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The depths and heights in the chart need a plane of reference: the
Books·charts
chart datum (CD).
Sitemap | A-Z Depths are usually described with respect to low water reference
RSS | Contact planes (yielding lower charted depths, which are safer), and heights
Register are shown with respect to high water reference planes (again,
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yielding lower vertical clearances on the chart, which are safer). As
such, the chance that the observed depth or vertical clearance
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beneath a bridge is smaller than the charted depth or height is
rather small. The term clearance height is synonymous with vertical
Search clearance.

Ove rhe a d powe r c a ble

Sa fe ve r Cha rte d e le va tion

Cha rte d ve rtic a l c le a ra nc e Cha rte d ve rtic a l c le a ra nc e (Bla c k) (Ma ge nta )
HAT

MHWS Cha rte d HW

(c oa s t) line
MHWN Spring ra nge of tide

Ne a p ra nge of tide
MSL
La nd s urve y da tum

Se a s urfac e at any time

MLWN

He ight of tide Obs e rve d de pth

MLWS
Drying he ight
CD (us ua lly LAT
Cha rte d LW (drying) line
in tida l wa te rs )
Cha rte d de pth
(s ounding)

Note, planes of reference are not exactly as shown above for all
charts. Check for possible notes under the Chart Title.

The image above also shows that observed depth = charted

depth + height of tide, and note that observed depth is
synonymous with depth of water. Furthermore, observed depth =
height of tide - drying height.

Charted depths or soundings are indicated on the charts by contour

depths (areas with different colour denoting a certain depth level),
contour lines and spot depths. These soundings are reduced to the
CD, usually Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT) in tidal waters.
A sounding or spot depth like 35 indicates 3½ metres of water under
LAT, whereas an underlined sounding like 04 indicates a height of 40
cm above LAT.

Heights above CD on drying areas are given in metres and

decimetres, where the metres figure is underlined.
Depths are given from 0.1 to 20.9 in metres and decimetres, and from
21 to 31 in metres and half metres.

Greater depths are rounded down to the nearest safest metre, e.g.
32.7 metres is rounded down to 32 metres.
The geographical position of a sounding is the centre of the depth
figure.

Symbols in the nautical chart for tidal

levels and clearances
Chart Datum — Datum for sounding
reduction

Lowest Astronomical Tide

Highest Astronomical Tide

Mean Low Water

Mean High Water

Mean Sea Level

Mean Low Water Springs

Mean High Water Springs

Mean Low Water Neaps

Mean High Water Neaps

Mean Lower Low Water

Mean Higher High Water

Mean Higher Low Water

Mean Lower High Water

Power lines
Vertical clearance indicated
between
Pylons emphasised with

Power lines with safety vertical

clearance indicated between
magenta

Overhead pipes with vertical

clearance
 Aerial cableway with vertical
clearance

Telephone lines with vertical

clearance

Fixed bridge with vertical clearance

Horizontal clearance is charted with

Opening bridge with vertical

clearance

Offshore position for which tidal

levels are tabulated
Magenta square and lower case
lettering

Currents and tidal streams

The term current is used to describe water movements which are
generally constant in direction, and are not dependent on
astronomical conditions, hence non-tidal.
Currents occur as:

the flow of river water in rivers and estuaries;

permanent flows in other restricted waters eg İstanbul Boğazı
(Bosporus);
permanent or seasonal oceanic currents;
temporary wind-induced currents.

On the other hand, tidal streams are intrinsically linked with the
vertical tidal (height of tide) changes in the tidal cycle, and come in
two flavours:

1. rectilinear tidal streams are found in channels and estuaries,

where the water can only flow in two opposite directions, often
referred to as ebb and flood;
2. rotary tidal streams occur where the water is less restrained,
allowing a continually changing direction rotating a full 360° in
each tidal cycle. Although this gives rise to the term rotary, the
flow is considerably stronger in two approximately opposite
directions than in any others.

Streams and currents are described by the direction towards it is

running. Only surface streams and currents are charted or tabulated
for surface navigation.

Symbols in the nautical chart for

currents and tidal streams

Flood tidal stream with rate

Ebb tidal stream with rate, no

feathers

Relatively constant current (in

restricted waters), non-tidal

Variable current (in restricted

waters), non-tidal

Overfalls
Tide rips
Races

Eddies

Chart Diamond
Position of tabulated tidal stream
data with designation
Magenta rhombus and upper case
lettering

Breakers

Breakers near shoal water or the

coastline

Breakers over off-lying shoals are

charted by to avoid obscuring
the shoal soundings or feature.

