Can one of the local gurus please explain how particular wind directions alter the predicted tides around Charleston. I have been cutting my teeth on the Wando but still get confused when the predicted tide calls for a 6.2 but it never seems to get past 5.4 or so. Or the opposite sometimes occurs when it calls for a 5.7 and it seems like it jumps up to 6.5 or better.
The Blind Squirrel in a Flats Boat
http://tidesonline.nos.noaa.gov/plotcomp.shtml?station_info=8665530+Charleston,+SC#
Study this plot it speaks volumes if you analyze it. North wind seems to push the tides way up. Why I’m not sure it doesn’t really make sense but it’s true
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com
thanks for the info—good stuff, I agree with your point of it not making sense , seems backward, but it is what it is, all we can do is try to understand it and deal with it. Thanks again
The Blind Squirrel in a Flats Boat
Basically, if the wind is blowing strong from inshore towards offshore, the tide will be lower than the meteorological prediction. If the wind is blowing from offshore to onshore the tides will be higher than predicted. The stronger the wind, the stronger the effect. North and NE winds always make for higher than forecast tides.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
not to challenge, as i agree with the north wind impact, but a north wind does not really come from off shore, really confuses the situation— from your experiences does a SE wind cause the highest tide above predicted?
The Blind Squirrel in a Flats Boat
I went fishing at Bushy Park a couple summers ago, just as a fairly large (but only moderately strong) tropical storm was blowing up near the coastline. Wind was blowing like crazy onshore, but it was otherwise fairly sunny and clear. Quite a beautiful day, really.
The tide never seemed to go low. I was out there in the middle of what should have been “dead low” and I couldn’t hardly even see the mud at the roots of the grass.
… The Cross of Christ is the anvil upon which the hammer of evil wore itself out.
At Bushy there is another big factor and that is the amount of water they are letting through the hydros at the dam. If all the flood gates are open the tide will never truly go out. Not to say that your observation isn’t for real, Matt - just adding to the discussion.
I also don’t really get the “why” about the N wind pushing up the water, but the plot doesn’t lie. Intuition would seem to indicate that a N wind would drop the water but an E / SE would raise it.
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com
Tides get higher as you head south from the NC coast and north from the Florida coast, to the Savannah River. If you look at the geography of the coast, Savannah in the most west of the coastline and is in effect, a corner. Try sloshing water into the corner of a square container and see where it gets the highest. Always in the corner and lower to either side. The further away from the corner, the lower the water. That’s why the tides are higher in the Beaufort and Savannah area as compared to Myrtle Beach or Jacksonville. A north Wind blows more water toward the south and increases the height of the tides moving from east to west across the Atlantic. Obviously the more east the wind the bigger the effect. North east makes for higher tides than north.
Seafox 246 w 300 Yamaha