How to Read a Tide Chart & Sassafras 12 Canoe Project

By Karen Ellery-Jonesand MD Jones

We live on Cape Cod and often go kayaking in the tidal rivers and marshes that the area is famous for. Having a good understanding of tides and currents makes our kayaking trips safer and more enjoyable.

The simple fact is that some of the creeks and salt marshes we most like to kayak just can't be paddled at low tide. The Mashpee River, for instance, can empty out surprisingly quickly when the tide goes out - sometimes by as much as several feet in the space of an hour or two. You don't want to start your journey at the wrong time and find yourself too far upstream when the tide turns. You may end up having to carry your kayak out for miles because the river has suddenly become too shallow to paddle.

Tides are caused by the gravitational effect of the moon and, to a lesser extent, the sun. They rise when the moon passes overhead, and again when it passes underfoot (on the other side of the earth). That's why there are two high tides and two low tides every day.

Of course, in a perfect world, this entire cycle would take exactly 24 hours. Then there would be no need for tide charts because high tide and low tide would occur at exactly the same time each day. But the moon takes approximately 24 hours and 50 minutes to completely orbit the earth so a tide that peaks at midnight on one day will do so again a little under an hour later the next.

Because kayakers have to paddle under their own steam, the timing of high and low tide is not the only thing they need to worry about. The direction that a tidal current is moving in at any time in between high tide and low tide is also an important consideration. These are called flood currents when the tide is coming in and ebb currents when it going out and they can be surprisingly strong, particularly on Cape Cod.

All but the fittest of kayakers can be left quite weary if they have to paddle too long against a tidal current. Add in even a modest 5-10 mile an hour headwind and you can be left exhausted and frustrated before your journey is over. That's where a tide chart comes in. It can help you time your trip so that you are paddling, as much as possible, with the tide, rather than against it.

Here's how it works. Let's say your tide chart tells you that low tide is a 6:00am. You plan to take a trip that you know will take you inland, and last about three hours. In that case, make sure you leave no later than 9:15am. That will give you the three hours you need to reach your destination paddling with the flood current all the way. That same tide chart should also tell you when the next high tide is (probably at about 12:15pm). Not long after that, the tide will start to go out again and you will have a little over six hours to paddle back with the ebb current helping you along the way.

In coastal communities like Cape Cod, tide charts are printed in all the local newspapers and magazines, and there are also a number of specialized websites that publish them online. It's a good idea to get hold of one before you plan any kayaking trip and make tide information an important consideration when mapping out your journey.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Karen_Ellery-Jones/698818


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Sassafras 12 Canoe Project

Days 47-49 – 6 Hours

I don't know about the rest of you but 2 hours of sanding is about all I can do at one time. It has taken me the last three days to almost complete sanding the interior of the hull with the 80 grit paper. I have one more plank to complete on each side. There isn't enough room to allow me to use the orbital sander, so it's all by hand. Hopefully there will be enough room doing the outside.

Days 50-52 – 6 Hours

More sanding each day until the interior of the hull is smooth and the exterior's lower planks are done. The stems are almost completely done but still a lot of exterior to complete. A note on power sanders: They work fine on large flat areas but when the planks start to curve to the stems, you can easily lose control of them and gouge right through the fiberglass. This is by far the longest portion of the build and I don’t know how it can be rushed.

Days 53-56 – 8 Hours

Not a lot to show you this week. Lots of rough sanding and I am still not completely done. The hull should be ready for the fine sanding next week and I expect that will go much quicker. It is really scary how quickly you can find yourself completely through the epoxy and into the wood. The planks are not flat. They are conforming to the sweeping shape of the hull, but my sander is flat. I will make sure that all surfaces are sealed before I go much further. I have a few divots to fill as well. It is starting to look pretty good. The stems are looking very good.

Day 57 – 2 Hours

I finished the rough sanding today. After moving the boat to the large room, I cleaned the small one. What a mess. Epoxy dust everywhere. I have been using dust cartridges in my respirator since I started. I really recommend you do the same. I have some resealing and divots to fix and I will get back to the fine sanding. I set the decks and thwart in place for the photo. I am out of town for most of next week so not much will get done. See you again in two week.



"The most important things are length, width and weight," Kitt says. "You have to get the right boat for the right job. The main difference is distance. You have to determine how far you want to paddle. A longer boat goes farther with less effort".