Why “our data is 50 percent more accurate” does not mean anything in ocean modelling

Blog, Commercial, Pilots, Ports, S-100, Shipping · Wendy Laursen · 10 minutes min read · August 25, 2026

What ‘accuracy’ really means in hydrodynamic modelling

How accurate are hydrodynamic or metocean models? It’s a question Tidetech hears from time to time from all sorts of people — sailors planning a race, ports managing vessel traffic, voyage optimisation providers… It’s also a question that doesn’t always have a simple answer.

In this article, Tidetech’s chief scientist Roger Proctor explains why model accuracy can’t be reduced to a single number or percentage, why more data doesn’t automatically mean better predictions, and what actually matters when assessing the quality of metocean information.

He explains that any comparison of model predictions is not as simple as claiming Tidetech’s accuracy is percentage points greater than hydrographic office or competitor data.

Be wary of providers that make that sort of claim — “our data is 50 percent better than this other data” — as it is potentially a demonstration of how little they understand metocean data collection and modelling, Proctor says.

Many factors influence metocean modelling at a global or local scale, and the often relatively sparse empirical measurements available mean there is no universal answer to the question of model accuracy.

Roger Proctor quote about ocean modelling accuracy.

“Our clients are usually trying to compare our results against basic hydrographic data such as tide tables or data from the weather provider they are contracted to,” Proctor said.

“We take the time to demonstrate the quality of our information for the comparisons that are important to them, and we explain why what they sometimes think is good data, isn’t. Sensor errors, data gaps, and inconsistent readings can significantly reduce accuracy in ways that are not made obvious to end-users.”

More data doesn’t necessarily mean better models

Tidetech uses a range of global and regional ocean and weather models from various sources and additionally constructs hydrodynamic models of tidal elevation and surface currents using open source software. The models are validated using available observations.

“The quality of the data used to build a model is critical to any measure of accuracy that can be provided about its results,” Proctor said.

Here are some examples:

In the case of surface currents, validation against current meter readings is preferable, especially if these measurements are for a month or longer. However, these data are not always available, and sometimes it’s clear that much shorter time series have been used (sometimes a few days) which can introduce a distorted impression of current variability.

Water level predictions can be validated against tidal elevations obtained from analysis of tide gauge data. At least 12 months of observations is required to accurately predict future tidal elevations. Often only major ports have this information. For many others, time series are much shorter, so longer-term variability is missing or inferred from major ports. Meteorological effects such as storm surges or wind-driven currents are often not satisfactorily identified in these shorter time series.

Taking a sea surface temperature measurement generated from satellite data and comparing it to a reading from a floating buoy might reveal different values because the geographical coordinates are in error or because the sensor on the buoy will be calibrated slightly differently to the way the satellite is seeing what sea surface temperature is.

“If you attempt to assimilate both measurements into your model, because of the difference, numerical instabilities could arise to degrade the solution,” Proctor said.

Tidetech evaluates each source of data when establishing its models to confirm whether new data will add accuracy to the model or not. To understand the mechanisms that can create errors, Tidetech uses a hierarchy of techniques, including analysing correlations, model bias and of the distribution of model errors both spatially and temporally.

“Limited observations are usually available for supporting the development of high resolution models of coastal regions, so our preference is to use these in validation, rather than assimilation, to give confidence in the modelled solution,” Proctor said.

Understanding metocean processes over space and time

Local area models typically cover a pre-defined domain and can be resolved to grid levels of 50 or 100 metres.

Metocean data is used to describe the hydrodynamic character of a gridded area and to determine how that area reacts over a given timespan. A technique called boundary forcing ensures that data from beyond the focus area such as currents and atmospheric pressure is used to ensure the model domain is not treated as an isolated part of an obviously connected surrounding ocean.

“The purpose of assimilating observations into a model is to improve the representation of processes by reducing errors, measured against an independent set of observations. This requires some understanding of the radius of influence of an observation and an appreciation of whether or not addition will make some improvement. By introducing ‘ghost’ observations into simulation experiments, it is also possible to show where and what kind of additional observations would prove most fruitful,” said Proctor.

What modelling expertise means for those putting it in practice

A perfect illustration of what the technical details of Tidetech’s work mean in practice can be seen when examining Deepsea Technologies market-leading weather routing. Even the more advanced providers will run their weather predictions through a relatively basic, non-specialised vessel model, with the aim of providing a voyage speed plan that saves fuel. However, because the model is only 80 percent accurate, it doesn’t capture the vessel’s real performance in enough detail to actually save fuel.

DeepSea Technologies uses the industry’s most advanced AI to overcome this limitation for its ship and voyage optimisation tools. The company models vessel behaviour at sea with 99 percent accuracy to help their customers cut fuel costs by up to 10 percent.

“Obviously metocean data is key. We need good reliable data, good coverage, and good granularity, to understand vessel behaviour under different conditions,” said Stavros Paschalakis, Chief Technical Officer at DeepSea Technologies.

“If you don’t have that, the AI models are going to learn an average overall weather-agnostic state which is not useful enough to meet the needs of the industry today,”

Yacht racing is another application where Tidetech’s expertise offers advantages. Navigator Andy Green attributed his success in a recent Admiral’s Cup race to the accuracy of Tidetech’s modelling. During the event, he studied three competing tidal models for the Solent and English Channel. Each was tested against the yacht’s measured set and drift, checked against satellite imagery, and observed at times of maximum tidal complexity.

“We kept coming back to Tidetech,” he said.

“It was consistently the closest to reality — within about five degrees of the yacht’s set and within 0.1 knots of drift.”

Safety depends on a navigator’s ability to understand weather modelling and how their boat will respond to the conditions.

“Sometimes the models are spot‑on, other times they’re wildly different,” Green said.

“Your job is to know which tools you can trust at any given moment.”

Having the confidence to lead

From racing yachts to cruise liners, port authorities to hydrographic offices, Tidetech’s predictions are now used around the world. The company hosts a team of world-leading scientists and IT specialists and has partnerships in place which ensure access to the most accurate data and local experience.

“We make every effort to ensure we get a solution that we are willing to sell to customers, and we’ve got skilled modellers who know how to pull it all together,” said Proctor.

When ocean data matters, Tidetech is ready to deliver with experts who understand the accuracy of their models.

Voyage and vessel optimisation

Fuel costs, emissions targets and schedule reliability all hinge on how vessels move through the water. Yet most voyage‑planning tools still rely heavily on weather alone, with limited or static treatment of tides and currents.

What S-100 means for ECDIS: from static charts to live navigational displays

Blog, Commercial, S-100 · Wendy Laursen · 10 minutes min read · August 20, 2026

S-100 will enhance navigational displays

The delay and fragmentation of critical watch keeping information, currently caused by reliance on radio broadcasts for weather warnings and the manual use of tide charts, will soon be largely a thing of the past.

The implementation of the International Hydrographic Organization’s (IHO) new S-100 data standard will enable navigation system OEMs to create a single, enhanced source of navigational information.

Electronic navigational chart displays and information systems (ECDIS) will include more data and functionality as a growing range of inter-related features are added seamlessly on to foundations created from electronic navigational charts (S-101) and bathymetric surface data (S-102).

S-100 puts local knowledge on the screen - Penny Haire, Tidetech

In the first S-100 implementation phase, water level adjustments (S-104), surface current data (S-111), automated delivery of navigational warnings as geo-referenced data that can be visualised directly with ECDIS (S-124), and under keel clearance management functionality (S-129) will allow for greater bathymetric accuracy than traditional chart soundings.

As well as improving safety, this will facilitate vessel speed optimisation, including in restricted navigation channels, and reduce fuel consumption and emissions. It will also allow ports to provide safe passage guidance based on a vessel’s draught and arrival schedule.

Quality bathymetry

“You cannot safely interpret dynamic water levels and currents without a good picture of the seabed,” said Penny Haire, Tidetech’s CEO.

“S-102 bathymetric surface data effectively replaces a single chart sounding with a detailed depth grid. For Tidetech, S-102-quality bathymetry is the foundation that allows us to resolve channels, shoals, banks, and harbour basins accurately and simulate how tides and currents accelerate, slow, or diverge over these features. This is particularly critical when navigating in shallow, coastal and port environments,” Haire said.

Ports and pilots are likely to be first to enjoy the benefits of S-100. Only about 20 ports globally can currently provide accurate time-varying bathymetric data, and even that often involves extrapolation of single station tidal height predictions, rather than the complete, modelled spatial coverage that Tidetech can offer.

Tidetech is already rolling out S-104 and S-111 coverage in priority regions for shipping and pilotage. The company’s S-100-ready products are designed to integrate with ECDIS, portable pilot units and other navigation software that supports S-100 or equivalent data feeds, including for non-SOLAS applications.

“Collaboration with trial partners has been excellent,” Haire said.

“Our doors are open, and we are busy demonstrating the value of what we can offer. It has been reported through trials in New Zealand, for example, that people are amazed that what they thought was local knowledge is now in front of them on a screen.”

Operational readiness

An interoperability standard (S-98) will define how the different S-100 data sets are integrated to provide mariners with a unified, un-cluttered navigational display.

The IHO has sought to keep the presentation of the newly packaged datasets as consistent as possible with S-57, so S-100 navigation systems will not suddenly become unfamiliar to users. The details of what is displayed will still be controlled by the navigator, and the meaning of most chart features will remain the same, with some new symbols added to aid clarity and reduce reliance on written text overlays.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that S-100 is just a new chart, said Christopher Jones, the UK Hydrographic Office’s tides technical lead.

“It is much broader than that — it’s a framework for interoperable maritime data,” Jones said.

“The real value is that S-100 is designed to make all the data usable within a common framework. That helps turn more complex hydrographic and oceanographic modelling into something more accessible at the point of decision-making on the bridge.”

“The transition to S-100 is not just about technology,” Jones said.

“Rather, it’s about operational readiness across the whole ecosystem — hydrographic production, system development, standards, portrayal, training, and end-user confidence. The implementation timeline set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and IHO reflects that, with a transition period rather than an overnight switch.”

Looking ahead

A catalogue of nautical products (S-128) will provide automatic tracking of product and service updates to help ensure up-to-date coverage and manage compliance checks. For SOLAS vessels, the data will have to be validated by regional electronic navigational chart centres and made available officially from hydrographic offices.

The IMO has already adopted the revised Resolution MSC.530(106) on Performance Standards for ECDIS, and from 1 January 2026, S-100 ECDIS became legal for use, but data validation checks and interoperability standards for the various data layers are still being finalised. Concurrently, a second phase of S-100 implementations is already on the horizon. The IHO is currently developing specifications for marine protected areas (S-122), marine radio services (S-123), marine aids to navigation (S-125), marine traffic management (S-127), marine harbour infrastructure (S-131), dynamic ice information (S-411) marine weather warnings (S-412) and marine weather and wave conditions (S-413). The timeline for the introduction of these standards is still to be confirmed.

S-100 services

Operational S‑104 water levels and S‑111 surface currents, ready for real‑world use.

