Lee-Bow..... Windsurfers...etc (Dons tin hat)

Well I hate to add further complications, but now we've established that we work between two fluids, I should also point out that the second fluid is very much like the first and has similar vagueries, 'shifts' 'bends' 'gusts'( variety of flow and thus energy rate) just as the geography of the land effects the wind, so the geography of the sea or river bed affects the strength and variety of the flow rate and energy available. So just as one helm might pick up a lift from the wind missed by another helm to his lee, then so it is with the angulation to the shifts in direction of tidal current and like it or not some helms are better at it than others, so one helm may very well move differently to the other 'parcel' on the conveyor belt, after all conveyor belts are not fluid.

Now I would be the first to accept any variation is felt more easily on a sailboard than in a dinghy, indeed it's been my experience in some areas, Portishead springs to mind where that flow can make the difference between planing and not. The Columbia River Gorge has areas with both positive and negative current within a few hundred yards of each other, back eddys and the like. Any river sailor will tell you of the search for such things whilst racing.

So, I'm surprised by assertions earlier in this thread that no reference to such things is present in the myriad sailing books and articles in self help guides or have they all been 'debunked' by the infernal Perry?


Edited by iGRF - 18 Sep 19 at 10:52pm

Originally posted by Sam.Spoons I think the 'ferry glide' analogy is the best explanation, it seems to explain the 'being pushed to windward' bit very neatly.

Ok, so the mythical bit is middle boat in a pack all beating on port, suddenly heads straight for the Mark, punching the air and shouting 'Lee bow' ?

Originally posted by Oatsandbeans ...our minds work completely differntly. When I get a problem I work out the basic rules that are underly the issue and then try to sort out the problem. Arty types do it differently they use their experience and come to a decison based on gut feeling. Their approach is usually quicker than the science based one and often they are right.

I recommend Thinking Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman. Doesn’t cover tidal tactics but still a superb book.

Originally posted by CT249 Originally posted by Sam.Spoons I think the 'ferry glide' analogy is the best explanation, it seems to explain the 'being pushed to windward' bit very neatly. My yachts used to be moored on a fast flowing river, where we used the ferry glide lots when mooring. But it's very different to the lee bow effect, because the ferry glide is essentially about two moving objects (a boat and the current) and one stationary object (the shore or a mooring). In contrast the mythical "lee bow effect" is about three or more moving objects; all of the boats and the current. That makes it very different.

Edited by Sam.Spoons - 19 Sep 19 at 9:03am