Sailing

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Croatia

In 2009, we explored the fascinating Kornati archipelago in a Bavaria 37 chartered from Kremik on the Dalmatian coast.

Scotland

In 2008, four of us chartered a "Bavaria 37" from Craobh Haven on the West Coast of Scotland to explore Mull and Iona, and the adjacent islands and sea lochs. As you can see, the weather was uncharacteristically sunny. A heatwave in Tobermory . . .

The last photograph above, and the panoramic view below, are of Tinker's Hole near the end of the Ross of Mull at Lat 56 degs 17.50 mins N, Long 6 degs 23.00 mins W. Once through the narrow entrance, this is a spectacular anchorage almost completely encircled by pink granite rocks.

The previous year, 2007, the destination was the Firth of Clyde (Bute, Arran, Kintyre) in a "Bavaria 38". Here are some more photos. As usual, click to enlarge.

Brittany

In September 2005, four of us sailed across the Channel from Plymouth to France (North Brittanny) and back, in a "Bavaria 36".

Canaries

The pictures below were taken during a sailing holiday in March 2005 based on La Gomera in the Canaries also in a "Bavaria 36".

Tides

Tides are an endless source of fascination. There are two high tides - yes, two - every 24 hours and 48 minutes. The 24 hours is due to the earth's rotation, and the 48 minutes is due to the moon's orbit. Both the moon and the sun exert a gravitational force on the earth. Because gravity gets rapidly weaker with distance, these gravitational forces act differently on different parts of the earth - stronger on the side nearer the moon or sun, and weaker on the side further away. It is this difference, known as the gravitational gradient, which causes the tides, and not the gravitational force itself.

The sun's gravitational force on the earth is many times greater than the moon's. That's why the earth goes round the sun. However, because the moon is much closer to the earth, its gravitational gradient near the earth is greater than the sun's. Consequently, the sun's effect on tides is less than half the moon's. Spring tides, when the tidal range is greatest, occur when the two effects coincide, two or three days after each new moon or full moon. Neap tides, when the tidal range is least, occur about a week later when the two effects partly cancel each other.

Finally, at any given place, high spring tides always occur at roughly the same time of day or night. In the Brittany, the difference between high and low spring tides can be over 9 metres!

Click on this link if you would like to know more about the physics of tides.

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