Reading the current – our takeaways from the Australian Commercial Marine Conference

Blog, Commercial · Jamie Millar · 10 minutes min read · August 17, 2026

The Australian Commercial Marine Group Conference 2026

The Australian Commercial Marine Group Conference, held at Darling Harbour in late July, covered a lot of key areas in an excellent one day conference. Hybrid engines, tourism trends, advanced trim, Australia’s first accessible electric ferry — the agenda ranged well beyond Tidetech’s own patch of operational ocean intelligence, and much of it will have landed more squarely with boat builders, tourism operators and engine manufacturers than with us. This is what makes it an good conference as it serves the whole commercial industry in all its forms.

Two sessions were of particular note, focusing directly on fuel, cost of doing business, Australia’s place in the world, and the commercial marine industry’s place in Australia.

View from an economist

ACMG Conference Bank of Queensland Chief Economist Peter Munckton

Bank of Queensland chief economist Peter Munckton opened the day with a frank read of the economy. Household incomes are being squeezed again, inflation has proven stubborn, and the Reserve Bank looks unlikely to cut rates until it’s convinced the job on inflation is properly done.

The data point that mattered most for shipping was on fuel. Australia now produces only around 30 percent of the oil it consumes, down from near self-sufficiency in the 1980s and 90s, and holds the lowest fuel reserves of any OECD country in his comparison, at roughly seven weeks’ supply. His figures also showed transport as one of the hardest-hit sectors on business conditions right now, second only to recreation. Munckton’s advice to businesses navigating that exposure was that price rises are getting harder to pass on, so productivity gains are what protect margins. For an industry where fuel is often the single biggest cost on the balance sheet, that’s significant consideration, and one we hear echoed by every operator trying to trim bunker spend without cutting corners.

By the numbers

ACMG CEO David Good followed in the afternoon with numbers the sector has needed for a long time. A new economic impact study puts the commercial marine industry at $50.93 billion in total economic output and $25.16 billion in gross product, or 12.5 percent of Australia’s broader $200 billion-plus marine sector, supporting 137,262 jobs nationally. On gross product alone, that’s more than recreational boating, cruise and superyachts combined. Good’s message was to use that data by writing to local members, celebrate an industry that still manufactures here, and ask government for more support rather than watching contracts and infrastructure go elsewhere.

One number stood out closer to home for us — Tasmania’s own slice of the industry already runs to $1.56 billion in gross product and almost 8,850 jobs.

Between a jittery fuel outlook and a sector finally able to prove its worth in hard numbers, it’s a useful moment for Australian commercial marine to be making its case.

Tidetech workboat and short-sea solutions

Workboats and short-sea operations

Tidetech supports workboat and short‑sea operators with operational‑grade ocean intelligence, helping crews and planners make more reliable decisions in coastal and near‑shore environments.

S-100 explained: what the new hydrographic data standard means for maritime navigation

Blog, Commercial, S-100 · Wendy Laursen · 10 minutes min read · August 12, 2026

S-100 will bring hydrographic data to life

The ability to provide time-varying or near real-time updates on dynamic ocean conditions will boost the safety of maritime navigation, particularly in coastal waters and ports.

“The trials have moved the conversation from theory into operational reality.” - Christopher Jones, UKHO Tides Technical Lead

With the roll-out of the International Hydrographic Organization’s (IHO) new S-100 data standard, mariners will benefit from greater accuracy and functionality than is possible with existing S-57 static electronic navigational charts and overlays.

S-100 allows for the automatic integration of more diverse hydrographic data elements, including for example, Tidetech’s oceanographic data, which is centred on dynamic environmental parameters, specifically water levels (S-104) and surface currents (S-111).

This functionality will enrich navigational support systems beyond current static bathymetric data based on five or 10 metre contour lines and static depths reduced to chart datum (for example approximately the level of lowest astronomical tide).

“The S-100 standard is a framework designed to make maritime data richer, smarter, and more geographically aligned,” said Penny Haire, Tidetech’s CEO.

“It’s a big change, but it’s also a logical progression aimed at enhancing situational awareness and decision-making tools.”

S-100 will make it easier for electronic navigational chart displays and information systems (ECDIS) and portable pilot unit systems (PPUs) to provide a consistent, accurate picture of passage conditions for everyone on the bridge to work from, what the military call a common operating picture. Sub-ECDIS commercial mariners will also benefit from more timely and accurate navigational information in non-ECDIS applications.

Ports will be able to increase safety within their waters by making use of accurate bathymetric data in their traffic management systems, which brings the added potential for optimising tug and fender operations. Greater accuracy and resolution in tidal heights with S-104 will potentially increase safety margins vessels and ports can use.

More accurate under-keel clearance (UKC) data will enable ship operators to fine tune cargo carrying capacity and berth planning to improve profitability. Their voyage planning systems will be able to factor in prevailing conditions to schedule port entry and reduce emissions — benefits available to both cargo shipping companies and offshore energy operators.

Navies and coast guards will also be able to optimise their voyage plans, particularly for shallow-draft and amphibious craft operations.

Future potential

The functionality made possible by S-100 is itself dynamic. The standard is built around product specifications, feature catalogues and portrayal catalogues that can evolve over time.

“One of the strengths of S-100 is that it’s a flexible data framework rather than a single, fixed product,” said Christopher Jones, the UK Hydrographic Office’s Tides Technical Lead.

“That means new capabilities do not always require the whole system to be reinvented. As user needs change, or as technology improves, individual product specifications can be updated, refined, or added. It gives the industry a way to incorporate richer datasets, improved portrayal, and new use cases within a recognised structure, rather than starting again with each innovation,” Jones said.

“From a future-looking perspective, S-100 gives maritime navigation a framework better suited to continuous improvement. That is especially important as hydrographic offices, OEMs and service providers learn more through implementation and operational trials.”

Testing underway

Trials are already being conducted onboard ships and using simulators in the UK, France, Canada, and Australia. The trials bring together hydrographic offices, system OEMs, operators, ports, and specialist data providers.

“This is important because successful S-100 implementation depends on interoperability across the whole chain, not just on one organisation producing one dataset,” Jones said.

Tidetech’s high-resolution English Channel and Solent models are active in several S-100 evaluations, including UKHO and French hydrographic office (Shom) trials that have been on-going since August 2025. The hydrographic offices are working with partners including ECDIS OEM Raymarine and ship operator DFDS to deploy S-100-enabled ECDIS onboard the Stena Vinga ferry, navigating initially from Portsmouth to Jersey then extending across the English Channel to Saint-Malo — a route chosen for its strong currents and tidal constraints.

“The trials have moved the conversation from theory into operational reality,” Jones said.

They are helping identify where the more accurate data shows the strongest operational value.

“In the case of the Stena Vinga route, the tidal and cross-border nature of the operating environment makes it a useful test bed for understanding how layers such as S-104 and S-111 may support bridge decision-making in practice. That is exactly the kind of evidence the industry needs as it prepares for broader rollout,” he said.

Tidetech’s ability to stitch together high-quality bathymetry from multiple sources (including UKHO) is vital because modelling dynamic water levels and currents depends on understanding the seabed accurately, Jones said.

“That is one reason why interoperable S-100 layers matter — the value comes from how the datasets work together rather than one in isolation.”

Managing expectations

The full potential of S-100 will, like S-57, be dependent on the quality of the data collected during hydrographic surveys.

Different hydrographic offices are adopting different strategies in their S-100 rollout.

“Some will repackage existing data as they deal with the time and expense required to enhance their offerings,” Haire said.

Tidetech is working with partners to demonstrate the value of high-quality data and models, but ultimately, implementation will be patchy due to the differing capabilities of hydrographic offices around the world. It could take 20 years before everyone globally will have access to an enhanced and unified navigational system.

“It’s therefore important to remember that just because something is represented digitally, it doesn’t necessarily follow that it’s going to be accurate. For ECDIS users, the roll out of more accurate data will depend on the quality of survey data available for a specific location,” said Haire.

Survey in this context means bathymetric survey, but for the broader aims of S-100, additional repeated measurements of water levels and currents will be needed to validate the models which will ultimately be delivering the 4D (spatial-time) data.

This means the benefits will be felt at different rates around the world.

Preparing for change

Major milestones have been set for the roll-out of S-100. The first type approved S-100 ECDIS systems are anticipated in 2028, and there will be a transition period until 1 January 2029 when all new or retrofitted ECDIS systems must be S-100 capable.

S-57 will not be retired immediately. A period of ‘dual-fuel’ S-57 and S-100 operation is expected, with no specific date set yet to sunset the old standard.

S-100 services

Operational S‑104 water levels and S‑111 surface currents, ready for real‑world use.

Whitsunday Islands tidal model now available for Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island Race Weeks 2026

Blog, Recreational, Sailing · Jamie Millar · 5 minutes min read · July 30, 2026

Navigate with confidence during race week

[Scroll down to purchase the package you need.]

Tidetech is pleased to release its high-resolution Whitsunday Islands hydrodynamic tidal current model for the 2026 Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island Race Weeks.

The Whitsundays are renowned for spectacular sailing and notoriously complex tidal flows. Whether you’re a regular competitor or arriving for the first time, access to reliable tidal current data can make a significant difference when it comes to tactical and strategic decision-making.

Our scientifically validated finite element hydrodynamic model helps remove uncertainty from race planning, giving crews access to detailed local tidal intelligence throughout the regatta.

What makes the model different?

High-resolution tidal current data at approximately 200-metre resolution
Detailed coverage capable of highlighting important local features, including current accelerations and back eddies around headlands
A 30-minute time step, allowing users to track changes in current strength and direction throughout the tidal cycle
Fully scientifically validated hydrodynamic modelling
Available exclusively in GRIB file format (for use in navigation software like Expedition, Adrena, and Time Zero)

Designed for race-winning decisions

Every race week campaign relies on making hundreds of small decisions. Understanding where the tide is helping, hindering or changing direction provides valuable insight when selecting routes, managing mark roundings and identifying opportunities across the course.

With the Tidetech Whitsundays model, you can access the same high-quality ocean intelligence used by sailors around the world and bring detailed local tidal knowledge onboard, wherever you’re competing from.

Tidetech Whitsundays high resolution tidal model

Pricing and access

The Whitsundays Race Week tidal model pack is available for AU$199 and covers either your Airlie Beach Race Week or Hamilton Island Race Week campaign.

Once registered, you’ll receive a link providing access to download the GRIB files.

Purchase Airlie Beach Race Week package:

Purchase Hamilton Island Race Week package:

Want to know more?

If you’d like to learn more about the Whitsundays model or discuss how it can support your campaign, get in touch with the Tidetech team and we’ll be happy to help.

Contact: enquiries@tidetech.org

Sailing

Tides and currents for competitive performance or optimised passage planning.

