French term (edited): courant accostant/decostant

Very low confidence level, but based on a more common usage of "vent accostant", an onshore wind. might this fit the context?

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Note added at 41 mins (2013-01-03 12:30:49 GMT)
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As in "côte" for "coast" and "a/dé" for "on/off", thus "onshore/offshore".

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Note added at 44 mins (2013-01-03 12:34:05 GMT)
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http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/swces/products/publicatio...

OFFSHORE CURRENTS: (1) Currents outside the SURF ZONE. (2) Any current flowing away from the SHORE. See Figure 7.

OFFSHORE WIND: A wind blowing seaward from the land in the coastal area.

ONSHORE: A direction landward from the SEA.

ONSHORE CURRENT: Any current flowing towards the SHORE.

ONSHORE WIND: A wind blowing landward from the SEA.

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Note added at 48 mins (2013-01-03 12:38:24 GMT)
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Onshore/offshore are used in VO texts in French in surfing, kitesurfing etc and are even to be found in erudite FR language doctoral sources :

http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/32/11/80/PDF/These-C...

p124 : "Les directions du courant sont onshore sur le platier récifal et traduisent une entrée d’eau continue pour toutes les phases de marée. Ce courant onshore peut également être influencé par la brise de mer qui pousse les masses d’eau en direction de la côte, justifiant ainsi les vitesses plus élevées
enregistrées la journée. La nuit, avec une légère brise de terre, les courants conservent leur orientation onshore avec cependant une intensité plus faible."

p126 : "Ce courant offshore au niveau du platier récifal est également observé en marée de mortes-eaux (non illustrées ici), avec des renversements onshore à la moitié de la marée montante ainsi que pour l’étale de marée haute. Les vitesses du courant sur le platier récifal en mortes-eaux sont beaucoup plus
faibles, de l’ordre de 5 cm.s-1 en moyenne, avec des maximums enregistrés à 20 cm.s-1
."

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Note added at 50 mins (2013-01-03 12:40:07 GMT)
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I used to surf and on the Quiberon coast, even 20 years ago, it was common to talk about "du onshore, du offshore" for wind and currents. If this reading fits your context, then I think you may have a possible solution for "accostant/décostant".

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Note added at 51 mins (2013-01-03 12:41:27 GMT)
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, given that "accoster" means to arrive from the sea and "décoster" to leave the coast/shore.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2013-01-03 14:03:08 GMT)
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When it comes to berthing manoeuvres, if you are are prepared to accept a link between "courant" and "vent accostant/décostant", as I have suggested throughout, then this may help : http://www.traitedemanoeuvre.fr/principes man quai_site.swf

Take a look in particular at the animations with the terms of reference.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2013-01-03 14:08:44 GMT)
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When it comes to berthing manoeuvres, if you are are prepared to accept a link between "courant" and "vent accostant/décostant", as I have suggested throughout, then this may help : http://www.traitedemanoeuvre.fr/principes man quai_site.swf

Take a look in particular at the animations with the terms of reference.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2013-01-03 14:19:00 GMT)
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Guide des termes de marine, petit dictionnaire thématique de marine, Le Chasse-Marée/Ar Men, p90 :

"accoster : accoster à quai, c'est venir le long d'un quai ou d'un autre bateau; accoster la terre, c'est s'en rapprocher".

Adopting the second definition, accepting that its opposite may be "décoster", then "onshore/offshore" work. Accostant/décostant are not used commonly. In context, without further examples, or examples in more detailed situations, I see no other reading as possible.

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Note added at 5 hrs (2013-01-03 17:27:43 GMT)
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ON-BERTH/OFF-BERTH - vs - ONSHORE/OFFSHORE

There is no disagreement with the meaning of "accostant/décostant", to/from the shore. However, the choice of term is a little less clear.

On the one hand, the terms "on-berth/off-berth" exist (for wind and thus for currents). The only source I can track down for those terms is the one Australian one Michael refers too and it appears to be a perfectly sound reference. Further, also in favour of these terms is that they are apparently rare, with one or two hits on Google. That is also the case for "accostant/décostant", one or two with current and quite a few more for wind. If the rarity factor is of the essence, then it may be a good choice.

On the other hand, notwithstanding the rarity factor, in my experience, limited to a couple of years spent working in French/English department of a Luxembourg shipping mutual and over 20 years of translating maritime and nautical documents, in such contexts, "onshore" and "offshore" are totally standard terms when describing berthing manoeuvres. Whilst this can be an argument in favour of on/offshore, the opposite point of view can be justified. The fact that they are standard means they are perhaps not suitable for the terms posted.

There are arguments in support of both sets of terms. Target audience will come into it. I think it helpful for future reference that both sets of terms appear.