Ocean current.
Details of current
strength and
seasonal variations
may be shown:

Tidal levels in the chart

Tidal level squares (see the example on the left for location
“ f ”) are shown on nautical charts at locations where tidal
levels have been measured.
Levels are included in the same chart and tabulated in a tidal level
table, such as the three examples below.
There are different table variations for semi-diurnal, mixed semi-
diurnal and diurnal tides.

Note, that the coordinates don't give the leading zeros, especially the
longitude positions, e.g. 2° W instead of 002° W. This to safe space
and reduce chart clutter, also see the style guide.

Tidal streams in the chart

Tidal diamonds (see the example on the left for location “ D ”)
are shown on nautical charts at locations where tidal stream
information has been measured: set (direction) and rate (speed).
This information is included in the same chart and tabulated in a
tidal stream table, such as the example below.
Note, that “Dir” is direction towards as opposed to wind directions!
Furthermore, “Np” stands for Neap tide and “Sp” for Spring tide.
The direction or set is given in degrees. The rates or speeds for
spring and neap tides are given in knots.

Eastbourne in this example serves as a reference port. At high water

at Eastbourne and the hours before and after HW Eastbourne, the
rates and sets are tabulated for the locations of these three chart
diamonds.

Tidal diamonds give the tidal streams at that location only, a nearby
diamond may yield very different sets and rates; sensible
interpretation and comparison may be used to estimate the streams
at intermediate positions.

Tidal atlases
An atlas is a collection of maps or charts, and is named after the
Ancient Greek mythological figure Ἄτλας “Bearer (of the Heavens)”,
and a tidal atlas presents tidal stream information in the form of 12
or 13 chartlets, one for each hour of the tidal cycle.
Above is an example of one chartlet, part of a set of 12, featuring
Portland Bill (South England) 6 hours before HW Portland.

The arrows indicate the direction (set) of the tidal stream, and their
length and thickness give an impression of its rate.
More accuracy is given by the numbers, arranged in pairs, that show
the rate in tenths of knots at neap and spring tides.
For instance 37 , 52 gives a neap tide of 3.7 knots and a spring tide
of 5.2 knots. The comma indicates the geographical position to which
the figures refer. To interpolate for tides that are between neap and
spring either the rule of seven or an interpolation chart enclosed in
the atlas is used.

Furthermore, dangerous areas are shown:

larger areas affected by overfalls, races or tide rips are highlighted

by colour or contour lines;
specific positions by

The image below shows all the 12 (in this case 12) chartlets of
Portland Bill together, click to enlarge.
Tidal atlases provide not only a graphical version but also show a
wider area, and are therefore a very useful addition to the tidal
stream diamonds.

Where tidal diamonds have the advantage of precision, particularly in

terms of direction - which can be difficult to measure on the chartlets
of a tidal stream atlas - the latter has the advantage of creating a
good overall view of the changing patterns of the tidal streams,
especially for positions in between tidal diamonds.

Both types of presentation use relative times with respect to HW at a

particular port, instead of clocktime.

Online resources such as Yr - again showing Portland Bill are to

be used alongside the paper publications as well as the tidal layers of
the chart plotter. The online and electronic versions will often allow
animations and selecting a specific arrow will usually show set and
rate, with the precision of a tidal diamond.

Tide tables
Tidal levels featured in the chart only give heights of tides, not times.
Annual tide table books are used on board which specify the times
of each HW and LW for each day of the year for standard ports
(larger ports or reference ports). These publications should be used
alongside the online tide resources (UK, USA, FR, NZL …)

There are many tide table variations across countries and some
mention times for high water only (view Cherbourg). More often the
lunar phases , or neap and spring tides,
or time difference between the two are added (i.e. Spring tide occurs
two days after full and new moon.). Furthermore, dates to with
daylight saving time applies can be conveniently indicated (view
Dover).

The image below shows a portion of a typical tide table for any
standard port. Note, that in (mixed) semi-diurnal tides, the tidal
period is 12 hours and 25 minutes: from high tide to the next high
tide. Therefore there are days, like Wednesday 2 January in this
example, with just three entries.
Times, time zones, UTC, GMT and Z
Times, in meteorology as well as nautical publications, are given
using the 24-hour clock, based on the standard time of the country
concerned. When a daylight-saving scheme is in operation, an hour
has to be added to the time shown in the tide table or weather
forecast in order to convert it to clock time.