Tidetech environmental data — parameters and units

Weather

Short term response of the atmosphere to solar heating and Earth rotation

Winds at 10m above the sea surface
- windspeed – ms^-1or knots
- wind direction – degrees relative to true North (direction from)
- east wind – ms^-1 wind towards East
- north wind – ms^-1 wind towards North
- gust – ms^-1, maximum instantaneous wind speed in a period
Atmospheric pressure – Pa (hPa = mbar), air pressure at mean sea level
Air temperature – degrees Celcius (C) at 2m above the surface (or degrees Kelvin (K) … C = K – 273.15)
Relative humidity – % at 2m above the surface, a measure of the amount of water vapour in the air
Cloud cover – fraction between 0 (no cloud) and 1 (total cloud cover)
Visibility – m, distance view at the surface
Precipitation – mm/day, accumulated rainfall

Currents

Tides – generated by the gravitational attraction between the Earth, the Moon and Sun
- tidal current speed – ms^-1 or knots
- tidal current direction – degrees relative to true North (direction to)
Ocean currents – response to atmospheric forcing and differences between water masses in polar and equatorial regions
- current speed – ms^-1
- current direction – degrees relative to true North (direction to)
Coastal currents – response to atmospheric forcing, river inflows and topographic steering
- current speed – ms^-1
- current direction – degrees relative to true North (direction to)
Stokes drift – currents associated with surface wave propagation
- current speed – ms^-1
- current direction – degrees relative to true North (direction to)

Surface waves

Generated by the action of winds on the sea surface

Significant wave height – m, the mean of one third of the highest waves in a given period
Peak wave period – seconds, the period of the wave spectral peak
Peak wave direction – degrees relative to true North (direction from) of the wave spectral peak
Wind wave height – m, the mean wave height driven by local winds in a given period
Wind wave period – seconds, the period of the mean wind wave periods
Wind wave direction – degrees relative to true North (direction from) of the mean wind wave
Swell wave height – m, the mean swell wave height of the major (primary) swell component in a given period
Swell wave period – seconds, the period of the mean swell wave periods
Swell wave direction – degrees relative to true North (direction from) of the mean swell waves

Oceanographic

Other parameters

Sea ice thickness – m, vertical extent of ice floating in the sea which has formed from freezing sea water
Sea Surface Temperature – degrees Celcius (C), the foundation temperature of the sea surface layer
Sea Surface Salinity – salinity units (psu), saltiness of the sea water at the sea surface
Sea surface height – m, ocean sea surface height above the geoid
Tidal elevation – m, tidal sea surface height above mean sea level
Chlorophyll_a – mgm^-3, values of mass concentration of chlorophyll_a, an indication of primary production
Sea ice fraction – fraction between no ice (=0) and total ice coverage (=1); all ice floating in the sea which has formed from freezing sea water

Products

Metocean data products designed for operational maritime use.

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Newport-Bermuda 2026 — the Gulf Stream isn’t where you want it

Blog, Recreational, Sailing · Jamie Millar · 10 minutes min read · June 9, 2026

Newport-Bermuda 2026 — the Gulf Stream isn’t where you want it

Tidetech’s Penny Haire and Dr Roger Proctor on the race within the Newport–Bermuda Race

Six hundred and thirty‑five nautical miles from Newport to St David’s Head looks simple enough on a chart — set the course, manage the wind shifts, keep the boat moving. But everyone who has raced to Bermuda knows the race is rarely decided by the straight line. It’s decided by the water moving underneath it.

“The Gulf Stream is the defining feature of this course,” said Penny Haire, CEO of Tidetech and a sailor who has spent decades navigating with currents in mind.

“Most of the race feels like a drag race,” she said. “Then you get to the Stream, and suddenly the ocean starts posing harder questions.”

Ahead of this year’s Newport–Bermuda Race, Tidetech will publish a rolling series of high‑resolution Gulf Stream crossing analyses. The early analysis is uncomfortable — if you’re planning to cross on the rhumb line, the ocean may not be on your side.

A meander sitting on the track

On a direct 150° true course from Fort Adams to Bermuda, Tidetech’s latest analysis places the north wall of the Gulf Stream roughly 280 nautical miles from the start — about 44 per cent of the way down the course.

“You’re in the Stream for around 35 to 40 miles on that line,” Haire says.

Tidetech's comparison of the Gulf Stream for 2026 Newport Bermuda Race — Gulf Stream forecast — 06 June 2026 (Tidetech)

“That’s fairly typical. What isn’t typical is the structure of the Stream where you meet it.”

According to Tidetech’s chief scientist, Dr Roger Proctor, the complexity comes from a pronounced northward meander that has pushed well up towards 40°N near 68.5–69°W — right on the crossing longitude.

“This is one of the more dynamically active parts of the Gulf Stream,” Proctor said.

“Eddies and meanders form regularly here, and they can result in quite different current directions over surprisingly small distances.”

As things stand, the rhumb line clips the western foot of that meander — the least forgiving part of the structure.

When two knots really matters

Through the crossing band, Tidetech’s Global Combined Currents product and dedicated Gulf Stream model show a strong, coherent Stream, with a core running at roughly 2.8 to 3.5 knots.

Resolved along the course, that translates into an adverse set of roughly 0.9 to 2.7 knots for boats heading directly for Bermuda.

“Two knots of foul current is not a rounding error,” Haire said.

“Over the in‑Stream leg, it’s the difference between sailing competitively and watching boats slip away.”

Proctor is quick to add that this is not about dramatic ocean conditions.

“High winds and big seas get a lot of attention,” he says. “But in this race, relatively modest differences in current direction and strength can create separation that lasts for days.”

Optimal route for Newport Bermuda Race shown in Expedition — Optimal route based on this forecast of the Gulf Stream as shown in Expedition.

The mirage in the free forecast

Some public, coarse‑resolution models suggest a more optimistic picture — hinting at fair current on the south‑eastern side of the crossing that makes the direct route look attractive.

“That’s where teams need to be careful,” Haire said.

“Those models are smoothing a very sharp western boundary current across grid boxes that are tens of kilometres wide.”

Tidetech’s higher‑resolution view tells a different story. Its sea‑surface‑temperature (SST) analysis, resolved at roughly one kilometre, places the thermal front exactly where the current fields locate the meander. Independent satellite infrared analysis lines up with that position as well.

“When SST, current models and satellite observations all point to the same structure, that’s a strong signal,” Proctor said.

“At the moment, they’re all saying the same thing. The favourable limb suggested by the coarse models is likely a mirage.”

There is no ‘standard’ Gulf Stream crossing

One of the most persistent traps in Newport–Bermuda preparation is assuming that last year’s solution still applies.

Proctor points to the 2024 race as a case in point.

“In 2024, the strongest currents sat just east of the rhumb line,” he says. “There was a pronounced meander with south‑easterly flow that rewarded boats willing to step off the shortest track.”

The current picture is very different.

“There isn’t a standard Gulf Stream crossing,” Proctor said.

“What worked in 2024 is not what we’re seeing now. That’s why up‑to‑date information is vital.”

What the Gulf Stream was doing in 2024 Newport Bermuda Race — The Gulf Stream in 2024 — Newport Bermuda Race

A moving target

There is one final complication and it’s the reason Tidetech is updating its analysis every three days.

“The Gulf Stream does not sit still,” Proctor said.

“Meanders propagate east at anything from three to eleven kilometres a day. Crests can pinch off into rings. The feature you cross today will not be the one you cross on race day.”

That mobility is what turns static charts into liabilities.

“This is a snapshot,” Haire said.

“Useful, but incomplete on its own. The real value is in tracking how the structure moves, where the adverse wall shifts, and where genuinely fair water might open up.”

For crews lining up in Newport, the message is clear.

“Sail the ocean that’s actually there,” Haire said. “Not the one you hope is there.”

Sailing

Tides and currents for competitive performance or optimised passage planning.

Tidetech environmental data — sources and validation

Weather data

Tidetech provides a range of numerical weather model outputs sourced from official government sources and private weather providers. They include GFS – Global Forecast System (US National Centre for Environmental Prediction), ECMWF (European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting) and CMC (Canadian Meteorological Centre). The primary operational product provided is the GFS, a model in common use by weather routing companies.

Validation statistics, comparing operational forecast weather models, are routinely provided by NOAA.

Statistical metrics averaged over the latest month’s data compare the performance of six operational models (including GFS, CMC and ECMWF) at the global and regional scale. Figure 1 shows the Anomaly Correlation Coefficient (ACC) across the northern hemisphere for six global models; a score of 1.0 on a particular valid date indicates that the forecast made five days prior to that valid date was highly accurate (i.e., essentially perfect). Typically, the three models we use (GFS-black, ECMWF-red, CMC-dark blue) have ACC > 0.9.

Anomaly Correlation Coefficient for weather models in Northern Hemisphere — Figure 1 – Skill comparison – Multiple atmospheric models – Anomaly Correlation Coefficient (ACC)

Wave data

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) routinely conducts world-wide three-monthly summary statistics for wave parameters from all operational wave model forecasts (17 models, five-day forecasts) against a common set of wave buoys (details here).

These wave buoys are mostly concentrated in the areas of the northwest European shelf, the northeast USA, the northwest USA, the Caribbean and Hawaii with a handful of buoys elsewhere. The latest summary for December 2025 to March 2026 for the northern hemisphere in winter is shown in Figure 2 (observation location (above) and RMSE of significant wave height (Hs) (below)). RMSE increases with forecast time (from 0.4m to 0.8m, with a consistent spread of 0.2m). Models tend to consistently either underestimate or overestimate Hs through the forecast window by approximately 0.1m.

Tidetech supplies forecast wave data from two models, the Copernicus Global Ocean Wave model from MeteoFrance (METFR), and the NCEP WW3 model (NCEP), both of which perform similarly, the higher spatial resolution of METFR giving slightly better statistics.

Figure 2 – Three-Monthly Summary Statistics – Multiple Wave models, N Hemisphere. Top, location of wave buoys; bottom, RMSE for forecast days 1 to 5 for models shown.

Ocean models

Tidetech obtains ocean model data from the Mercator (NEMO) model run by the Copernicus Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS), and Global RTOFS run by NOAA Global Ocean Prediction Center.

Validation for Mercator example: Metrics, comparing model against in-situ or satellite observations, are routinely calculated for several model parameters (salinity, temperature, sea level anomaly, sea surface temperature). Figure 3 shows the sea level anomaly (SLA) comparison for the north Atlantic Ocean (30-70N) between satellite altimeter and model over the past three years, January 2023-December 2025. Sea level anomaly is chosen because this is the major contributor to determining the forecast accuracy of the large scale geostrophic currents.

It is seen, Figure 3, that the north Atlantic experiences a strong seasonal cycle with a range of 10cm, minimum in March, maximum in September. There is little difference between the forecasts for day1 (fc01) and day5 (fc05) and the analysis (ana). On average across the domain, the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) for the analysis at time t0 (ana) has a value 0.06m which increases to 0.08m for forecast day 5 (fc05). The bias is nearly always between +/- 0.02m.

The shaded area shows the number of altimeter measurements per averaging period, a function of the number of satellites available. It is noticeable that with the ramp up of the SWOT satellite data in January 2025 the number of observations increases by a factor of three and, correspondingly, the RMSE shows a reduction of ~0.01m. The sudden increase in RMSE in November 2025 corresponds with a reduction in SWOT measurements, indicating the increased dependency on SWOT.

