Just an inch will do . . .

[oceanfroggie]

Under the watchful eye of IWN editor

Sarsfield Bridge in Limerick - On a falling tide of course in case we got it wrong!

 

[henryf]

That looks close enough.


I went under the bridge at Lisbon on Independance of the seas (I think it was).

They got up a bit of steam to drop the boat a couple of feet. It was as close. The captain sounded his horns just as he passed underneath. Motorists must have absolutely craped themselves. It's a metal grid surface


In Weymouth at the moment. When we had the Princess 42 I did get the owner's manual out just to see if we would fit under the bridge. Terry will be glad to know we though better of it and waited for the 18.00hrs lift instead


Henry

 

[blueglass]

reminds me of some firiends who squeezed their way through the french canals ina trader 42.
One bridge was so tight they had to strip everything off the flybridge, but the morse throttle levers - (now the highest point of the boat) would not clear unless pulled right back in the full throttle position.
No .. they didn't attempt a 25 knot assault! Engines off, throttles back and towed gingerly under with millimetres to spare. It happened many times and they were nervous wrecks by the time they got through the canals and on to the Rhone.

 

[AndieMac]

Just as well the bridge steel work was blasted and painted recently, any rust growth may have impeded passage

Looks tight...I bet you also took your own cap off your head as well....every bit counts

 

[Whopper]

An inch? That's loads of room!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eleCk3rWMQY

 

[oceanfroggie]

reminds me of some firiends who squeezed their way through the french canals ina trader 42.
One bridge was so tight they had to strip everything off the flybridge, but the morse throttle levers - (now the highest point of the boat) would not clear unless pulled right back in the full throttle position.
No .. they didn't attempt a 25 knot assault! Engines off, throttles back and towed gingerly under with millimetres to spare. It happened many times and they were nervous wrecks by the time they got through the canals and on to the Rhone.

A previous boat was an FB which was too high for the inland side of our cruising so she was replaced. There are some large FB models (Fairline, Princess, Azimuth, etc) around here but their only way to sea is via a crane and truck which IMHO kind of defeats the dual role of the lower Shannon and the SW coastline.

 

[oceanfroggie]

Just as well the bridge steel work was blasted and painted recently, any rust growth may have impeded passage

Looks tight...I bet you also took your own cap off your head as well....every bit counts

Actually Andie on the photo there was more than one inch under the steelwork on the southern side of the bridge structure but there was only 5mm under the northern steel truss when we walked her through using hands instead of engines, as it bought us 15mins of extra time. Not something I'd do under a bridge exposed to passing wake or waves, but in this case the bridge was part of a sheltered sea lock.

 

[sharpness]

Under the watchful eye of IWN editor

Sarsfield Bridge in Limerick - On a falling tide of course in case we got it wrong!

If you say just 5mm on the north side then having that nice heavy rib and outboard on the back must give the clearance you needed. Great pic by the way.

 

[PEJ]

An inch? That's loads of room!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eleCk3rWMQY

With my newly acquired Shannon knowledge I recognise that as Killaloe Bridge.

I did wonder why he didn't go under the correct opening on the Ballina side!

 

[oceanfroggie]

Hi Peter. It looks very similar alright but it is actually Rooskey Bridge on the upper Shannon that the old steel hire boat crashed into. If you look 2m20s into the video you can just see the opening span that raises on demand for high airdraft boats. Tarmonbarry is the only other lifting bridge on the Shannon and needs to be lifted for practically any sized cruiser, but we can fit under Rooskey with the Radar arch down. Ironically Killaloe Bridge is actually the lowest on the entire 360km of the Shannon with 3.75m typical clearance. Except for the two lift bridges and Portumna's victorian swing bridge, boats can fit under most bridges with radar arches and masts up, some with VHF antennae lowered.

The bridge in my photo is of Sarsfield Bridge on the tidal Shannon in Limerick city. A few hours after the photo was taken there was over 3m extra clearance under it.

The novice hirers were lucky to have escaped injury! Those old defunct steel hire cruisers were heavy and not easy to stop. Noel

PS: Was the match good?

 

[PEJ]

Hi Peter. It looks very similar alright but it is actually Rooskey Bridge on the upper Shannon

Well, I stand corrected, they do look very similar though.

PS: Was the match good?

Yes. Bit nervy in the first half. Got to find an Irish pub for the final now. Go Mayo!

 

[oceanfroggie]

Rooskey Bridge in lowered position just after passing under with the mast down and covers off.

We had about 4" clearance over the cockpit windscreen on the day. This is a non tidal part of the river.

This bridge raises "on demand" for equivalent of only £1.20. It raises horizontally on four large worm axils to give over 6.3m air draft (ie approx. 3m higher than the picture)

.