Crabby Bridge Tender

[mike]

Working on the boat the other night, I had the VHF on (I find it interesting to monitor commercial traffic, Coast Guard, bridge operators, etc.). I heard a funny exchange between a boat and the tender of a bridge that spans Lake Pontchartrain. It went something like this (as you read this, imagine the voice of the bridge tender lady as sounding like an ex-McDonald's drive-through order taker):

Captain: This is [vessel name] requesting an opening.

Bridge: What is the height of your vessel?

Captain: 16 feet.

Bridge: We got 18 feet, you can get through.

Captain: Well, we must be 20 feet then, because in the past we haven't been able to get through unless the bridge is open.

Bridge: You can get through, you don't need it opened.

Captain: Yes, we do need the bridge opened please.

Bridge: Pull up alongside the bridge so we can see if you can make it... if you can't, I'll open it.

Captain: (clearly biting his tongue in a valiant attempt to remain civil and polite) No, I'm sorry, we're going to need it opened.


At this point, I felt like grabbing the mic and screaming "JUST OPEN THE DAMN BRIDGE!"

I can understand the tender not wanting to open the bridge for a flatboat or a jetski that obviously is nowhere near big enough to warrant it, but for a larger boat that is very close to the height of the bridge? What if the tide is a higher than normal, or a wave pushes the boat up a bit?

I mean, by stubborn reluctance, it sounded like she'd have to go outside and hand-crank the bridge open. Is it really that difficult to reach over and push a button? Obviously this person hates her job!

--Mike

[Tom Root]

That bridge operator needs to... SEE.... the light, as in Seek Employment Elsewhere!

[Mark Prouty]

What if the tide is a higher than normal, or a wave pushes the boat up a bit?

What is the biggest wave generated by a barge or ship? I haven't been near enough to some big vessel to know. From reading effects on boats from these pages, seems they get pretty doggon big.

[Chip Hindes]

IMO a "crabby" bridge tender is no worse than a Captain who doesn't know whether his rig is 16 or 20 feet tall. The bridge tender is just as reponsible for road traffic as for waterway traffic, and I'll bet in her instructions there are words to the effect "don't open the bridge for morons whose rig is not tall enough to warrant it."

That being said, I also will admit it's quite difficult to tell from your own deck how much clearance there is to an overhead obstruction, and even if the bridge tender's right, two feet is cutting it a little close for comfort.

[mike]

IMO a "crabby" bridge tender is no worse than a Captain who doesn't know whether his rig is 16 or 20 feet tall.

I got the impression that he knew it was 16 feet, but was just trying to convey that he did not feel comfortable trying to squeeze under the bridge with so little clearance. In other words, "just in case you're boss will scold you for opening the bridge for a 16ft. vessel, mark me down as being 20ft."

--Mike

[Joe 26M Time Warp]

All he had to say was, 'wait a minute, did I say sixteen feet? I meant 26 feet. Now, could you please open the bridge?

[Mark Prouty]
pretty doggon big[/quote]

Some of the frieghters out on Lake Erie look like their pushing about 10-15 foot walls of water. The bulge of water in front extends out by an easy 20 feet or more. It's impressive to imagine the size & power of those screws. I don't know how fast they go, but I know they can't stop and small boats can get sucked in. Best to keep your distance.

[Mark Prouty]

Some of the frieghters out on Lake Erie look like their pushing about 10-15 foot walls of water. The bulge of water in front extends out by an easy 20 feet or more. It's impressive to imagine the size & power of those screws. I don't know how fast they go, but I know they can't stop and small boats can get sucked in. Best to keep your distance.

Woaoa, that is impressive. I'll be keeping my distance!

[Sloop John B]

Chip mentioned that it's hard to judge the clearance when looking up at the bridge structure. I have to second that.

I approached the 'high' fixed bridge over Ochlockonee Bay and got the jibbies. There's a 'scale' of numbers extending up from the water. I think the waves were waffing up against the number 36.

My recollection from past discussions is that we're about 38 feet tall on the water.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Yup, I would say that 38 feet is a good estimate with a mast-top antenna. So, Sloop, what did you do...did you go through or not?

I went through my 40 foot bridge last weekend and seemed to be at least 2-4 feet from the top with my (new) antenna which was busted previously...but that was also with a lowish tide. Of course, a good wave could raise you up another 2-3 feet. I'm not sure if my last antenna was hit on the bridge or knocked over by a big sea bird. I did notice last weekend that there are several little chunks of concrete missing near the bottom of the bridge towards the middle of the clearance.