The UK uses GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) and BST (British Summer
Time in the summer months) as local time, but for instance France,
Belgium and the Netherlands are one hour ahead, since located in
the adjacent time zone; UTC+1. In order to convert a French tide
table into GMT substract one hour. Most yachtsmen prefer to work in
local time, rather than referring back to a home port's time zone.

GMT, CET (Central European Time; UTC+1) or for instance EST

(Eastern Standard Time in the USA, New York; UTC-5) are time zones
and based on the rotation of the earth.

UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) = Z (Zulu time) is not a time

zone, rather is based on the caesium atomic clock.

For navigational purposes both UTC and GMT (though now obsolete
outside the UK) are regarded as interchangeable, yet UTC is
recognized globally and the time zone offset should always be written
as UTC±00.

Times should be written as 01:10 and not as 0110

Likewise, time differences as ±01:10 instead of ±0110
Notations with a colon (:) will also emphasize the correct meaning of
1 hour and 10 minutes (70 minutes) and not 110 minutes.

Tidal curves
 Tide tables give the heights for HW and LW each day, but to calculate
the heights of tide between high and low waters, the standard ports
have associated tidal curves published. It is far more likely that
intermediate heights and times are required when entering/leaving a
harbour, especially if there is a bar or sill (cill) to cross.

The tidal curve - together with the tide table - is used to find

1. height of tide at a particular time;

2. the time associated with a particular height of tide.

Alongside the curve is a Mean Ranges box that states the average
ranges of spring and neap tides.

The image below shows a typical tidal curve for a standard port with
both spring tide and neap tide drawn. Here the mean range at spring
tide is 4,9 m and and neap tide is 2,4 m.

Using the tidal curve to find height of

tide
The time used in this example is 15:50 on 3 January of this year (see
excerpt of the tide table below). On this day there are two low waters
at 06:45 and 19:20 as well as two high waters at 00:43 and 13:01,
all are local times and also no correction is needed for daylight saving
time.

The ranges (the differences between the high and low waters)
indicate near or at spring tide on this day: 5,5-1,0=4,5 (near spring)
and 4,7-0,8=4,9 (spring).
Follow the six steps, in the filled-in tidal curve below, to learn how to
find the tidal height at 15:50 at this standard port. To fill in a tidal
curve either use pen + tracing paper or a soft pencil.
 Draw the diagonal line between 0,8 and 5,7

The tide table for 3 January shows that it is spring tide, since 5,7 -
0,8 = 4,9 metres range, which is equal to the spring tide range
indicated on the tidal curve. Draw a line from the low water heights
(at the bottom) to the high water heights (at the top). In this
example the line is drawn in red to emphasize spring tide.

Fill in the times below the curve, starting with the

nearest HW
Since 15:50 is after HW, start with adding 13:01 at HW and fill in the
subsequent times for the hours after HW. At LW the time of 19:20 is
added to illustrate that, although the curve uses the 12 hours, the
tidal period is longer. Arguably, the following times should be added
to the curve: 13:01 , 14:04 , 15:07 , 16:10 , 17:13 , 18:16 , 19:20,
yet this practice is more complicated and would not make a
significant difference!

Plot the time of 15:50

Using the added times after HW, plot the time of 15:50 on the
horizontal axis of the curve.

Draw a vertical line from 15:50

End drawing the vertical line where it intersects with the red spring
tide curve. Often the neap tide curve (dotted line) has a different
shape.

Draw a horizontal line

End drawing the horizontal line where it intersects with the drawn
diagonal.

Draw a vertical line to find the height of tide

From the intersection draw a vertical line (upwards is handier) and

find the requested height of tide: 3,5 metres that corresponds with
15:50.
This answer can be verified using by the factor scale show above HW:
0,8 (start point of the range) + 0,56 (factor) * 4,9 (range) = 3,5
height of tide.
Using the tidal curve to find times
The tidal curve can also be used to find the times associated with a
particular height of tide, for instance a 2 metres minimum height of
tide that would allow passage across a bar. In the example below six
steps will lead from the desired height to specific times.

Draw the diagonal line between 0,8 and 5,7

The tide table for 3 January shows that it is spring tide, since 5,7 -
0,8 = 4,9 metres range. Draw a line from the low water heights to
the high water heights. In this example the line is drawn in red to
emphasize spring tide.

Fill in the times below the curve

Start from HW and work towards both LWs.

Draw a vertical line from the height of 2 m

Start this line at the top scale at 2 m and end drawing where it
intersects the diagonal.

