Coastal day hops
Leave at first light, ride the flood, and be tied up by lunch.
Leave with the flood
A coastal day hop is the purest kind of sailing: out at first light, a fair current under you, and the harbour entrance in sight before the light goes flat.
distance 10-30 nm speed 5 kt average window first light → last light rule ride the flood, rest on the ebb
Plan the bar, then the rest
Every coastal hop has one crux — a bar, a headland, a ferry lane — and the rest is just water. Work backwards from the crux and let the tide decide your departure.
Keep it boring
The best day hops are unmemorable: no drama, no near things, just miles. If it felt exciting, you were underplanned. That's the whole craft.