Hi all. Just curious abiut the tidal flow up and down the east coast if any.
I'm doing a trip just to port hacking on Friday from syd harbour. I know when you're in the harbour sailing against the tide you notice. Is the same true outside the heads travelling north or south?

The tide doesn't flow either way off the coast. You won't get a noticeable tidal stream that changes every 6 or so hours.

However, the ocean currents tend to create a slight to medium northerly set close to the coast which are eddies of the main southerly set further out (the East Australia current during the warmer months and lesser currents at other times).

When we were doing search and rescues off the coast for fisherman off the rocks we always found their bodies north of where they went in. In SAR further out the search area moved with the currents, usually south.

The distance out the northerly set occurs depends on the situation.

Here is an ocean current chart, on a big scale so little detail but it gives an idea of the main currents. Ramona would have more detailed knowledge down his way.

oceancurrent.imos.org.au/LordHoweS/latest.html

PS. It might be possible to get a bit of tide effect in places where the coast runs east west.

Its only a short distance to port hacking and Wollongong pick your weather, and enjoy

MorningBird said..
The tide doesn't flow either way off the coast. You won't get a noticeable tidal stream that changes every 6 or so hours.

However, the ocean currents tend to create a slight to medium northerly set close to the coast which are eddies of the main southerly set further out (the East Australia current during the warmer months and lesser currents at other times).

When we were doing search and rescues off the coast for fisherman off the rocks we always found their bodies north of where they went in. In SAR further out the search area moved with the currents, usually south.

The distance out the northerly set occurs depends on the situation.

Here is an ocean current chart, on a big scale so little detail but it gives an idea of the main currents. Ramona would have more detailed knowledge down his way.

oceancurrent.imos.org.au/LordHoweS/latest.html

PS. It might be possible to get a bit of tide effect in places where the coast runs east west.

Are you sure? I think you might find the ebb tide flows North and flood South at up to 2 knots max flow. Bass Strait even stronger.

Banks Strait +/-6 knots, inside Montague Island....check the paper charts, around the corner of Wilson's Prom.....check the paper charts. Tide streams also shown on electronic charts and are a serious hazard if you ignore them at critical points. Along the coast you will just go faster or slower with the ebb and flow of tide. Definitely tidal streams along the coast however.

MorningBird said..
You're looking in the wrong spot Frant. The question was tidal flow off Sydney.
Where ever there is a constriction such as between Montague and the mainland or very close to headlands tides will flow. Off Sydney, nah.

No you might be looking in the wrong spot. My charts have tidal arrows of 0.8 knots just off South Head. Flood is to North and ebb to South. Don't be an ignoramus and insist on giving out incorrect information.

Precisely. The chart arrows indicate the peak tidal stream at spring tide. Goes without saying that means flows up to! Just because you do not have the equipment to measure hull speed and SOG to sufficient precision to see such effects does not mean that they don't exist. However I leave you to your denial, just hope you don't ever have to do an ocean passage where you might want to pick up currents of the order of 1 knot.