Pick a station, read the water.
Two highs, two lows, and the stream between them. Read a tide table, estimate with the rule of twelfths, and know your springs from your neaps.
How to read a tide table
Four numbers, two highs, two lows. Everything else is fluff.
4 numbersThe rule of twelfths
Estimate the height between high and low with your fingers.
1-2-3-3-2-1Spring & neap cycles
Why the range doubles every two weeks, and what that means for your keel.
28 daysTidal currents
Slack water is a moment, not a place. Read the stream before the chart.
2-6 ktMoon & the tides
Two bulges, one moon, and the sun's quiet pull in between.
lunar day 24h50m