Tides have been a subject of fascination and wonder for many people, for a very long time. When our lives are directly affected by the tides, typically we seek answers to several questions:
There exist many devices to inform us of the state of the tide, and there are many patents on this subject. Many tide "clocks" are now on the market, and virtually all of the ones which I have investigated are, in a sense, not really "clocks" (though pretty universally called that), in that a clock is a device that tells time, whereas these tide "clocks" tell of the state of the tide (whether it is high, low, or somewhere in between.) In the absence of a real clock, only the last two of the above questions can be answered. Therefore, often these tide "clocks" are placed near to a time clock, and by referring to both devices, and doing some mental arithmetic, the first two above questions can then also be answered. There are also tide and time clocks on the market, which of course are truly clocks., but they tell the state of the tide in the same manner as the "tide clocks" as described above, mid therefore still require some mental arithmetic to obtain all of the desired information about the tide.
The Wonsqueak Tide and Time Clock is different - it provides answers to all four of the above questions while also indicating time, without mental arithmetic qf any type. While both the Wonsqueak Tide and Time Clock and all other tide clocks on the market are based on the lunar cycle, the relationship between real time and tide indication is different. In the case of all current tide clocks, one revolution of the tide hand represents the average time between successive like tides. The rotational position of the tide hand is indicative of relative tide height, the 12:00 o'clock position of the tide hand indicating high tide, while the 6:00 o'clock position of this hand indicates low tide. In the case of the Wonsqueak Tide and Time Clock, rotational position of the tide indicating "hand" (in fact, a disc) is related to real time, as read on the clock dial; the "high" arrow pointing to the time of high tide, while the "low"arrow points to the time of low tide. Relative tide height is indicated by the thickness of the blue crescent shape (brought about by the eccentricity of the tide disc), at the time indicated by the hour hand of the clock. Both the Wonsqueak clock and the other tide clocks which are currently on the market are made for semi-diurnal (two tides per 24 hr. day) tides only. It would be practical to make any of these devices for diurnal (one tide per 24 hr. day) tides, but it would not be practical to adapt these concepts to mixed tides, such as those on the U.S. Pacific coast. Because of the many other factors (such as the shape of the ocean floor, the shape of the coastline, or the presence of some prevailing winds) all of the tide clocks, including the Wonsqueak Tide and Time Clock, are most accurate only once per lunar month, near the time of full moon.
A brief "historical" note: I became interested in tide clocks when I had occasion to see one in a friend's home, placed near, but not very near a time clock, and found myself always asking the questions regarding when the tide would be high or low, and being somewhat disappointed that I couldn't get that information directly. I proceeded to design my own clock, which was to overcome what I viewed as a shortcoming of the clock in my friend's home. Since all of this took place at Wonsqueak Harbor, I have called the results of my efforts the Wonsqueak Tide and Time Clock. I have a witnessed disclosure of my invention, and plan to obtain a patent on it.
Al Paschkis