A Fine Kettle of Fish This Is!

[Roger Long]

Foggy day here on the Alligator River but nothing for a man from Maine. However, I'm now stuck in the middle of nowhere because they won't open the bridge in the fog. They are afraid cars won't see the stop lights.

I can see cars half a mile down the bridge. How much visibility do they need?

The bridge tender won't tell me how much visibility they need. It's up to his discretion. I guess I shouldn't have sworn at him.

With the current weather report, I could be here all day and maybe all night. I've got a meeting in DC and the tooth to take care of, this could really much up my plans.

(Just kidding, I didn't really swear at him.)

 

[essaunders]

He can obstruct navigation because of a worry that land traffic is stupid? I don't see that provision in the federal code. It would be a stretch to lump that under a reasonable consideration for land traffic.

 

[onecoolair]

Hey Roger does the bridge tender know you are in much pain and your dentist is on the other side of that bridge?

 

[Bill Roosa]

You could try a couple of things Roger:
1) call him every 5 minutes asking "Is it clear yet?" works for kids
2) Expend those old expired flares so they go over the bridge and scare the heck out of the traffic, causing it to stop and then call the tender .......
3) Declare a "tooth emergency" appealing to his humanity (your mileage may very)
4) Construct a parabolic reflector dish for your cabin speaker (have to dismount it) and play Ozzy Osborne at "max volume" with the dish aimed at the tender house. A bull horn would also work.
5) get out the search light and shine it on the tender house causing an annoying light show inside the shack till he complies

 

[Roger Long]

I lucked out. The fog scaled up for a few minutes and the tender had the bridge open before I even got the anchor aboard. Before I was half a mile past the bridge it was down to a eighth mile visibility again and thickening. I went through the the notorious and changing Middle Ground Shoal passage without reference to visual marks except for the red buoy I saw off to starboard after my GPS track from last fall had put me firmly in the mud. No problem, I backed off enough to turn around and drive though the mud back to the channel. Crossing the sound, visibility was down to a few boat lengths at best. I didn't see anything except the ghosts of a few day markers until well up into the North River.

 

[All U Get]

Reminds me of the story of a bridge tender in the northern part of NH along the Vt border that was running for election, a constipated cow, and a bugle. Now that's a story.
All U Get

 

[WayneH]

Bridge tenders in New Orleans. BAH!!! Especially the one just outside the south gates of the Industrial Canal lock. You have to call this pig (I got another name for her but I'm not sure if her mother was married.) on the SAME frequency as the lock. And she won't raise the bridge until you call her bridge specifically. I've traveled over 600 miles of the GICW and this bridge is the worst by far. Everybody else (even the bridges with a 4 hour notice) are great.

OK, off my soapbox before my blood pressure gets too high.

 

[Binnacle Bat]

Reminds me of the story of a bridge tender in the northern part of NH along the Vt border that was running for election, a constipated cow, and a bugle. Now that's a story.
All U Get

Gotta hear that one!

Allan
(elected official in NH)

 

[JustDucky]

We are on the AICW from Mystic, CT through FL and have found the bridge tenders to be extremely cooperative, friendly and helpful. They seem to be a good bunch for folks.

 

[Roger Long]

have found the bridge tenders to be extremely cooperative, friendly and helpful.

Even Socastee? After a specific request due to strong following stern current, he assured me the bridge would be open when I got there and then refused to even lower the gates until my bow was practically inside the fenders saying that I wasn't close enough to make a request yet. Great fun holding a boat with strong prop walk.

Skidaway was very helpful about the problem I had on the way up. Going down last year, however, he cleared me and the boat following through and then started lowering it on us with no radio call. Following current and the boat behind me didn't see the bridge movement because of the dodger. A very near thing and I almost couldn't make the turn without hitting the fenders even with one of the most nimble boats on the waterway. I screamed at him and he said, "Sorry, you're a minute late, I can't hold up these cars."

Other than that, my experience has been similar to yours.