Passage Planning

As a lot of our cruising takes place on tidal or coastal waters, it is important to plan your proposed passage. Unlike canals where you can just get up and go as and when you want to, you have to time your passage on tidal waters around the tide times for your specific area.

Whilst this may sound daunting at first, the helpful lock keepers actually make it very easy. It helps to have to hand a tide table for your specific area also. Ringing the lock keepers to discuss your intended plans a few weeks before the journey will help to plan your journey times. You should aim to run with the direction of the tide as this not only saves time but also saves fuel. Most locks onto tidal waterways have a specific window of time that the lock can be used. Keadby Lock on the tidal Trent for example can only be used 3 hours either side of high water. The timing of your journey therefore is critical so that you arrive within the allotted time.

On top of managing your tidal window there are other points to be taken into consideration especially if travelling with a group of boats. You need to ensure that all boats can travel comfortably at approximately the same cruising speed, that all boats know the actions to be taken in case of emergency and that all boats know the proper procedures for using VHF radio. Depending on where your travels will take you it may also be necessary to arrange berthing requirements in advance. This will not be necessary for our trip to York as we will mainly be using British Waterways visitor moorings.

The planning doesn’t stop there, you also need to plan ahead for unforeseen circumstances. For example, when navigation rivers the water levels can rise very quickly in a short space of time. Where would be safe to moor and possibly leave your boat should the need arise? You cannot predict the weather, so should leave plenty of time for the return journey in case foul weather stops your progress.

As you can see, there is more to this tidal boating lark than first meets the eye. This is just a very basic overview into some of the considerations to be taken and all boaters considering any journey on tidal waters should ensure that they and their boat are adequately prepared. It is also worth checking with your insurers that you are covered for your journey.

Most importantly though stay safe..................