Lovers of the printed NOAA Tide Tables and Tidal Current Tables publications will soon have an empty spot in their hearts and on the pilothouse bookshelf. NOAA has announced that the 2020 edition will be the last. Coast Guard acceptance of online and electronic services providing tide and tidal current predictions have made the publications redundant.
However, one person’s redundant publication is another’s contingency plan in case the electronics fail. Fear not, you can still download NOAA tidal and current predictions for many (if not all) of the places you plan to sail.
Navigate to https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.html and pick the state or region for which you want tidal predictions or search for a tidal station. Once at the tidal station page, you can look at a graph of the predictions for the current 48–hour period or download the annual predictions in table form.
Current predictions get similar treatment at https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaacurrents/Regions. Print out the tables to keep onboard or store the files on your phone, tablet or laptop for the day that your chart plotter packs it in.