Spring time in the Solent
Having previously planned a weekend in the Solent based around neaps (ST October 2021), my thoughts now go towards the extra possibilities that await those that venture out into spring tides.
The idea is that someone with a berth up the River Hamble arrives at their home berth late afternoon on a Friday, and needs to be back there by Sunday afternoon. With relatively minor variations it should also work for those with berths anywhere within the Solent area.
What’s the difference?
Spring tides are like neap tides on steroids. Both the range of tide between high and low water and the rate of the tidal streams are about double that at neaps.
The higher high water means we can gain access to places that would otherwise be too shallow for our keel, while the depth at low water could easily see us touching bottom in places where we would stay happily afloat at neaps.
The higher rate of the tidal streams also means that if you go with the flow you can reach more distant locations if you get your timing right,