Continue from there with a horizontal line

This horizontal line will intersect red spring tide curve twice.

Draw two vertical lines downwards from the two

intersection points
One of these lines meets the time scale on the left side of HW, the
other on the right side of HW.

Read off both times on the scale

In this example the height of tide will be 2 m at 08:52 and at 17:05.

Between these times the height of tide will be larger.

Secondary ports
Many of the more picturesque harbours and attractive anchorages
visited by yachtsmen are classified as secondary ports. Since these
smaller ports are of less commercial or military importance than
standard ports neither tidal curves nor full tide tables are available.
Fortunately, often the differences with a nearby standard port are
tabulated by which it is possible to use standard port tidal
information to yield predictions for a secondary port.

The image above shows the tidal difference table for MicroLimani
(i.e. “small port” in Greek) as the secondary port and MegaLimani as
standard port.

Time differences:

If HW MegaLimani is at 00:00 or at 12:00 then HW MicroLimani will

be 40 minutes earlier;
If HW MegaLimani is at 06:00 or at 18:00 then HW MicroLimani will
be 18 minutes earlier;
If LW MegaLimani is at 00:00 or at 12:00 then LW MicroLimani will
be 10 minutes earlier;
If LW MegaLimani is at 06:00 or at 18:00 then LW MicroLimani will
be 20 minutes earlier;

Height differences:

If HW MegaLimani is at 4,0 m (spring tide) then HW MicroLimani

will be at 4,7 m;
If HW MegaLimani is at 3,4 m (neap tide) then HW MicroLimani will
be at 3,7 m;
If LW MegaLimani is at 1,1 m (neap tide) then LW MicroLimani will
be at 1,8 m;
If LW MegaLimani is at 0,4 m (spring tide) then LW MicroLimani will
be at 0,6 m;

Time of HW at MicroLimani by interpolating

This example uses the afternoon of 16 May, for which the detailed
tide table (excerpt below) for the standard port of MegaLimani gives
HW 14:04 at 3,7 m and a subsequent LW 19:54 at 0,6 m.
HW 14:04 is approximately 2 hours after 12:00 where the tidal
difference table shows -40 minutes, and is approximately 4 hourse
before 18:00 where the tidal difference table shows -18 minutes.
In these six hours the time difference decreases with 22 minutes.
In two hours and four minutes a decrease of 22/3 = 7,3 minutes,
resulting in -40 - - 7,3 = approximately -32 minutes.
Therefore, if HW MegaLimani is at 14:04 then HW MicroLimani will be
at 13:32 local time.

Instead of the calculations, there is a second interpolation method by

means of drawing a graph as below. Start by marking the two blue
axes: horizontally the time differences; and the angled axis with the
times (or vice versa). Then mark the time 14:04 along the time axis.
Finally, draw the small red line perpendicular to the larger red line.

In case of daylight saving time the last step would be to add 1 hour.

The three other interpolations for:

time of LW;
height of tide at LW;
height of tide at HW;
for the secondary port MicroLimani can be found, mutatis mutandis,
with the same methods.
For heights of tides between LW and HW the tidal curve of the
standard port is used.

Rule of twelfths
The “rule of twelfths” is a simple method to - roughly - interpolate
tidal heights between HW and LW, and without a tidal curve.

Tidal curves are usually only available for standard ports where most
sailing yachts would have ample water anyway; not in out of the way
anchorages and smaller ports.

So how to determine the height of the tide that is available to safely

approach a depth restricted anchorage, harbour or pass over a sand
bar?
All that is required to apply the rule of twelfths is the times and
heights of both high or low water. From the difference between the
tidal heights of high and low water the range can be calculated. The
image below shows an idealized semi-diurnal or mixed tidal curve,
i.e. a sinusoid with a period of 12 hours, from HW to LW.

1
During the first hour after HW the water drops ⁄12th of the full
range.
During the second hour an additional 2⁄12th
During the third hour an additional 3⁄12th
During the fourth hour an additional 3⁄12th
During the fifth hour an additional 2⁄12th
During the sixth hour an additional 1⁄12th

3
Hence, two hours after HW the water has fallen ⁄12th of the full
range.

Some geographical locations do not have such a uniform curve. Very

good examples of this can be found along the south Coast of
England, e.g. the Solent and Poole harbour have double high waters
and Weymouth Bay has double low waters. In these instances, the
rule of twelfths is ineffective and tabulated data online and in
almanacs become vital.
Similarly to tidal levels, the rule of twelfths can be used to - again,
roughly - estimate tidal streams.
The image below shows that the flow or rate of the stream is greatest
during the third and fourth hours.

