Cape Cod Canal nav question
 

What's the best tide to head west through the canal? Slack would be ideal but tide coming in or going out?
joe

You need to get the "ebbing tide" schedule for the canal. It could be as simple as a google search or calling a bait shop in the area - Buzzards Bay or Wareham. They should know it. Cape Cod bay and Buzzard's bay each have their own tide schedule and the ebbing tide is the result of the two. You want the west ebbing tide to Buzzard's bay.

It is also available in a sailing referrence book that I do not recall the name of at the moment, but could get it for you in the morning. Good luck.

PS. I'll try the google search now and be back to you.

Just checked some of the schedules. If you are headed west towards buzzad's Bay from Cape Cod bay, you want to get into the canal at High tide in Sagamore. The out going tide will ebb west to buzzard's bay for about 6 hours before it begins it's return east.

Take a look at this:

http://www.tide-forecast.com/locatio...s/tides/latest

You should be very careful about exiting the canal (the "West End") and entering Buzzards Bay on an ebb if the wind is out of the southwest at anyhing more than 10-15.
That combination of wind against current can build some impressive seas very quickly.

Water rat is right on about the winds. SW above 15mph against a west flowing tide tide = Nasty tight chop . . . if you stay out of the channel it's a little better. Assuming you have favorable winds . . . pass through the canal traveling with the current. Speed limit is 10mph so bring some margaritas.

I can also say from experience the chop issue is very real and can get truly nasty. My transits have been aboard a 35' sailboat but it still isn't pleasant with spray coming up and back right into your face. Further, time it so you are not running down Buzzard's Bay looking into a low afternoon sun. That's a real pain added to the spray!

Very useful, thanks everyone. Getting back heading east. I would assume low tide entering from Buzards Bay?

OK. I'm leaving Hingham/ Hull Gut Saturday morning at 5am. This should get me to the East end (Sandwich) of the canal by 7am is. The high tide at the east mouth is 7:07. Does that sound right to you guys. I did Plymouth/Gurnet to Hingham in 1 hour 15 minutes at cruise. So I added another 20-30 minutes.

Jobu, 30 minutes from Plymouth/Duxbury is about right for calm water. Make sure you have paper charts with you and keep an eye out for birds and any surface action in that area; if you get lucky 30 minutes could turn into a couple hours and a box full of stripers.
Have fun and be safe.

Pick up an Eldridge tide book. They describe the best way to approach each end. I recall leaving Cuttyhunk at Slack or an hour before in a sailboat. We caught max flood and were pushing 14knts all the way thru.