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SVN Solovelanet Global
by Stefano Cioni
"Time and tide wait for no man" – so
said Geoffrey Chaucer, and this is worth
remembering when mooring a boat. The
water level in a bay is always changing as
the tide shifts every six hours. This means that there
can be quite large changes in the level of the water,
and that there will be currents into and out of the
bay.
Waiting for the tide
Due to tides, some ports and marinas simply cannot
be entered at certain times of day. Access is the-
refore related to draft, as boats need safe clearan-
ce. Some marinas have a system of locks or natural
sand bars which prevent water from flowing out at
low water and leaving the moorings dry. Daily ope-
ning hours are provided at marinas that use lock
systems, often with a 'tide gauge' which is a visual
meter that indicates tide level in real time.
There may also be international port traffic lights to
regulate traffic.
