a couple of palm trees and proceeded to scrub the bottom. I dont think he stayed the night but I could be wrong. The local fishermen do the same all over the Caribbean. They just get pulled up onto the beach by a land rover or something similar. On windward beach in Carriacou they still build wooden trading boats by hand on the beach. I saw one being launched last summer. Quite a spectacle. They hack all the props on one side with an axe until the boat is laid over and then try and pull it out to sea, over palm tree rollers on the sand, with blocks and tackles secured to a big sea anchor. Not terribly successfully, the anchor was not set. Earlier the owner had to perform a ritual to the sea gods by beheading a chicken and scattering its blood, while the local pastor gave his blessing. Might just mess up your decks a bit

[Pete7]

Having swam off the beach at Rodney Bay, St Lucia I think that sort of location would be ideal for us to dry out, unfortunately we weren't at sea long enough to see the tidal range, hence the question. 2 foot of tide would expose the prop and a snorkel for the rest as we only draw 4 feet, tops

Of course there is a small matter of getting there in the first place. Sadly I need to work for the next 5 years but then we get the chance to cast off

Pete

[GordMay]

The Caribbean Sea has a microtidal (micromareal) range, for the most part between 1 and 2 feet.
The open ocean has a tidal range of about 2 feet.
The Bay of Fundy has a range of up to 55 feet, and the Bristol Channel experiences tides up to 49 feet.

[Canibul]

Interesting. I have known people who would waste hours trying to make an amphidromic point...