A SHIP captain and maritime consultant, Enisuoh Warredi, has warned boaters in the country to be careful as the position of the moon, sun and earth will lead to a high-tide or high waters on August 19, 2020.
Warrendi who was a former Director of Shipping Development at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, told Vanguard Maritime Report that the same situation had occurred in July and no one informed boaters of the danger.
He stated: “We are just 1.7 days past full moon. My prediction is that on August 19 at about 4:00am, we will be experiencing similar water conditions considering wind as well. Boaters should be careful in the period on prediction because the moon which is the largest influencer of tides is in the same line with the sun. The sun’s gravitational pull of the waters and that of moon is in a “straight line”!
“Just as we are pulling an object using the same rope, and in the same direction, the resultant tension on the rope is very high. It also has a similar effect if we are pulling the same rope in the opposite direction. What we are experiencing now is a pull in the opposite. On August 19, it will be in the same direction. The difference between the two is that you will experience the effects differently. And also, the earth is not a perfect sphere. The presence of land masses, seabed features, regional geographic effects create complexities.
“Having said all of the above, another influencer of choppy waters is wind. Coming more from the South Atlantic Ocean very much undisturbed by the presence of landmass, is the wind. Choppy, experiencing strong currents, the water depth is higher, difficult to take on in terms of boat handling, etc. Depending on the weather conditions for that period, we could experience manageable conditions or it could go the other way. I would suggest regular safety bulletin and training out to boaters will greatly improve safety in our waters.”
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