Mariners' shorthand for having the tidal stream with you. A fair tide of 3 knots turns a 6 knot boat into a 9 knot boat over the ground and can cut hours off a coastal passage, so departure times are set by the tide rather than the clock. The word tide here means the current, not the height, which is typical of how sailors speak.
Leave at 0500 and we'll carry a fair tide all the way round the headland.
Also heard as
- fair stream
- fair current
- favourable tide
Related terms
Foul tide
A tidal current running against a vessel's intended direction, slowing its progress over the ground.
Tidal gate
A headland, strait or bar that can only be passed comfortably at certain states of tide, fixing the timing of a passage.
Tidal diamond
A lettered diamond symbol on British-style charts linked to a table of tidal stream direction and rate hour by hour.
Set and drift
The direction a current flows toward (set) and its speed (drift).