Rule of seven
To interpolate between spring and neap tides we use the rule of
seven.

Since the change from spring range to neap range can be assumed
linear (instead of sinusoid), each day the range changes with 1⁄7th of
difference between the spring and neap ranges. Hence, the daily
change in range is (spring range - neap range)⁄
7.
Beside interpolating for ranges the rule of seven is also used to find
rates of tidal streams between neap and spring rates, see tidal
atlases.

Combining tidal predictions

Shown below is an example of a semi-diurnal tidal level table found
in the chart - see the tidal levels section above, in this case for both
the port of Dowes and for a position just south of Dowes.
This succinct data only shows mean (i.e. average) high and low
waters heights and also just on spring or neap tides. So, for this data
to be useful, two further questions about relative times need to be
answered:

1. how many hours before or after HW?

2. how many days before or after spring tide?

Using the times of high and low tides at the nearest standart port.
And the tidal difference table for Dowes.

Once both relative times are known, the two following problems can
be solved.
Namely, finding height of tide at a particular location at a particular
time to:

1. get over a shoal.

2. pass under a bridge.

1. Shoal problem
A standard navigational problem is to establish whether the height of
tide allows the crossing of a shoal, or, if not, the time at which the
tide will have risen sufficiently.

The shoal at Dowes has a charted depth of 1 meter, which needs to

be crossed at about 15:00 hours with a yacht with a draft of 2 m.

From the nautical almanac: Nearest standard port HW at 03:18

15:53 and LW occurs at 09:45 22:03

HW occurs at Dowes one hour later = 16:53.

Spring tide is due in two days.

Via the rule of seven we find out that today the range is:
spring range - 2 x ( (spring range - neap range)/7 )
<=> 4,8 - 2 x ( ( 4,8 - 3,1)/7 ) <=> 4,8 - 2 x 0,25 = 4,3 m.
We also need today's HW height:
which is Spring HW - 2 days x ( (5,2 -4,3)/7 ) = 5,0 m .
Via the rule of twelve we find out that at two hours before high
water the height is:
5,0 - 3/12 x 4,3 = height at 15:00 hours = 3,9 m.

So, after three interpolations we derive the water height at 1500

hours. Considering the charted depth leads to an observed depth of
4,9 meters, enough for our draft of 2 meters.
Clearance under the keel in calm weather and no waves or swell
should be 0.5 m minimum. Good practice however is to have at least
a clearance of 1 meter + wave or swell height.

2. Bridge problem
An overhanging rock, power lines or bridges have their clearance
heights charted with respect to another chart datum than LAT.
Often, Highest Astronomical Tide (HAT) is used as the reference
plane for vertical clearances.

An example:
Above our shoal hangs the 'Cowes bridge'. At 15:00 hours we would
like to pass this bridge, which has a charted height of 20 meters to
HW. Our mast is 23 meters high. In the example above we found that
the water height was 1,1 meters below HW level at that time.
Obviously, we will have to wait!
So, at what time will we be able to pass under this bridge?
The water height must be 3 meters lower than HW level (5,0 m).
That is almost 9/12 of the range (4,3 m) indicating four hours after
HW . Conclusion, we will have to wait at least six hours in total.

Weather influences on tides

The astronomical factors (moon, sun, axial tilt, orbital tilt… see
chapter 6 - The astronomical origins of tides) result in very
accurate tide predictions, and even for complex coastal situations
with estuaries and islands, local calculations and observations still
give tidal levels with a precision of minutes in time and decimetres in
height.

For standard ports, shipping lanes, etc. these predictions are

published on nautical charts, in tidal atlases and tide tables.

Yet, local wind and weather patterns will also affect tides and are
obviously not taken into account in these publications.
Strong offshore winds can move water away from coastlines,
exaggerating low tide exposures. Onshore winds may act to pile up
water onto the shoreline, sometimes even eliminating low tide
exposures. A prolonged force 5 blowing onshore (a temporary
wind-induced current) can raise the sea level by 2 decimetres.

High-pressure systems can depress sea levels, leading to clear

sunny days with exceptionally low tides. Conversely, low-pressure
systems that contribute to cloudy, rainy conditions typically are
associated with tides than are much higher than predicted. Every
extra 11 mbar of pressure (Greek: βάρος baros, meaning “weight”)
can affect a change of 1 decimetre.

