Have you all seen this technique?

[irwin38aft]

http://www.wimp.com/mastbridge/

Wondering how the captain gets the weights out to heel in the first place?

Looks like he has lines to bring them back in.

 

[kito]

Those must be the guy's balls hanging off the lines. I certainly wouldn't have the stones to try that..........

 

[Ross]

The bags are water filled so the heel is self limiting. He hoists them until they are 62 feet from the mast head and allows them to swing out until his angle of heel is 37°

 

[jdhohmann]

http://www.wimp.com/mastbridge/

Wondering how the captain gets the weights out to heel in the first place?

Looks like he has lines to bring them back in.

We have had a boat or two in my part of the world do that. Its just to allow them to pass under a bridge, because of mast height. Once you have tried it once, its not that big of deal.... Mind you I personally have not needed to do it yet...

 

[Anonymous 121765]

Watching the video, I have to assume the skipper does this alot.

What I did like, was the calmness keeping everything in control. I would have to say he is a seasoned skipper.

Ps: What a great detailed boat. That's alot of varnished wood.

CR

 

[rgranger]

I've seen this video on here twice before... each time I cringe as the boat goes under the bridge... and I imagine the rudder losing its bite and the boat rounding up just as it reaches the bridge....

Yep, the guy has serious stones. Even when I know my bridge clearance is fine, I still get the hebejebes when I pass under a bridge.

 

[kito]

Would have to make sure the water is fairly flat too and no powerboaters on the other side putting up huge wakes. Maybe going out I may be able to try this. Coming in after a long day and a few adult libations....I don't thing so

 

[Anonymous 121765]

RG,

I also thought about your comment on his rudder bite but, looking at the boat again, it has to be a blue water sailor. I would hate to do this with a fin keel. I'll bet he has a pretty lengthy rudder.

CR

 

[Chris Patterson]

Your dink filled with water will more or less do the same thing..

 

[Head Sail]

allows them to swing out until his angle of heel is 37°

This might not be to good for his transmission. My Hurth says not to motor over 20 degrees of heel.

 

[Ron20324]

I'm on dialup, so have not looked at the video. There is a river from FL Atlantic Coast that flows inland(to Lake Okechobie? sp?). It is a routine thing that boats have to heel over to get under the bridge, and there is a business at the bridge that has the weights to use. I'm sure someone else on the forum has the proper facts/location.

 

[Chuckbear]

Ron, Your talking about the Okeechobee waterway from Stuart to Ft. Myers. The bridge at Port Mayaca is limited to 49 feet. There are other bridges that limit boats to 50 or 55 feet, depending on water level, on the Caloosahatchee River and there are no services to lean a boat over there. This won't work for multi-hulls. Chuck

 

[Benny17441]

The total weight of the bags is supported by the lines and it actually takes very little force to push them horizontally to get them started heeling the boat. By the same token they can easily pull on the retrieval lines to bring them in and reduce heel. The boat is only vulnerable for the short span of time it is under the bridge and the Captain by slowing or speeding his approach can decide when it is best to cross it. although the crew can reduce heel at any moment by pulling the retrieve lines I doubt they are capable of increasing the angle of heel which as a safety factor may be limited to well under the point of no return of 45+ degrees.

 

[mitiempo]

.... the point of no return of 45+ degrees.

45 degrees plus a lot - any well designed monohull has a point of no return well past 90 degrees.

 

[Brian D]

If one knows the height of the bridge above mean low tide, AND, if one knows the height of ones mast above the water line, THEN, one can use simple geometry to calculate the angle needed to clear the bridge. Ross said 37° and I calculated using arbitrary numbers about the same angle. I think it is initially hit and miss to find the correct weight needed to get one's boat to heel at the correct angle.

Marvelous.

 

[Ross]

The weights will always be hoisted so that their distance from masthead to weight bottom is less than bridge clearance height. Then they are filled with water and swung out with a control line until they are just above the water. (the drag would overwhelm steerage if they hit the water)But if you need 65 feet and hoist to 60 feet from masthead you have a 5 foot margin.

 

[kito]

The weights will always be hoisted so that their distance from masthead to weight bottom is less than bridge clearance height. Then they are filled with water and swung out with a control line until they are just above the water. (the drag would overwhelm steerage if they hit the water)But if you need 65 feet and hoist to 60 feet from masthead you have a 5 foot margin.

That makes sense. Using a 60 foot "plumb bob" instead of maintaining a certain heel angle seems like a better way to gauge mast height. Looks like one of his bags was just skimming the water. The guy has done this before

 

[shemandr]

I think it is initially hit and miss to find the correct weight needed to get one's boat to heel at the correct angle.

Hit or miss is the issue!

 

[Sailm8]

Over on this coast of Florida a boat in our group had this done. $200.00 by pulling along side in a johnboat, putting empty plastic drums on the toe rail. Then they start a gasoline powered water pump and fill them up. They stop when a line they have run up the mast with a couple of large nuts dangling from it touches the water. They have a log book with every boat, mast height, water level listed so they know exactly how to calculate everything. Pretty kewl to see.

 

[rgranger]

That makes sense. Using a 60 foot "plumb bob" instead of maintaining a certain heel angle seems like a better way to gauge mast height.

I agree

I think Ross nailed this one. If you had multiple bridges to clear, you could simply color code the line.