I am about the head down the AICW in a Hunter 456 which shows a mast height of 63'. I have a two foot VHF ant. and windex above the masthead. I have to pass under the Wilkinson Bridge in NC which is charted as 64'. Anyone have experience with a 456 and has passed under this bridge (successfully)? Tips!!
Low Bridge-high Mast
- Thread starter Jdeneault
- Start date
Couple of notes, J.. Air gap (bridge clearance) is noted at Mean High Water so if you wait for a low tide or close to it, you'll be fine.. Part B is that there are "boards" mounted on the bridge approach that list the clearance at whatever the water level happens to be.. If that bridge is in a place where locks maintain a constant water level, It should still have boards showing the air gap.
The Wilkerson Bridge is also subject to wind driven water height. Read about it in the coastal pilot. I have a 41 with an air height of 63.3. That is per the Hunter documentation. As you add weight to the boat you shorten the mast and then you go and add a TV antenna and a VHF antenna. I have a great video of my VHF antenna playing a tune on the bottom of that bridge "like a baseball card in a bicycle spoke". If you have any crew on board just have them hike to one side that's how we made it under the second time. If you think that bridge is low, go try the 278 bridge behind Hilton Head Island. I thought we might loose an antenna that day. Have fun.
Bridge Clearance
You are right to ask for local knowledge about any bridges you have to pass under. Up here in NJ we have one bridge that passes to our local barrier island that is marked on all NOAA charts as having 60 feet of clearance at Mean High Water. When you get to the bridge, however, the tide boards indicate < 56 feet at high water and 57 feet at dead low water. My 2000 H340 has a 56 foot mast head off the water plus antennas and wind vanes, etc. and we just barely make it.
You are right to ask for local knowledge about any bridges you have to pass under. Up here in NJ we have one bridge that passes to our local barrier island that is marked on all NOAA charts as having 60 feet of clearance at Mean High Water. When you get to the bridge, however, the tide boards indicate < 56 feet at high water and 57 feet at dead low water. My 2000 H340 has a 56 foot mast head off the water plus antennas and wind vanes, etc. and we just barely make it.
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I made the AICW trip in 2012 on my H49. I have a 4ft SSB-DSC antenna in addiion to the shorter VHF on top of the mast. You will develop white knocles and will grind your teeth to the gum........ the antennas will scrape the bottom of some of the bridges but you will be ok. Use this information carefully as conditions will change. Get a copy of the waterway guide and bob anchorages, they list all the bridges and also the opening schedules for opening bridges. A few times we called marinas around and they were very helpful regarding bridge clearance. Some bridges we waited up to 3 hrs to wait for low tide, so plan ahead. No need to get up a dark 30 if low tide is at 1PM. One boat that we followed removed all the masthead stuff and re installed them before they whent offshore in Beaufort NC. Good Luck!!!
mast
My 2007 H-36 list my mast at 55' but I needed to add 2-3 feet for
ant and wind machine and so I say my mast is really 58'
Just letting you know if getting spec here or from Hunter and I would check
measuring on your own from water line,I used my main halyard.
Nick
My 2007 H-36 list my mast at 55' but I needed to add 2-3 feet for
ant and wind machine and so I say my mast is really 58'
Just letting you know if getting spec here or from Hunter and I would check
measuring on your own from water line,I used my main halyard.
Nick
We went under that bridge about a month ago (40.5 Legend) mast height 63" 9"" if accurate. tide boards were reading 64' end result I bent my lightning arrester and my wind pointer back about 45degrees. I put the boom out as far as I could put it on auto pilot and my wife and I got to the boom out side to no avail, probably should have launched the dinghy brought it along side hoisted it off the water and filled it with enough water to heel the boat at least 5+ degrees, i'll know next time.
I think the clearance might actually have been less, because normally at 64' just the vhf antenna will ding the bridge.
I think you will be ok if you can create some heel as you pass under.
hope this helps
Capt. Ron