Figure 3 – Mercator ocean model sea level anomaly statistics.

Tides

Tidetech constructs hydrodynamic models of tidal elevation and currents using techniques developed within the SCHISM open source community and, historically, at the UK National Oceanography Centre (formerly the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory).

Model output is validated using available observations. The preferred method is validation against tidal currents obtained from current meters. Below is an example of validation of Tidetech’s high resolution model for San Francisco Bay.

San Francisco Bay tidal currents. Tidetech

San Francisco Bay Comparison of tidal currents. Tidetech — Figure 4. San Francisco Bay SF100v05 Comparison of tidal currents. Tidetech model output against current meter (ADCP) data at different depths below surface. Model (red) ADCP (blue).

Unfortunately, only a very small amount of current meter data is available worldwide due to the challenges of measuring currents in the open sea.

In lieu of current meter data, model output can be validated against tidal elevations obtained from analysis of tide gauge data. At least 12 months of observations is required to obtain sufficient tidal constituents to accurately predict future tidal elevations.

Locations where this quality of information is available is limited to major (primary or standard) ports. Ideally, to obtain the full set of tidal constituents the observations would need to span 18.6 years (the full tidal cycle).

Figure 5 shows validation of Tidetech’s high resolution model for San Francisco Bay against tide gauge data.

San Francisco Bay comparison of tidal elevations. — Figure 5. San Francisco Bay SF100v05 Comparison of tidal elevations. Tidetech model output against tide gauge data at six different locations in SF Bay Model (red) Observations (blue).

On a larger model grid, averaging of model values over a grid square will make comparisons more general in nature, but they are useful nonetheless.

English Channel regional tidal model – standard and secondary port height comparisons — Figure 6. English Channel Regional Tidal Model –Standard and Secondary Port Height Comparisons. Official tidal height Predictions (UK National Oceanography Centre – Tide Gauge Derived) vs Tidetech. Model – Blue. Observations – Green.

Figure 6 shows comparisons between Tidetech 2km resolution English Chanel Model and Tidal elevation predictions produced from analysis of tide gauge data.

Tidal currents can also be validated against official sources, although this approach should be used with caution. Unfortunately, unlike predictions of tidal elevations at major ports, predicted tidal currents from official sources can vary considerably in accuracy. Many are from observations taken a long time ago, before modern instrumentation. At least one month’s worth of observations is required to reproduce the primary constituents at a single location and in plenty of cases only a couple of day’s observations have been taken.

Observations taken when the meteorological conditions were not calm are also questionable, since wind driven surface currents can distort results. Figure 7 shows tidal currents from Tidetech’s 2km English Channel model validated against predictions obtained from UKHO tidal diamonds. Where there is a discrepancy, it is impossible to say whether the model is incorrect or the observations incomplete.

English Channel tidal model - Tidetech — Figure 7. English Channel Tidal Model – Offshore Current Predictions. Official Data (UKHO tidal diamond) vs Tidetech.

Satellite-derived products

Sea surface temperature (SST). Tidetech uses a 1-km global blended product, produced daily. This product arises from a combination of different satellites and is produced by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

Comparison of the global product with in-situ data is carried out daily. Figure 8 below shows a scatter plot of blended SST against ship measurements for the 2nd May 2014, indicating the use of more than 3000 observations, with a mean bias of -0.12°C and a RMS of 0.79°C. This is a day taken at random and appears typical.

Figure 8. Comparison of satellite SST with in-situ measurements.

Products

Metocean data products designed for operational maritime use.

DeepSea models vessel behaviour with 99% accuracy using Tidetech metocean data

Voyage optimisation DeepSea Technologies

Deepsea Technologies and Tidetech combine for better optimisation results

99% 99% accuracy vessel behaviour

6.9% Avg voyage efficiency increase

$60m Annual savings across the fleet

Company: DeepSea Technologies
Location: Athens, Greece
Employees: 90+
Industry sector: Maritime Technology/AI
Challenge: Determining optimal vessel performance and voyage planning for a ship requires deep learning based on granular data
Results summary: DeepSea models vessel behaviour at sea with 99% accuracy to help their customers cut fuel costs by double-figure percentages.
Key product used: Tidetech metocean data (hydrodynamic and tidal modelling, data analysis and transformation, cloud‑based data infrastructure, and data delivery services)
Website: https://www.deepsea.ai

About DeepSea Technologies

DeepSea Technologies was founded in 2017 by Cambridge and Oxford AI researchers with backgrounds in shipping, with a mission to harness the latest in AI technology to make vessels more efficient.

“Obviously metocean data is key. We need good reliable data, good coverage, and good granularity, to understand vessel behaviour under different conditions. If you don’t have that, the AI models are going to learn an average overall state which is not useful enough to meet the needs of the industry today.”

– Dr. Stavros Paschalakis, Chief Technology Officer at DeepSea Technologies

The challenge: Every vessel, every voyage is unique

DeepSea Technologies set out to use the industry’s most advanced AI to create ship and voyage optimisation tools based on unique behaviour models for each ship. The company’s founders formed a first-of-its-kind AI research team, bringing together marine and AI engineers to develop the solutions.

The company maintains its culture of research, contributing academic papers to conferences globally, and bringing these advancements to their products.

“Vessel performance monitoring and optimisation is no longer a secondary operational concern for shipping companies,” said Dr. Stavros Paschalakis, Chief Technology Officer at DeepSea.

“In the past, when weather and ocean conditions became significant, a generic vessel model that was 85% accurate would generally have been considered good. Optimisation, on the other hand, is a marginal activity relying on making small and precise changes, and adding many small gains together for major impact. Trying to do this with a model that doesn’t accurately understand the effect of weather and oceanic phenomena on vessel performance just won’t cut it.”

A perfect illustration of this can be seen when examining modern weather routing: the more advanced providers will run their weather suggestions through a relatively basic, non-specialised vessel model, with the aim of providing a voyage speed plan that saves fuel. However such a model doesn’t capture the vessel’s real performance in enough detail to actually save fuel. Incorrect speed suggestions during periods of strong or changing currents can result in higher fuel consumption than if the vessel had just travelled at a constant speed.

DeepSea put AI to task to overcome these limitations.

“Our models are data-driven deep neural networks. They take in vessel parameters about operating conditions such as how heavily loaded the vessel was, how fast the vessel was going, and so on. Based on that, we build a digital twin of the physical system,” Dr. Paschalakis said.

Ship operator priorities, such as minimising fuel consumption and emissions while meeting schedules, are accounted for in voyage planning, along with the impact of weather and oceanic conditions. These parameters are different for every vessel and every voyage. The neural networks need to be able to predict vessel performance in varied conditions such as unusually strong currents or at very specific vessel drafts.

“Metocean data is key. We need good reliable data, good coverage, and good granularity, to understand vessel behaviour under different conditions. If you don’t have that, the AI models are going to learn an average overall weather-agnostic state which is not useful enough to meet the needs of the industry today.”

The solution: Partnering with a metocean data specialist

DeepSea set out to find a long-term partner that could provide the necessary data.

“We are not metocean specialists, and we don’t want to become a metocean company,” Dr. Paschalakis said.

“We were looking for an agile partner that would listen to our needs, and we found Tidetech had the right mindset, the right synergies, for a long-term partnership.”

Like DeepSea, Tidetech maintains a strong scientific research presence. Co‑founders Penny Haire, a professional mariner and navigation specialist, and Roger Proctor, one of the world’s foremost coastal oceanographers, brought together a team that blends oceanography, engineering, and software expertise. Tidetech’s core capabilities include hydrodynamic and tidal modelling, data analysis and transformation, cloud‑based data infrastructure, and data delivery services.

DeepSea’s team use Tidetech services to train their deep neural networks. For example, Tidetech’s current and wave data is used to better estimate engine load and vessel speed.

The results are incorporated into DeepSea’s end-to-end optimisation platforms:

DeepSea’s Vessel Intelligence suite is an AI-powered data and performance platform that maintains digital twins of a vessel for all-weather fuel consumption predictions as well as functions such as fouling estimation, tracking of emissions reporting metrics, and active machinery monitoring – all backed by a team of experts that turn insight into action.
Their Voyage Automation suite is a world-first AI-powered optimisation platform that dynamically calculates optimal speeds, routes, and arrival times – and then automatically executes the suggestions by connecting directly to the ship’s main engine.

Metocean data is used to help make decisions for the future, including vessel speed and arrival time suggestions.

“We have found it very useful to have regular forecasts for the next week or 10 days, but the extended forecasts Tidetech provides to us, while more approximate, still give reasonable forecast up to 30 days from now,” said Mikhail Krechetov, Voyage Optimisation Director at DeepSea.

“Many vessels have voyage plans that take them on quite long trips, from Europe to Asia around the Cape of Good Hope, so we need this extended forecast data.”

Post-voyage, hindcast data is used to calculate actual fuel savings made from following DeepSea recommendations, and sometimes hindcast data from over a year ago is required to satisfy customer requests.

Tidetech’s data is also used to determine safety constraints. DeepSea ensures its models only provide safe speed suggestions that don’t risk crew, vessel, or cargo.

“We don’t want our vessels to suddenly sail into six-metre waves or into some dangerous combination of swell and wind that will cause effects such as parametric rolling, so we need metocean data not only for models, but also for the constraints of the algorithm,” Krechetov said.

Customers have occasionally queried the results.

“We have had some interesting cases in the past where customers have said: ‘Why did you tell me to go at this speed? It’s very uneconomical.’ And then we plotted the voyage for them and showed them that we were navigating the ship so that it would not catch up to a bad weather front ahead, or let bad weather from behind catch up to them. For this particular voyage, it was the optimal plan.”

The results: DeepSea’s models achieve 99% accuracy

DeepSea now performs optimisations for hundreds of ships every day.

The models can determine what the impact of wind and currents (to name a few factors) will be on fuel consumption at every point in the ocean, at any point in time, for any vessel, with 99% accuracy. The models accurately establish the impact of all the factors that influence voyage efficiency.

Crews can take DeepSea’s automatically generated speed and route instructions and input them into their ECDIS to follow the plan manually, or they can connect the speed instructions to the vessel’s main engine directly. This autonomous process ensures the vessel is always sailing at optimal speed.

Customers’ fuel costs are typically cut by between 4% and 10%, and even higher in some circumstances. For example, Wallenius Wilhelmsen (WW) had already digitised its fleet of over 130 vessels when it undertook a trial to determine if DeepSea could build on that foundation to make a real impact on optimising fleet operations. During the trial, voyage efficiency increased by 6.9%, saving $284,387 and 912 tonnes in CO2 equivalent emissions. Applied across a year, these results raise the average vessel’s carbon intensity indicator (CII) grade by at least one level. Wallenius Wilhelmsen is now partnered with DeepSea to help operate its entire fleet of ships more efficiently.

“With improvements in the algorithms and increased granularity in metocean data, we are raising the bar all the time to achieve optimal vessel operation, and our customers are coming on that journey with us.” Dr. Paschalakis said.

