You are on a coastwise voyage bound for Marcus Hook, PA. Your speed is 15 knots. You wish to use the flood tide to facilitate docking starboard side to, heading seaward. To have the most favorable tide throughout, you should time your arrival at the entrance to Delaware Bay __________.
• Flood vs. ebb tide and how they affect a vessel heading seaward or landward • How long it takes to travel from the entrance of Delaware Bay to Marcus Hook at 15 knots • Using the favorable current for the maximum portion of your transit and during docking
• First, decide whether you want the flood helping you more in the Bay, in the River, or mainly right at the dock when landing starboard side to, heading seaward. • Estimate the transit time from the Bay entrance to Marcus Hook at 15 knots and compare that with the typical 6‑hour tidal cycle for flood or ebb. • Think about whether arriving too early in the cycle would cause you to have adverse current either during the trip up the Bay/River or during your final approach to the berth.
• Verify how flood current direction behaves in Delaware Bay and up toward Marcus Hook (does flood set you up-bay or down-bay?). • Check whether timing arrival before a tidal phase versus after a tidal phase gives you more hours of favorable current for both the transit and docking. • Confirm that your chosen option allows the current to be on your bow or helping your approach during the actual docking maneuver, not just en route.
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