Best way to get under a low bridge

[rajhnsn]

On my recent trip down to the Chesapeake Bay from my home town north of Philadelphia, I had to go under a train bridge that I have requested an opening for several times in the past. The surprise this dreary 55 degree spring morning at high tide was that the response to the request for an opening from the Delair Train bridge was that the bridge was under repair and was not able to open. From the advertisement when I bought the boat, I was aware that the height above the water is 47 feet 2 inches on my boat. Could this really be trusted? The bridge operator said there was 49 feet showing but the tide was still coming in. It was another 45 minutes by the time I got to the bridge. It was showing 47 feet when we arrived. This was of course too close for comfort so I did a circle close to the bridge to see how close it actually was. For anyone who has ever done this it is very difficult to tell from the cockpit if you are going to hit or not, so we pulled away and headed back to the nearest Yacht Club up river from the bridge to wait for the tide to go down a few feet.
Bridesburg Yacht Club was more than generous and accommodating to our plight and allowed us to stay on their dock for a few hours. In the mean time we sent a rope to the top of the mast and measured it. Next we added the length from the top of the deck to the water. The result was close to 47 feet when we added the wind vane and antenna.
At about 11:00 we were ready for another try at the bridge. It showed 49 feet when we came up to it. Enough is as good as a feast of course but caution was called for just in case so I approached the bridge sideways and actually backed threw because of the strong current. My reasoning was that if we did hit, I would have better control moving forward into the current than if I had to pull back in reverse. My crew razed me for being too cautious and making a crazy maneuver under the bridge. What do you think? Should I have just gone for it?

 

[All U Get]

We have a mast of 63 feet and have lights, etc. on the masthead so we need 64+ to get under any bridge. The Atlantic ICW has accurate tide boards for nearly all the bridges and we routinely slow, stop, or turn around for any that don't read above 64 feet. We've had other boats pass us while going under causing a wake which nearly caused damage to our boat on several occasions. We also call other boats on the radio to get tide board readings before getting close to a bridge so we can anchor or find a marina to wait for the tide to lower. You made a good choice of waiting. Your next choice is the crew members allowed back on the next trip.

All U Get

 

[Tom G P-21]

If you want to see how to get under bridges look at videos for Three Rivers Race
A short clip

And a longer one from Dylan Winter

 

[njlarry]

You absolutely did the right thing.
Next time put the grousing crew out on the boom end swung out abeam to heel the boat.
or fly a drone

 

[woodster]

just cut off the crews supply of alcohol and then watch them really grouse

 

[Rich Stidger]

I plan to go south from RI to SC and the numerous 65' bridges give me nightmares. My mast is 63.5' plus a light, wind transducer, and VHF antenna. I think I need a full 65'++ to clear.
I have considered a plan to rig a wireless or wired camera that is attached to a gimbal mount so it always points horizontal and such that I can hoist it to the top of my mast to look out straight to a bridge. I was thinking that a pig-stick kind of rig like you would use for a masthead flag might work. Then I could evaluate the actual clearance from the cockpit as though I was at the masthead.
What do you think? Workable or dumb idea?

 

[Gunni]

Coming down the Delaware is one thing, but if you are headed south of the Ches Bay the only section you really need to consider being inside is Cape Hatteras - where the weather can stay bad for weeks. Everywhere else we just chill out and wait for weather Windows and go off, returning to port when warranted. Even with layovers it is quicker and no bridge nonsense.

 

[jssailem]

Clever idea. Might not like what you see. Spend to much time looking at the screen "Can I make it.... yes.... no... yes... no... SMACK. OOPS."
That might make an interesting youtube video.

Friend bought a Moody 47. Had his rigger check out the mast before sailing. Discovered a damaged mast head not disclosed in survey or by broker. Turns out during a return from a service yard clean up the boat worker bounced off the train bridge on west side of Ballard Locks in Seattle WA. Damaged the furler extrusion about 7-8 feet below the mast head which had been repaired, but the kiss was enough force to deform the forward end of thebmast head plate on the Selden mast. Mast has been in the yard for 2 months while the search for repair parts goes on estimated cost $7-10k maybe more.
Train bridge usually open - unless train due in the next 30 minutes. Boat worker distracted by text on phone.

Low bridges can be nasty things.

 

[Gunni]

Always send your surveyor to the masthead.

 

[capta]

I plan to go south from RI to SC and the numerous 65' bridges give me nightmares. My mast is 63.5' plus a light, wind transducer, and VHF antenna. I think I need a full 65'++ to clear.
I have considered a plan to rig a wireless or wired camera that is attached to a gimbal mount so it always points horizontal and such that I can hoist it to the top of my mast to look out straight to a bridge. I was thinking that a pig-stick kind of rig like you would use for a masthead flag might work. Then I could evaluate the actual clearance from the cockpit as though I was at the masthead.
What do you think? Workable or dumb idea?

If I were you I'd begin making my plans for an outside passage. I've done the ditch numerous times on sport fishing boats and truly love the trip, but there's no way I'd ever consider risking my rig on a bridge (never mind there are many to deal with, not just a few) and do the inside passage, even to avoid Cape Hatteras.
I seriously doubt any insurance company would pay off on the choice to attempt an inside passage with 65' air draft as well. If I remember correctly, the minimum clearance on the ACICW is 64' not 65', which may make things even tighter in some spots.