DeepSea is continuing to expand its use of Tidetech data by incorporating more sophisticated modelling of ice conditions. Warmer average temperatures in polar regions and the corresponding loss of sea ice means more icebergs at sea. Year-to-year variability in ice conditions is also greater than in the past, so there is a growing need for better voyage planning in polar regions.

DeepSea’s neural networks are a frontier technology – and enduring partnerships will ensure they remain transformational.

Blog

A live step forward for S‑100 navigation in Australia

Blog, Commercial, S-100 · Jamie Millar · 10 minutes min read · April 28, 2026

S-100 moves from concept to real world navigation

Tidetech stepped aboard Carnival Splendor in Sydney Harbour recently (April 2026) for something quietly significant.

Working in support of the Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO), Tidetech has supplied high‑resolution tidal and current data for Sydney Harbour as part of Australia’s first live S-100 services bridge trial. The trial is now underway aboard two Carnival Cruise Lines vessels calling at Sydney, bringing next‑generation digital navigation data onto the bridge in a real operational setting.

“S‑100 is a big change because it treats tides and currents as live navigational information rather than background context,” said Roger Proctor, chief scientist at Tidetech.

“With gridded S‑104 water levels and S‑111 surface currents, the challenge is delivering the right resolution in a way a bridge team can interpret quickly and use seamlessly in their operations.”

S‑100 is the International Hydrographic Organization’s (IHO) future framework for digital navigation. Designed to move beyond static charts, it enables interoperable, layered data products — from charts and bathymetry to tides, currents, and safety information — all delivered in ways intended to support safer, more informed decision‑making. For many bridge teams, however, this is totally new and represents a fundamental shift in how navigational information is presented and used.

From standards to the bridge

The data being tested includes Tidetech’s gridded S‑104 water level and S‑111 surface current datasets for Sydney Harbour, delivered at 100m resolution in 20-minute time steps. The focus is on technical performance and usability, specifically how bridge teams interpret dynamic information, how much detail is genuinely helpful, and where clarity matters more than density.

Tidetech's S-111 surface currents in Sydney Harbour.

“This trial allows us to get real feedback from bridge crews operating regularly in a busy port,” said Alvaro Sanchez, director national charting for the Australian Hydrographic Office.

“The bridge crews of the two vessels will see the different products available to them in the future with the ability to turn layers on and off depending on how much they want or need at critical times like manoeuvring in a confined space like Sydney Harbour.

“In the case of Carnival Adventure, it passes under Sydney Harbour Bridge with sometimes as little as two metres of clearance above the vessel — what we call the air gap — so dynamic depths have the potential to improve the safety of that transit.”

Australia has previously explored S‑100 through simulator‑based testing, including work in the ICSM S‑100 Working Group testbed using Tidetech’s Torres Strait model. Those efforts were an important foundation, but a live trial aboard operational vessels is a different proposition altogether.

Live trials expose questions that simulators cannot always reveal, particularly around human factors like attention, trust in new data layers, and how information is prioritised when conditions change.

Collaboration at the core

The trial aboard Carnival vessels reflects a close collaboration between hydrographic offices, ship operators, external data providers and software manufacturers (OEM). It brings together AHO’s leadership on national hydrographic data, Carnival’s willingness to trial emerging technology in an operational environment, OSI Maritime Systems’ innovation, and Tidetech’s experience delivering high‑resolution, operational metocean data.

“It’s great to be involved with the development of S-100 products and to be introducing them to our bridge teams at an early stage,” said Doug Bird, nautical manager for Carnival Cruise Lines.

“This allows us to familiarise with what’s coming, provide feedback direct to a hydrographic office, and shape future navigation practices.”

For Tidetech, the project sits in the long arc from standards development to real‑world use. S‑100 products are new and still present various challenges. What happens next — how they are developed for, used, understood and trusted on the bridge — will shape their impact just as much as the technical standards themselves.

A meaningful milestone

This trial marks an important step for Australia in moving S‑100 from concept to operational reality. Its aim is to show what’s possible when standards, data and users come together in a live environment, and it provides practical insight into how dynamic ocean information can support navigation in the years ahead.

“You can learn a lot in standards meetings and simulator testbeds, but a live bridge trial is where the interesting questions come up,” Proctor said.

“We’re interested in learning about what gets noticed, what the bridge crews like and dislike, and what actually helps decision-making when they’re navigating for real.

“For Australia, seeing S‑100 move into an operational setting like this is a genuine milestone, and it’s exactly the kind of feedback opportunity we need for continued development of the standards.”

Although this is a small step in a long journey , it signals something much larger at the beginning of a new chapter in how navigation information is delivered and used in Australian waters.

Photos: Jamie Millar

S-100 services

Operational S‑104 water levels and S‑111 surface currents, ready for real‑world use.

Hydrospatial 2026 — from standards to operational reality

Blog, Commercial, S-100 · Jamie Millar · 5 minutes min read · March 31, 2026

Shaping the Future of Marine Discovery

Our scientific and technical director, Sébastien Mancini, was in Wellington for Hydrospatial 2026 in March 2026 — the Australasian region’s flagship hydrographic and marine geospatial conference.

With the theme Shaping the Future of Marine Discovery, the event brought together national hydrographic offices, technology providers and researchers to talk seriously about where the sector is heading, and how fast it needs to get there. It was a conference grounded less in aspiration and more in implementation — a sign of how far the conversation has shifted in recent years.

S‑100 moves from concept to practice

Seb presented on S-100 and its role in moving beyond charts towards a connected operational ecosystem. One that supports voyage planning, port calls, dynamic routing and safer decision‑making through integrated data layers.

A recurring theme throughout the conference was that S‑100 is no longer theoretical, it is arriving. Progress is uneven, the complexity is real, and the pathways are not always clear — but the momentum is unmistakable. Across sessions and side conversations, the focus was less on whether S‑100 will be adopted, and more on how it will be implemented responsibly, consistently and at scale.

That shift is important as standards only become valuable when they start to shape day-to‑day operations.

A keynote that set the tone

A standout keynote came from Adam Greenland, New Zealand’s national hydrographer at Land Information New Zealand, who framed S‑100 as an enabling platform for integrated marine operations rather than a simple upgrade to navigational products. His talk prompted wide ranging discussion about what that really means in practice.

Questions surfaced repeatedly around data validation, update frequency, governance, and responsibility. Who publishes which products? How often are they refreshed? How are conflicts between datasets resolved? And how do products such as S‑104 and S‑111 move from pilots and trials into trusted operational use?

These are not abstract concerns — they sit at the heart of whether S‑100 delivers tangible benefits to mariners, ports and regulators, or becomes another technically elegant standard that struggles to gain traction.

Ports — the biggest beneficiaries, and the hardest to engage

One point raised repeatedly across sessions and informal discussions was that ports stand to be among the greatest beneficiaries of S‑100. Improved situational awareness, better coordination, safer transits and more efficient operations all sit squarely within the promise of the framework.

Yet port representation at the conference was limited.

By contrast, hydrographic surveyors were out in force. Many have long‑standing, productive working relationships with ports and understand their operational realities well. Surveyors openly acknowledged both the importance of port engagement and the difficulty of getting port stakeholders into the room more often.

This disconnect is not a criticism of ports. They are busy, operationally focused environments with competing priorities. But it does underline a challenge the sector needs to address. If ports are to be major beneficiaries of S‑100, they also need to be active participants in shaping how it is implemented.

Collaboration as a practical necessity

What was encouraging, Seb said, was the appetite to move faster. Across hydrographic offices, surveyors and technology providers, there was broad recognition that collaboration is not optional. S‑100 spans hydrography, oceanography, meteorology and navigation, and cuts across institutional and jurisdictional boundaries.

Progress will depend on clearer pathways for publishing and consuming data products, better alignment between producers and users, and continued testing in real operational environments. It will also depend on conversations that are sometimes uncomfortable — about responsibility, readiness and resourcing — but are essential if the framework is to mature.

Why events like Hydrospatial are key to advancement

Events like Hydrospatial play a crucial role in this transition — they move the discussion out of standards documents and into practical reality. They create space for honest technical debate, shared learning and the relationships needed to turn ambition into delivery.

They also remind us that the future of marine discovery will not be shaped by standards alone, but by the people and organisations willing to engage, collaborate and make those standards work.

Thanks to the Australasian Hydrographic Society for a thoughtful, well run event, and to everyone who shared insights, questions and ideas along the way.

S-100 services

Operational S‑104 water levels and S‑111 surface currents, ready for real‑world use.

Coach Solutions uses Tidetech data to quantify the impact of hull fouling

Maritime Coach Solutions

±2% Accuracy

Days Not weeks

0 delays At voyage end

Company: Coach Solutions
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Employees: 50+
Industry sector: Maritime Technology
Challenge: Provide ship operators with accurate hull and vessel performance predictions
Results summary: Coach Solutions can predict hull performance early in a voyage so that operators can plan efficient cleaning strategies that reduce fuel consumption and emissions
Key product used: Tidetech wave and surface current data
Website: https://coachsolutions.com/

About Coach Solutions

Coach Solutions provides “software and a service” to the shipping industry to optimise vessel performance and voyage planning. The tools developed by Coach Solutions are teaching the shipping industry to navigate and operate vessels and fleets more profitably and sustainably all while making life and work for shipping professionals easier, more accurate and more reliable. Owned by Norway-based Kongsberg Maritime, Coach Solutions is headquartered in Copenhagen, with offices in Singapore, Houston, Athens, and Mumbai.

“Currents affect speed directly, so a 10% change in speed, that’s normal for current, can have quite a big effect at any speed. Using Tidetech data, we usually get within one or two percentage points in the normalisation of the data that enables us to detect changes in speed loss.”

– Thomas Sørensen, Product Manager

The challenge: Time is money and emissions

It shouldn’t be weeks into a voyage before ship operators can determine whether or not their vessel needs hull cleaning because it is performing sub-optimally. Biofouling of the hull and propeller is the most common culprit behind speed loss, and Coach Solutions has demonstrated that identifying it quickly and reliably has a significant impact on fleet sustainability and profit.

The company’s mission is to remove guesswork when it comes to voyage planning, optimisation and vessel performance. One of its solutions, Valid Performance, analyses voyage data including daily fuel consumption, distance sailed, speed and engine power output to determine where performance can be improved.

“The ability to estimate the impact of hull fouling as part of that means that ship operators can stop relying on fixed hull cleaning schedules and a false sense of security,” said product manager Thomas Sørensen

“To evaluate how a ship is performing, we need to normalise for external effects like weather, currents and waves,” Sørensen said.

“That’s what we are here for every single day. We can quickly establish how a vessel is performing so our clients can act on performance issues.”

Coach Solutions has the expertise, provided by in-house meteorologists, marine engineers and naval architects, to identify the impact of hull biofouling with just a few days of noon reporting data, but manually maintaining their in-house metocean database and interpolating voyage conditions from that was slowing them down.

The solution: Free to focus on what they do best

Coach Solutions looked around for a new service.

“Tidetech had a very smooth API. We could remove all the responsibility from ourselves and just enter a time and coordinates to get accurate metocean data,” Sørensen said.

