alec cotton
10-25-2010, 10:22 AM
Greetings one and all. I was going to put this under 'blogs ' but could not find it . Anyway I thought it might be of interest to someone out there If only as a curiosity . I lived in a place called Barrow in Furness. Old English Fur, (FAR) Ness= point. Walney Island is just off the coast and is separated from the mainland by the Walney channel Which I would say is not much more than a mile wide at its widest point. You can find it on Google earth Obviously the tide comes in from both ends and meet at a place which is called the Walney meetings That is where logic and reason end. The tide flows in from the south and leaves by flowing north for an hour and a half and then turning and ebbing south. A little booklet is sold in the local newsagents called 'the barrow tide table '. Just about every local fisherman buys one every year . It is only a dozen pages but it gives the time and the height of the tides for the year. In the back of the book there is a page which describes the movement of the tides in walney channel. This could be of interest to some of you hydrologists out there . No one as far as I know has ever offered a logical explanation for this twice daily event , but this is what I think. At the north end of Walney there is a deep hole under water. The locals call it copes's hole It never silts up . I think that it is the beginning of a massive undersea cave system . When the tide goes out I think it acts like a giant syphon . My guess is as good as anybody's. Hope you find this a little bit interesting
TIDAL INFORMATION
North of the Jubilee bridge the stream runs northward for about one hour fifty minutes after high water. About three quarters of an hour before high water there is a comparative 'slack'in the tide which lasts for about 30 minutes when the stream begins to run again with great force .( Edit. The word 'stream' at this point sounds like a misnomer. The channel is used by cargo ships, tankers and submarines)reaching its highest velocity about half hour after high water gradually decreasing until it turns southward.;In front of Ramsden dock the stream runs northward for one hour and thirty minutes after high water . Unlike the tide north of the jubilee bridge ,the stream reaches its highest velocity about half flood, gradually losing its force till it turns southward.
Opposite number seven buoy the stream runs northward for thirty minutes
At Piel (island at the tip of Walney ) the stream turns at high water.
Strong south westerly and westerly gales have the effect of increasing the velocity of the stream in Walney channel .Easterly winds have the opposite effect.
The tide in walney channel ebbs about six and three quarter hours an flows for about five and a half hours
Alec
TIDAL INFORMATION
North of the Jubilee bridge the stream runs northward for about one hour fifty minutes after high water. About three quarters of an hour before high water there is a comparative 'slack'in the tide which lasts for about 30 minutes when the stream begins to run again with great force .( Edit. The word 'stream' at this point sounds like a misnomer. The channel is used by cargo ships, tankers and submarines)reaching its highest velocity about half hour after high water gradually decreasing until it turns southward.;In front of Ramsden dock the stream runs northward for one hour and thirty minutes after high water . Unlike the tide north of the jubilee bridge ,the stream reaches its highest velocity about half flood, gradually losing its force till it turns southward.
Opposite number seven buoy the stream runs northward for thirty minutes
At Piel (island at the tip of Walney ) the stream turns at high water.
Strong south westerly and westerly gales have the effect of increasing the velocity of the stream in Walney channel .Easterly winds have the opposite effect.
The tide in walney channel ebbs about six and three quarter hours an flows for about five and a half hours
Alec