Learning about the tide

The tide, and the flow of water, is a crucial part of staying safe on the boat, especially when the channel to enter and exit the marina is only able to be attempted a few hours either side of high tide due to the 1.5 metre draught on our boat. In this journal entry Dad is helping me write down my thoughts on the tide, and Max gets to work making a cool drawing!

We also made a video about the depth of water in one of our favourite bays at low tide and high tide, so check that out in the article.  

Why it is important for me to know how tides work.

I need to know how tides work because if we leave and enter the harbour at low tide then we will run aground and our boat might sink!
So we have to check if it is low tide or high because if we drive when it's low tide our boat wont glide across the water and it will get stuck in the sand and mud. But at high tide our boat glides across the water. 

Photo 2022 : Alex checking the horizon on a voyage out into Cook Strait.

How Tides Work. Part 2.

Tides are made of water being pulled up by the moon. Only water gets pulled up by the moon because water is a liquid, and everything else is weighted down.
Once we measured how far down it was from the back of our swim platform to the bottom of the sea. At high tide it was 6 metres deep. We waited until low tide and measured again and it was only 2.5 metres deep! 

I hope you enjoyed my story, and Max's drawing of our boat at anchor. I love how he drew the anchor.
See you next time. Alex (aged 9).