That data includes wind speed and direction, wind wave height, wind wave period, wind wave direction, swell height, swell direction, swell period and surface current speed and direction.

“The wave period is important, because we work with many vessels that are 60-80 metres long. They can be heavily affected by Atlantic Ocean waves which can have a similar wavelength. That can increase resistance significantly, so we can’t just look at wave height, we also need the wave curve.”

Tidetech also had a reputation for providing good current data, Sørensen said, which was an important consideration for Coach Solutions as this data is important for calculating loss of vessel speed over time.

“Currents affect speed directly, so a 10 percent change in speed, that’s normal for current, can have quite a big effect at any vessel speed. Using Tidetech’s data, we usually get within one or two percentage points in the normalisation of the data that enables us to detect changes in speed loss.”

The company’s Valid Performance solution compares the vessel’s actual performance with its ideal performance and quantifies the difference. To do so, it combines data from noon reports with AIS and hindcast weather data and compares them with its naval architecture-based digital twin models.

“We can advise ship operators and charterers much faster with accurate data, because we need a much shorter time to assess the performance of the vessel. Our clients can therefore avoid sending a vessel on a long voyage while it is performing poorly simply because they can’t do anything until they get it to the next port for hull cleaning.”

The advice can also be used for preparing charter party terms, ensuring the most up-to-date performance figures are available. Post-charter, Coach Solutions provides data for the assessment of whether the vessel fulfilled the contract terms or whether certain voyage days need to be excluded.

Coach Solutions also responds to customer requests to assess coating performance. Ocean currents are one of the factors that can affect the laminar flow of water around the hull.

“Our job is to evaluate that effect, and we need wind, wave and current data so we can normalise performance data and assess how well the coating is working,” Sørensen said.

The results: Meeting client needs

Coach Solutions can now predict changes in vessel speed loss that are accurate to within two percent. The company can predict vessel performance in just a few days instead of the weeks typically required with less accurate models. This enables them to advise clients on the need for early hull maintenance action which in turn saves tonnes of fuel and emissions daily. This same speed and accuracy enables them to provide performance reports for charter party compliance checking without delay at the end of a voyage.

Coach Solutions prides itself on the high level of expertise and service it provides to clients, and these results have led to a growing number of clients and software partnerships where their solutions are incorporated into third-party offerings such as DNV’s Veracity platform or the Nextvoyage Voyage Management System.

Sørensen values Tidetech’s data and support and says Coach Solutions, while only currently using hindcast data, is looking to expand on that in the future and use Tidetech forecast data for pre-voyage planning.

Blog

S‑100 readiness is bigger than any one data layer — that’s good for ports

Blog, Commercial, Ports, S-100 · Jamie Millar · 5 minutes min read · March 17, 2026

In its article Data readiness for S‑100: the ports’ perspective, the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) explains how ports are operating under increasing pressure — larger ships, tighter margins, more traffic, and rising expectations for the quality and consistency of navigational data. The shift to S-100 is part of a wider rethink of how ports manage constrained water space, share information and make operational decisions.

If ports are to benefit from emerging S‑100-enabled systems, the seabed must be mapped at a resolution and consistency that supports modern visualisation and analysis. As the UKHO notes, traditional survey data — good enough for earlier generations of charts — can struggle when placed alongside higher‑resolution digital layers or used for more demanding operational scenarios.

The existing data isn’t wrong, exactly, the industry is simply asking more of it than ever before, which is where this conversation needs to open up.

Tidetech’s S-100 focus is on dynamic environmental layers such as S‑104 water levels and S‑111 surface currents — datasets that complement the UKHO’s emphasis on the seabed by revealing how the water column behaves above it. Ports need higher‑quality data across the board if they are to improve their operational efficiencies and meet sustainability goals.

The seabed is foundational — so is what happens above it

The UKHO is clear that data readiness begins with understanding what you have — e.g. where the bathymetry is sufficiently detailed, where it is not, and how well it supports emerging uses. For ports moving towards S‑100, modern multibeam bathymetry is indeed a prerequisite. It enables better under‑keel clearance (UKC) assessment, sharper situational awareness and improved safety margins.

But once that foundation is in place, the next question is how does the environment above that seabed behave?

Ports know that water levels and currents often govern the real operational envelope. A channel may be physically navigable, but an ebb tide or a cross‑stream current at a bend can transform a routine movement into a challenge.

S-102, S-104, and S-111 work in harmony, turning precise depth into meaningful, time‑varying navigable depth, and turning static charts into dynamic decision tools.

Where theory meets practice — three port examples

The UKHO’s article uses the Solent to show how data gaps and variations become clear once higher‑resolution bathymetry is applied. It’s a familiar example for Tidetech. We’ve been modelling Solent tidal streams for many years, and the interaction between precise bathymetry and dynamic currents is exactly where ports and pilots start to see the operational benefits of S‑100 in full.

A few examples illustrate how complementary these layers are:

Irish Sea (Milford Haven): High‑resolution S‑111‑ready current data reveals windows for deep‑draught vessels that are invisible from depth alone — especially in regions where slack water is brief and tidal flow gradients are steep
The Solent: The Solent’s well‑known cross‑streams, eddies and tidal accelerations often dictate manoeuvrability, making S‑111‑quality current fields essential for under keel clearance and pilotage planning
Port Philip Bay: Port Philip Bay in Victoria contains the ports of Melbourne and Geelong. Geelong is an agriculture and grain port. S-104 water levels can enable grain ships to manage their loading to much finer margins by understanding their under-keel clearance more accurately. Every grain of grain can mean a better economic outcome for the ship, port, and grain exporter.

Tidetech chief scientist Dr. Roger Proctor said the lack of dynamic data has limited ports in the decisions they can make around timing, under keel clearance, spill tracking and other operational situations.

“In the end, it’s the combination of data that matters,” Proctor said.

“Depth, tide and current each tell part of the story. Put them together and you get clarity of data that ports can operationalise for efficiency gains and sustainability outcomes.”.

A shared goal — better operational decisions

The UKHO outlines several benefits for ports adopting higher‑quality data — greater confidence over constrained water space, improved operational resilience and better alignment across the port ecosystem. Each of these outcomes gains further strength when dynamic layers are added to the picture.

Confidence: Under‑keel clearance depends as much on water level as it does on depth
Resilience: When conditions shift — storm surge, spring tides, sudden current reversals — real‑time environmental data helps ports adapt without guesswork
Operational alignment: Charterers, pilots, terminal operators and VTS teams make better decisions when they’re working from the same time‑varying information, not a collection of static snapshots

A converging path forward

S‑100 is deliberately modular. No single organisation owns the whole journey, and no single data layer provides the complete answer. As the UKHO notes, preparing for S‑100 begins by understanding the data you have today, where it is strong, where it may fall short, and how it meets emerging use cases. Then asking how dynamic data behaves in those same operational contexts.

Ports that invest early will be the ones best placed to seize the benefits of digital navigation.

That’s a future we’re all working towards.

S-100 services

Operational S‑104 water levels and S‑111 surface currents, ready for real‑world use.

How 2025 Sydney to Hobart winning navigator Andy Green uses Tidetech to win races

Blog, Recreational, Sailing · Jamie Millar · 10 minutes min read · March 11, 2026

When super maxi Master Lock Comanche swept across the line to claim line honours in the 2025 Rolex Sydney to Hobart, the spotlight naturally fell on the hundred footer’s size, speed and crew work. But deep in the background was the quiet, methodical craft of Andy Green, the boat’s navigator and one of the most respected technical brains on the international racing circuit.

Green is not the sort of navigator who emerges from a darkened nav station to declare a single, heroic tactical call. His work is slower, more computational, and grounded in a blend of meteorology, data analysis and patience.

When we spoke with him in early February, he was just wrapping up a rare break in Sydney before moving to the UK to embark on a 2026 calendar that looks as if someone accidentally combined two professional sailors’ schedules.

We wanted to ask about how he uses Tidetech’s oceanographic data to win races. One thing came through clearly.

“Tidetech is essential,” he said.

“It’s the most accurate tidal modelling I’ve come across.”

This is how a modern navigator uses tides and current for success.

The making of a navigator

Green fell into navigation young. Around eighteen, he found himself with a deck screen thrust into his hands aboard a Farr 40 in Sydney. ‘Here you go, have a try at this,’ was the loose instruction. It stuck.

While he was honing his sailing in match racing, he also found himself drawn to bigger, more technical boats offshore, especially the competitive TP52 fleet that dominated Sydney’s blue water scene a decade ago.

“I was lucky,” he said. “You had people like Will Oxley around. You couldn’t put a foot wrong. It pushed me to learn the science properly.”

That curiosity led him to study a naval architecture degree. Then, when the pandemic stopped racing entirely, he went back to university, this time for meteorology at Penn State.

Today, he speaks about navigation less as a seafaring art and more as a form of applied engineering.

“It’s almost like being a race engineer in motorsport,” he said.

“You’re building a model of the boat, feeding in weather, currents, polars… trying to eliminate uncertainty at every step.”

What a navigator actually does

For many club sailors, a navigator is simply the person who keeps the boat ‘off the bricks’. For professionals, that ‘safely A-to-B’ role is still essential, but the full job is closer to running a live scientific experiment while bouncing round inside a barrel in a waterfall.

Green breaks it down like this:

Weather modelling: tracking the major global models — ECMWF, GFS, ACCESS — verifying their performance against real‑world observations in the days before a race
Boat modelling: polars are refined regularly to ensure routing inputs are realistic
Data validation: sea surface temperature (SST) charts are compared with current models to identify which model matches observable reality
Routing inputs: all of this is blended inside navigation software such as Expedition or Adrena to produce guidance (not answers) for the next hour, six hours, or twenty‑four

“Sometimes the models are spot‑on, other times they’re wildly different,” Green said.

“Your job is to know which tools you can trust at any given moment.”

That’s where tides and currents become decisive.

Master Lock Comanche - 2025 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race 2 - image from 9 News Youtube

Why tides matter more than most sailors think

In the 2023 Fastnet Race, Green recalls 40 knots of wind blowing against 3–5 knots of current off Portland Bill.

“It created these horrible, boat‑breaking seaways,” he said.

“We spent the first six hours of the race just trying not to destroy the boat.”

Likewise, in the 2025 Sydney to Hobart, the hundred‑footers discounted the offshore route where a helpful two‑knot southbound current was available.

“The southerly against that current would’ve given us three‑metre, near‑square waves. You can’t win the race if the boat doesn’t survive the first day.”

In both cases, currents shaped the strategy. But to make those calls, you need to trust the data. And that’s where Tidetech appears repeatedly in his toolbox.

“We won a race or two… because of Tidetech’s modelling”

Green’s endorsement is not casual. When discussing his use of Tidetech in the Admiral’s Cup, he doesn’t hedge.

“We won a race or two in the Admiral’s Cup because of Tidetech’s modelling,” he said

He is painstaking about model validation, which makes the comment all the stronger. During the event, the teams he was supporting studied three competing tidal models for the Solent and English Channel. Each was tested against the yacht’s measured set and drift, checked against SST imagery, and observed at times of maximum tidal complexity.