 

[John T1594]

We sail our Hunter 340 in the Barnegat Bay region of New Jersey (NOAA Chart 12324). There are two fixed span bridges that limit travel at each end of the bay and Intracoastal Waterway. To the south, there is a fixed span bridge at Manahawkin Bay, carrying Route 72 East from the Jersey mainland to the barrier island. The bridge is charted at 60 feet of vertical clearance at mean high water. My mast stands 56 feet off the water and normally I would not worry about passing under this bridge on a low or falling tide. The tide boards at the bridge, however, indicate that the vertical clearance ranges between 56 - 58 feet depending upon the state of the tide. On our first trip under and with a clearance of 57 feet showing on the tide boards we stood off and debated for some time before venturing slowly and carefully through. Perhaps I should have turned back but we made it through with the VHF antenna intact but don't really know what the true clearance is at that location. I wrote to NOAA and received a polite reply that they will post a notice.
At the northern end of Barnegat Bay is a double bridge near the mouth of Toms River, carrying Route 35 East to the barrier island. The East bound lanes of Route 35 are carried by an older Bascule bridge with a closed vertical clearance of 30 feet. The West bound lanes of Route 35 are carried by a fixed bridge with a charted vertical clearance of 60 feet. When you approach this bridge on the water from the south the tide boards only indicate the clearance under the Bascule bridge. A call on VHF channel 9 to the polite bridge tender will get the Bascule bridge to open but he will not tell you the minimum clearance of the fixed bridge. Local knowledge has it that the fixed bridge was built with 62 feet of vertical clearance but has settled two feet or more over the years. What to do? Based upon my experience with the Manhawkin Bay bridge, I suspect that even if I could see them for the fixed bridge the tide boards will be of little or no help. It is a long way around these bridges, out into the ocean and through two problematic inlets.

 

[RussC]

Always send your surveyor to the masthead.

Yes…. As you approach the bridge.

 

[jssailem]

Funny Russ...

 

[All U Get]

There is a lot of good info on Active Captain on the troublesome bridges. If you have experience with a trouble spot, post it with them so we all can share.

All U Get

 

[MrBill_FLL]

Everyone has seen the waterbag method, right?

-personally, I think I'd wait if I had a choice... I have seen a small sailboat loose its rig when it was pushed under a bridge by current and loss of power.

 

[PaulK]

Better safe than sorry...

 

[CarlN]

Rich,

I've done the trip several times with a 63' 4" mast. You just have to take your time. Here are tips:

Take the windvane and light down. Why risk them getting knocked off. For an anchor light - hang a portable light in the rigging. You will be under power so you won't be using a tricolor for navigation lights. You can leave the VHF antenna assuming it is the standard flexible whip (the antenna will "twang" loudly as it snaps under each bridge girder. This may cause a certain amount of butt puckering )

South of Beaufort, NC you have significant tide range. So if you pass under a bridge more than 2 hours from high tide you have very little to worry about (but check the height boards anyways). By leaving early or stopping for lunch it's usually easy to time the bridges to miss high tide. Your mind goes numb after about six hours of motoring in the ICW so just plan the best use of those six hours.

But from The locks at ICW Mile 8 to Beaufort NC there is no lunar tide to speak of. And wind and rain can raise the water level 1-2ft. If you are unlucky enough to be there in high water, you may have to wait 3-4 days for the water to got down. Just be patient.

The attached picture is the bridge that gives me the most trouble - Pungo Ferry at Mile 26. No tide range. You can instead try going down the Dismal Swamp route but this has a tricky bridge too. No other way to avoid except by going outside Hatteras. In the picture my VHF antenna bent just about double - so the bridge was 63' 10" by my calculation. A storm had raised the water some. You can see by the staining on the board that it can be worse. The Wilkerson Bridge farther south is also feared but can be avoided if you take the alternate (and actually shorter) route past Roanoke island - and it's a prettier trip.

I also had the idea of a camera and put on in the mast head. It didn't help. When the clearance is less than 12" or so, it's impossible to judge the angle until you are too close to stop. There's enough wind and current at most bridges that you usually need to keep up 3-4 knots to keep steerage. (hitting an abutment isn't cool)

Good luck
Carl

 

[whatfiero]

It would be super cool to have a mast head remote camera viewable from cockpit mounted furano 10" screan that when switched from GPS to radar then to camera uses the joystick on unit to change x and y axis maybe even have usb port to capture data and WiFi to broadcast pict to phone you could check bridge hight then swing around point at cockpit and watch boat from office on work days

 

[Rich Stidger]

Rich,

I've done the trip several times with a 63' 4" mast. You just have to take your time. Here are tips:

Thanks for the info Carl. I have bookmarked this thread and will reference when my passage gets closer.

 

[rajhnsn]

Love the idea of the camera. I agree that it may not work for bridges but I would love to have a bird's eye view of the area I'm in. Thanks for the support. I think I'll keep the crew now that I am vindicated. Great videos. I have a whole new concept of stepping a mast after watching the Three River's Race.