The combined effect of wind and barometric pressure typically

produces variations of roughly ± 2 decimetres in height and ± 10
minutes in time, yet with extreme northerlies blowing down into the
funnel-shaped North Sea, for instance, a raise of 2 metres and with a
storm tide even 5 metres is possible.

Although tidal calculations should be carried out as meticulously as

possible, their accuracy should not be relied on. Furthermore, even a
small distance away from the actual position of tabulated tidal data
could mean significant differences in times and tidal heights, set and
rate.

Tidal streams and sea state

The wave conditions or sea state can be influenced by either tidal
streams or winds, or by a combination of winds and tidal streams.

Overfalls, races or tide rips arise

where strong tidal streams are
deflected upwards to the sea surface
or are broken up into turbulence by
obstructions on the sea bed. These
localized phenomena result in steep and irregular waves close
downtide of the obstruction. Though the severity of the overfalls is
affected by certain wind conditions, they originate from the tidal
streams and are not created by winds, hence they can be predicted
and recurring and are marked on charts as a potential hazard.

Overview
Tide: The vertical rise and fall of the surface of a body of water
caused primarily by the differences in gravitational attraction of the
moon, and to a lesser extent the sun, upon different parts of the
earth when the positions of the moon and sun change with respect
to the earth.
Spring Tide: The tidal effect of the sun and the moon acting in
concert twice a month, when the sun, earth and moon are all in a
straight line (full moon or new moon). The range of tide is larger
than average.
Neap Tide: This opposite effect occurs when the moon is at right
angles to the earth-sun line (first or last quarter). The range of tide
is smaller than average.
Range: The vertical difference between the high and low tide
water levels during one tidal cycle.
Tidal Day: 24 hours and 50 minutes. The moon orbits the earth
once earth month, and the earth rotates (in the same direction as
the moon's orbit) on its axis once every 24 hours.
Tidal Cycle: A successive high and low tide.
Semi-diurnal Tide: The most common tidal pattern, featuring two
highs and two lows each day, with minimal variation in the height
of successive high or low waters.
Diurnal Tide: Only a single high and a single low during each tidal
day; successive high and low waters do not vary by a great deal.
Gulf of Mexico, Java Sea and in the Tonkin Gulf.
Mixed Tide: Characterized by wide variation in heights of
successive high and low waters, and by longer tide cycles than
those of the semidiurnal cycle. U.S. Pacific coast and many Pacific
islands.
Chart Datum or Tidal reference planes: These fictitious planes
are used as the sounding datum for the tidal heights.
Drying Height: Clearance in meters (or feet in old charts) above
the chart datum.
 Charted Depth: Clearance in meters (or feet in old charts) below
the chart datum.
Observed Depth: Height of tide + charted depth: the actual
depth in meters.
Height of light: The height of light above the bottom of its
structure.
Elevation: The height of the light above the chart datum.
Rule of Twelve: Assuming a tidal curve to be a perfect sinusoid
with a period of 12 hours. The height changes over the full range in
the six hours between HW and LW with the following fractions
during each respective hour: 1⁄12th ; 2⁄12th ; 3⁄12th ; 3⁄12th ; 2⁄12th ;
1⁄ th of the full range.
12
Rule of Seven: The change from spring range to neap range can
1
be assumed linear, each day the range changes with ⁄7th of
difference between the spring and neap ranges. Hence, the daily
change in range = (spring range - neap range)/7. The rule of
seven is also used to find rates of tidal streams between neap and
spring rates.
Chart Datum or Tidal reference planes: These fictitious planes
are used as the sounding datum for the tidal heights.
Drying Height: Clearance in meters (or feet in old charts) above
the chart datum.
Charted Depth: Clearance in meters (or feet in old charts) below
the chart datum.
Observed Depth: Height of tide + charted depth: the actual
depth in meters.
Height of light: The height of light above the bottom of its
structure.
Elevation: The height of the light above the chart datum.
Rule of Twelve: Assuming a tidal curve to be a perfect sinusoid
with a period of 12 hours. The height changes over the full range in
the six hours between HW and LW with the following fractions
during each respective hour: 1/12 2/12 3/12 3/12 2/12 1/12.
Rule of Seven: The change from spring range to neap range can
be assumed linear, each day the range changes with 1/7th of
difference between the spring and neap ranges. Hence, the daily
change in range = (spring range - neap range)/7.

Use the logo to navigate through this course,

...or go to the next chapter,

or download the complete navigation course as PDF -

including practice materials, exercises and answers.

3 April 2019
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