“We kept coming back to Tidetech,” he said.

“It was consistently the closest to reality — within about five degrees of the yacht’s set, and within 0.1 knots of drift.”

That level of precision isn’t theoretical. It produced race‑winning decisions in the inshore series. At one point, Green and a rival boat were the only crews confident enough to sail a minute-and-a-half past the ‘live’ layline — because the Tidetech Grib file showed the accelerating Solent current would sweep them back exactly to the mark. It did.

“Those are the moments you win races,” he said. “When your tools are right.”

Hamilton Island, the Whitsundays, and taking the confusion out of it

Although Green spends most of his time on big offshore programmes, he’s quick to point out how Tidetech helps in places that flummox even experienced sailors.

“Hamilton Island Race Week and the Whitsundays are complicated,” he said.

“People really appreciate having [the tidal data] there in an easily readable format. It just takes so much confusion out of it.”

The waters around the islands can behave in ways that local memory and tide tables simply fail to predict. For many sailors — especially those stepping up from club racing — having a clear graphical view of what the water is doing becomes a genuine competitive edge.

[See Andy interviewed at the 2024 Hamilton Island Race Week talking about Tidetech — by Bow Caddy Media]

Andy Green interviewed at Hamilton Island Race Week talking about Tidetech

A toolset that spans from laptops to printouts

It’s easy to assume that elite navigation requires racks of hardware and custom systems. In truth, Green’s workflow spans from high‑end modelling software to simple, practical aids.

At the top of the stack is Expedition, which he says remains “a vital piece of kit”. He augments it with weather tools, ocean models, performance suites, and third‑party analytics. Larger programmes, such as America’s Cup or SailGP‑derived race simulators, feed into his broader preparation.

But he is quick to point out that the fundamentals scale down.

“For weekend racers, you don’t need the whole setup,” he said.

“Even a simple visual reference, like Tidetech in a browser window, gives you an edge. If you know there’s three‑tenths of a knot running one way, or that it’s uniform across the course, that’s already better information than most people have.”

He notes that he still uses PDF current charts or printed tide booklets when needed. Sophistication is sometimes optional, knowledge is not.

“Tides matter. The more accurately you can model them, the more certainty you have. That’s why Tidetech is part of everything I do.”

What’s next for Andy Green

If the Hobart win looked like a career high point, 2026 suggests otherwise. Green is about to move to Norfolk, England to be closer to the European circuits. His calendar is a sprint.

He’s supporting an Etchells world championship campaign in San Diego, has races in Sardinia, Sorrento, Palma and Saint Tropez, is joining a J Class programme aboard Rainbow, continues development work for the 2027 Admiral’s Cup, and is expecting to compete in the Aegean 600. [Editor’s note: The Aegean 600 looks amazing! Check out this video.]

“It’s probably too much,” he admits with a laugh. “But I’m very lucky.”

Andy’s 2026 programme:

San Diego Etchell Worlds — weather and data support
Sardinia Cup — Jolt TP52
IMA Maxi Championships in Sorrento — Jolt Maxi 72
Palma Superyacht Cup — Rainbow J-Class
Cowes Week — Beau Geste
Hamilton Island Race Week — Beau Ideal
Maxi Worlds in Porto Cervo — Jolt Maxi 72
Le Voilles de Saint Tropez — Rainbow J-Class

Sailing

Tides and currents for competitive performance or optimised passage planning.

Why S-100 sea trials matter for the future of navigation

Blog, Commercial, S-100 · Jamie Millar · 10 minutes min read · December 10, 2025

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) and France’s national hydrographic and oceanographic office, Shom, have launched what is arguably the most ambitious test of S-100 data standards yet. Their international sea trials programme, running under the International Hydrographic Organisation’s (IHO) coordinated testbed framework, is not just a technical exercise, it’s a glimpse into the future of maritime navigation.

What’s happening

Since August, UKHO has been working with partners including Raymarine and DFDS to deploy S-100-enabled ECDIS aboard the Stena Vinga ferry, navigating from Portsmouth to Jersey. Early next year, the trials will extend across the English Channel to Saint-Malo — a route chosen for its tidal complexity and cross-border challenges.

The trials will test six interoperable S-100 data layers in live navigation scenarios:

S-101 Electronic navigational charts
S-102 Bathymetric surface
S-104 Water levels
S-111 Surface currents
S-124 Navigational warnings
S-128 Catalogue of nautical products

Multiple ECDIS and portable pilot unit manufacturers are involved, from Furuno to Navtor, ensuring that interoperability — the key to S-100 — is front and centre.

Why this matters

S-100 isn’t just a new standard, it’s a framework designed to make maritime data richer, smarter and more connected. By harmonising data formats across borders and systems, S-100 promises safer navigation, better decision-making and, ultimately, more sustainable operations.

Instead of static charts, vessels will have access to layered, real-time and forecast information — tides, currents, warnings — integrated into a single view. This could be transformative for efficiency and safety.

Spotlight on S-104 and S-111

Among the six layers being trialled, two stand out for their operational impact (and because it’s some of what we do at Tidetech!):

S-104 water levels — vital for ports and tidal waterways, enabling precise under-keel clearance and optimised routing
S-111 surface currents — critical for voyage planning, fuel efficiency and emissions reduction

These datasets turn environmental variables into actionable intelligence. This intelligence supports a variety of outcomes, including optimised departure times, speed optimisation in restricted navigation channels, fewer delays, better under keel clearance management, and lower fuel consumption (and therefore reduced emissions).

Industry collaboration and Tidetech’s role

The UKHO-Shom trials are a milestone for the industry. They show what’s possible when hydrographic offices, technology providers and end users work together.

At Tidetech, we support this broader movement. Our high-resolution English Channel and Solent models are being used in other S-100 evaluations. We’ve also created S-104 and S-111 datasets for trials in different regions, working alongside partners including UKHO and the Australian Hydrographic Office, and various ECDIS manufacturers.

What this demonstrates is that S-100 readiness isn’t a one-off event — it’s a global effort. Every dataset, every trial contributes to a shared goal — making navigation safer, smarter and more sustainable.

Looking ahead

The insights from these trials will feed directly into IHO standards and guidance, shaping how S-100 is implemented worldwide. For shipowners, pilots and ports, that means clarity on what to expect — and confidence that new systems will deliver real-world benefits.

As Thomas Mellor of UKHO put it, these trials are about ensuring products are “fit for purpose before wider release”. That’s good news for everyone who depends on the sea.

S-100 is coming. These trials show how we’re making progress, and how collaboration is critical to getting us the rest of the way.

Read the news of the trial via the UKHO here.

S-100 services

Operational S‑104 water levels and S‑111 surface currents, ready for real‑world use.

From tides to tech — how Tidetech became a quiet force in ocean intelligence

Blog, Commercial, Recreational, S-100, Sailing · Jamie Millar · 10 minutes min read · November 27, 2025

From dockside to data-driven

The company began in 2008 as a partnership between Haire and world-renowned oceanographer Dr Roger Proctor. Together, they paired deep scientific expertise with real-world maritime experience. Haire, a former professional sailor and navigation trainer, recognised the gap: high-quality ocean data existed, but it wasn’t accessible to the people who needed it most.

Their first test case was elite sailing. Ahead of the 2008 Sydney to Hobart race, Tidetech produced a digital dataset of the East Australian Current and loaded it onto USB sticks. Haire walked the docks, handing them to navigators.

The result? Fifteen boats used the data. The two winners — line honours and handicap — among them.

That moment launched Tidetech into the world of performance sailing. From there, they became a trusted supplier for international campaigns, including the 2011–12 Volvo Ocean Race — a gruelling round-the-world competition where ocean currents can make or break a leg — and as a technical supplier to the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco. They sold their data package to the whole event — all the teams, the race director, TV coverage, commentators and umpires used it.

“That was a big win,” Haire said, “It gave us good visibility.”

From racers to cruise ships

It was coverage of the Volvo campaign that proved a turning point. As the team delivered complex data products for ocean currents, they caught the attention of Carnival, the cruise line operator.

“Carnival got very interested in our data for the Caribbean and the Gulf Stream because they have a lot of vessels operating there,” Haire said.

“Over time, we gradually got yacht racing software onto some cruise ships as that was the only way they could use the data at the time. It led to us meeting the manufacturers of their bridge equipment and we worked to get the data directly into their systems.”

From there, the business evolved quickly. With global shipping under pressure to cut fuel use, emissions and transit times, accurate ocean data became a valuable new lever for optimisation. Tidetech delivered high-resolution tidal models for key choke points like the Malacca and Singapore Straits, enabling ships to time their passage with the tide and save both fuel and money in the process.

AUstralian Commercial Marine Group 2026 directory featuring Tidetech

Today: science meets application

From racing yachts to cruise liners, port authorities to hydrographic offices, Tidetech’s data is now used around the world. The company offers detailed modelling of ocean and tidal currents, sea surface temperature, salinity and other physical properties of seawater, all through an operational lens.

“Our job is to turn science into something you can use on the bridge of a ship, in a port’s planning software, or in your routing model,” Haire said.

“It’s not just about having the best data, it’s about getting it into the right format, in the right place, for the right use case.”

What sets Tidetech apart is this focus on application. The team includes world-leading scientists, developers and maritime specialists who understand not just how to build ocean models, but how to embed them into real-world systems — from recreational navigation software to onboard electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS).

One milestone that quietly marked Tidetech’s global reach came when asked to create a tidal height app for a large technology company in 2023.

“This company wanted to build a tidal height app for one of its consumer devices,” Haire said.

“We suggested we could provide seamless coverage of tides everywhere in the world — not just at ports, which is what most people have, but a continuous surface of tidal height data, every nautical mile along the coast and out to around 20 miles offshore.”

The model blends satellite observations with tide gauge data to generate a globally consistent picture. “It takes a fair bit of IP and know-how to pull together,” she said.

“But the customer was happy — and the data is now running in a dedicated app that’s been live for about a year.”

The next wave: S-100 and the digital sea

Looking forward, Tidetech is positioning itself at the forefront of a major global shift — the adoption of S-100, the new universal standard for digital maritime data exchange.

Developed by the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO), S-100 is set to revolutionise how navigational and ocean data is shared, visualised and used. It replaces outdated formats with a modern, extensible framework — one that allows for dynamic, layered, high-resolution data products on the bridge of every ship.

And Tidetech is ready.

“We’ve been preparing for S-100 for a while,” Haire said. “It allows for seamless integration of oceanographic data into navigation systems — not just charts, but currents, tides, wave models.”

For a company that’s always lived at the intersection of science and software, it’s a natural evolution. S-100 adoption will standardise what Tidetech has been doing all along — but it also opens the door to wider adoption, broader interoperability, and even regulatory uptake.

“We’re not a data company in the abstract,” Haire said. “We’re here to help people make better decisions at sea — whether they’re racing a yacht, piloting a ship, or managing emissions across a fleet.”

It’s a quietly ambitious mission, from a small company with global reach. As the maritime world goes digital, Tidetech is ready to lead — with science in its sails.

S-100 services

Operational S‑104 water levels and S‑111 surface currents, ready for real‑world use.

Alantra’s report spotlights Tidetech in the race to maritime decarbonisation

Blog, Commercial · Jamie Millar · 10 minutes min read · November 26, 2025

Data is the new deckhand

Tidetech’s strength lies in turning complex oceanographic data into actionable intelligence for better decisions at sea. By integrating high-resolution tidal, current, and environmental data into voyage planning tools and ship systems, it enables operators to sail more efficiently, reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

Alantra’s report positions companies like Tidetech as essential to the near-term progress of decarbonisation. While ship retrofits and alternative fuels will take years to scale, software-driven efficiency gains are ready now. These are pragmatic tools already proven to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

From tide tables to transformation

It’s telling that the report highlights ‘digital-first enablers’ as a distinct class of decarbonisation leaders. Solutions that help vessels optimise routing, adjust speed, and better time transits through congested or tidal waters offer compounding gains. Tidetech’s contribution in this space exemplifies the sector’s shift from blunt instruments to precision navigation.

Critically, this aligns with growing support for the S-100 framework — the new global standard for maritime data exchange. Though not mentioned explicitly in the report, the implications are clear — interoperable, machine-readable data will be the backbone of tomorrow’s bridge systems. Tidetech is already building for that world with data solutions for S-104 and S-111 (water levels and surface currents respectively), with its data being tested actively by hydrographic offices in key locations in the UK and Australia.

Why it matters now

In a market where long-term technology bets capture the attention, digital optimisation is critical for three reasons: it’s here, it’s affordable, and it works. These are solutions that don’t require new ships, new fuels, or regulatory overhauls — they need only strategic distribution partnerships and adoption.

For policymakers, port authorities, and fleet managers seeking credible steps on the road to net zero, companies like Tidetech are no longer niche. They are necessary.

Download the Alantra Maritime Decarbonisation Leaders report here.

S-100 services

Operational S‑104 water levels and S‑111 surface currents, ready for real‑world use.

Discover Maritime Innovations — data-driven decisions for lower emissions

Blog, Commercial · Jamie Millar · 5 minutes min read · November 25, 2025

Stand-out talks for us:

Michael Eaglen from EV Maritime shared a compelling global outlook on ferry electrification. This stat stood out: 75% of Auckland Transport’s ferry services burn more fuel than the car journeys they displace. Some ferry services have 2.5x the emissions of cars, and 5x those of diesel busses for the same passenger trips.

Tom Loefler at Hullbot demonstrated how autonomous robotic hull cleaning can significantly improve fuel consumption and emissions by reducing biofouling. It can also lead to reducing the frequency for repainting the hulls with antifoul.

Zac Pullen from Greenroom Robotics showed us how a 12-metre electric autonomous survey vessel is able to replace a 55-metre crewed vessel, resulting in an 80% saving in fuel and emissions.

Roger had the opportunity to present on voyage optimisation — a collaboration between Tidetech and DeepSea Technologies. By combining high-resolution environmental data with maritime-specific AI, we’re helping ship operators make smarter decisions about speed and route, reducing fuel use and emissions across both long-haul and coastal voyages.

It’s clear that innovation is not just happening, it’s accelerating — and the key is to create collaborative hubs like MERC to bring innovators together. The future of maritime sustainability will grow with partnerships like these, where data, technology and operational insight come together to deliver measurable impact.

Thanks again to MERC and all the speakers for an inspiring day. Let’s keep the momentum going.

S-100 services

Operational S‑104 water levels and S‑111 surface currents, ready for real‑world use.

The changing tides in the English Channel

Blog, Commercial · Kate Reid · 5 minutes min read · March 4, 2021

The English Channel is complex, and it’s busy

The English Channel is home to some of the strongest and most complex tides in Europe. It is one of the most heavily trafficked locations in the world, with many different types of vessels transiting east and west through the Channel or crossing between ports in southern England and Europe.

The image below depicts the density of traffic for four types of vessels that typically cross the English Channel, as well as the routes they usually take (Image source: Emodnet vessel density English channel)

Visual display of maritime traffic density in the English Channel

It’s no surprise that the combination of complicated tides and a heavily congested area poses a logistical challenge and significantly impacts all water users in different ways. For example, strong tides in opposition to strong wind and waves cause rough seas, impacting safety.

The unusual phenomena of double high and low tides

Certain places on the English coast (such as Southampton ) experience ‘double-high waters’, and other places (such as Portland) experience ‘double-low waters’. This is due to the complex interaction between the major tidal harmonics and some minor shallow-water tidal harmonics.

In some areas, the topographic amplification of these non-linear minor tidal constituents brings the water level up to a point where they influence the major, twice-a-day tidal model that we see below.

Watch above: Our simulation of tidal height in the English Channel.

This phenomenon is observed in other places around the world where there is an extreme tidal range – such as the Bay of Fundy in Canada.

The reason that the double-high and double-low tides are so important for vessels navigating the English Channel, is that deep draft vessels are able to use the extra-long period of high tide to their advantage, when the depth of water is sufficient to leave or enter port.

The best example of this is Southampton, where the double-high tide has proven extremely effective in enabling vessels to have a much longer opportunity to load and unload their cargo. One of Southampton’s biggest issues is having to navigate a particularly tight turn on the eastern side, and the double-high tide helps vessels safely make this turn.

On the flip side of this, once the double-high tide has passed, the tide ebbs exceptionally quickly – which makes it even more critical for vessels to have accurate tidal information at their disposal.

Dangerous tidal races, rips and overfalls

Another element that makes the English Channel notoriously tricky is tidal races, rips and overfalls. The most significant of these is the perilous Portland Bill tidal race, notorious amongst sailors as a hazard to be avoided, even in calm weather.

The Portland Bill tidal race

The significant geographic feature that makes up the Portland Bill tidal race is a prominent headland that protrudes into the Channel. The passage of the tide east and west along the Channel is constricted by this projection, causing eddies to form on each side. This results in south going tide on both sides for ten hours out of twelve and very turbulent seas where the different water flows meet.

These conditions create overfalls, which are short breaking waves caused by the tide. Add gale-force winds and waves from the west or east and the area around Portland Bill becomes a dangerous place to be in any kind of vessel.

You see just how dramatic these waters become in the video here, capturing the 2015 storm ‘Frank’ in the Portland Bill (credit Stuart Morris).

Cap de la Hague

Another area worth mentioning is Cap de la Hague, which sits on the French side of the English Channel. Due to the English Channel’s geography, it has extreme tidal currents, the strongest recorded at 13 knots.

Similar dangerous races are observed on many of the headlands in the English Channel, and navigators must take care not to be caught there in bad weather.

Using tidal models to navigate the English Channel

All of the factors mentioned above make navigating the English Channel an interesting and challenging task for vessels, sailors, swimmers and fishermen – requiring thorough preparation and knowledge of the expected tidal currents before departure.

The modern way to navigate the English Channel’s complexities is to use a tidal model to forecast the currents’ speed and direction.

If you’d like to find out more information about our English Channel Tidal model, click here to download a sample dataset FREE.

Tidetech regional high resolution tidal model solent banner

Regional high-resolution models

Inside track – how Tidetech’s data influences real tactical decisions

Blog, Recreational, Sailing · Kate Reid · 5 minutes min read · December 1, 2011

Strategic decisions in can be made and planned in advance

Tidetech has supported many races and regattas around the world over the past few years… but how does the data actually get used and how does it influence tactical decisions?

Accessing the data: From GRIB files to onboard systems

There are a variety of ways tacticians can access Tidetech’s tidal and ocean current data – in GRIB format through tactical navigation software, via the online viewer, on PC, iPad, laptop or plotter.

With forward-looking data, tactical and strategic decisions can be made and planned well in advance.

Two True’s 2009 Sydney to Hobart win

The 2009 Sydney to Hobart overall winner, Two True (Beneteau First 40), used Tidetech’s data and gained a crucial advantage that year.

“Bryan Northcote helped us get set-up with the Tidetech service and Expedition software,” said Les de Wit, owner of Two True.

“He also developed our routing for the 2009 race.

“The influence of the East Australian Current on the Hobart race varies from year to year, however in 2009 it was a definite factor and based on Tidetech’s data it was established we would benefit from travelling extra miles east to find the strong southerly current.

“We stuck to this plan and it worked out well. Interestingly, we lost our internet connection for much of the race.”

Two True employs Tidetech’s data onboard through a laptop with Expedition software and C-Map charts. As well as Tidetech, the team also subscribes to a weather service and they say the combination of these data services is critical in their race preparation and routing. They also run a tablet system on deck, connected to the laptop, along with iPad and iPhone, and are able to access the internet through this selection of devices as everything is WiFi enabled.

What the navigators say

Phile Eadie, navigator on Victoire (Beneteau First 45) has used Tidetech since the early days and said it was one more element that informs the tactical decisions.

“It’s hard to be specific [about how exactly the data has influenced a race] as there are so many factors involved in winning a race,” Mr Eadie said.

“But I now always use Tidetech – and have done since arranging to meet Penny and learn about the data when Tidetech was starting up.

In a recent article in Australian Sailing + Yachting, Will Oxley, navigator aboard Volvo Ocean Race yacht Camper, gave his view of Tidetech’s data.

“We use Tidetech through Expedition software on a laptop and one of the critical elements for me is also the sea surface temperature data combined with the current plot.”

“It’s great we have access to the Tidetech data for this edition of the Volvo Ocean race,” Oxley said.

“I have been using the Tidetech data all over the world now for several years and it has significantly added to my arsenal of tools as a navigator.

“Tidetech is now a standard tool for most of the top navigators in Australia on the east coast circuit and the Sydney-Hobart race.”

Tidetech’s Penny Haire said the data works best in tactical routing software when tacticians trust the output.

“We’ve designed our data to integrate with tactical software in conjunction with meteorological data so it can produce an optimised route,” Penny said.

“Currents and tidal streams may vary in speed from as little as fractions of a knot to several knots but it all adds to overall performance.

“This means it has to be taken into consideration and the boats that use the data well, get an advantage.

“But we also recognise that not every yacht and crew has or needs professional-level navigation tools so we have developed the online viewer and PDF generator that delivers a very effective level of data about both tidal streams and ocean currents.”

Les de Wit believes technology is playing an increasingly important part in sailing.

“Being able understand what the current is doing, use it for routing and overlay the data onto electronic charts is definitely an important tool for navigation,” Mr de Wit said.

“A key benefit for us of the Tidetech service is how well in integrates with systems such as Expedition. I suspect nowadays such data is standard kit for any serious team.”

Sailing

Tides and currents for competitive performance or optimised passage planning.

Why “our data is 50 percent more accurate” does not mean anything in ocean modelling

In this article

What ‘accuracy’ really means in hydrodynamic modelling

More data doesn’t necessarily mean better models

Understanding metocean processes over space and time

What modelling expertise means for those putting it in practice

Having the confidence to lead

Voyage and vessel optimisation

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