So which yacht owner did it? Bridge, bags full of water ?

J

Jamesuk

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This video has bounced around for at least a decade - I'm sure I saw this back in 2008 and every couple of years since.

Can anyone identify who did it or perhaps better who plans to do this soon themselves and why it is not in the RYA YachtMaster syllabus?

Also is this a regular thing to see in the States?

Cheers

https://youtu.be/4gpW-FH22lI
 
As you say, been around for a bit. On the Intercoastal waterway in the US, where the bridges are a bit lower than his mast height.
Boat was reg in the British Islands, but owned by a US guy, no longer with us. If you search on the WBF, it will come up.
 
DownWest said:
As you say, been around for a bit. On the Intercoastal waterway in the US, where the bridges are a bit lower than his mast height.
Boat was reg in the British Islands, but owned by a US guy, no longer with us. If you search on the WBF, it will come up.
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First Mate and I visited Wexford in 2015. Interesting entrance-imagine Bembridge but a six mile channel.

Picked up a fellow Island Packet owners mooring and made fast. The local club had been hosting a European round of a dinghy championship. The fleet and the safety boats passed us on the mooring and approached the low road bridge. The dinghy crews capsized their boats, allowing their masts to lay across a safety boat, which then motored both of them under the bridge. This was repeated untill they were all under the bridge.

I dont suppose it was a first, but we had never seen it done before.
 
David Parrot the founder of Titan Salvage, the salvors for the Costa Concordia.

I doubt that the authorities in the 'States would take to kindly to it. I suspect that once the video appeared that was the end of the matter, which is a great pity, since the endless videos of boats on their ear or walloping bridges would ease the long winter months.
 
are you sure the bags are full of water? I'd use something less leak-prone - bricks, rocks. Also (in response to other remarks) i think they just filled up the bags with more and more rocks until the spinnaker line almost touched the water. Then they knew the height would be right to clear under the bridge... which isn't at all the same as "working out the weight needed"...
 
t21 said:
are you sure the bags are full of water? I'd use something less leak-prone - bricks, rocks. Also (in response to other remarks) i think they just filled up the bags with more and more rocks until the spinnaker line almost touched the water. Then they knew the height would be right to clear under the bridge... which isn't at all the same as "working out the weight needed"...
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Water bags such as these are readily available and are often used to load test cranes etc. Definitely water.
 
t21 said:
are you sure the bags are full of water? I'd use something less leak-prone - bricks, rocks. Also (in response to other remarks) i think they just filled up the bags with more and more rocks until the spinnaker line almost touched the water. Then they knew the height would be right to clear under the bridge... which isn't at all the same as "working out the weight needed"...
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Water bags are bouyancy neutral so self-limiting in a way that rocks etc wouldn't be. I.E; When they contact the water they will cease to provide any downward pull (maybe a bit from drag) providing a way to control and limit the effect of their weight. With rocks etc. the downward force would continue whether the weight is in air or water in a self perpetuating cycle of more heel more leverage more heel etc with uncontrollable results.
 
The bridge in the video is at Vero Beach, Florida. The marina is just upstream of the bridge, which is the last fixed bridge coming south on the ICW before Fort Pierce inlet. It is supposed to have a 65' clearance but actually is more like 60' - 62' depending on the tide.

The weights are surely being held out or they would not be stable.
 
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AndrewB said:
The bridge in the video is at Vero Beach, Florida. The marina is just upstream of the bridge, which is the last fixed bridge coming south on the ICW before Fort Pierce inlet. It is supposed to have a 65' clearance but actually is more like 60' - 62' depending on the tide.

The weights are surely being held out or they would not be stable.
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The supremely knowledgeable JP is temporarily here with me in Trini, and apparently used to work with the guy who did this and confirms the bags are water filled float bags. I woulda though the bags stable against the mast ... or with a quick spin of the boat would then lurch out and find another stability point whilst cranking the boat over? Maybe he will post too and help resolve the mystery ...
 
AndrewB said:
The bridge in the video is at Vero Beach, Florida. The marina is just upstream of the bridge, which is the last fixed bridge coming south on the ICW before Fort Pierce inlet. It is supposed to have a 65' clearance but actually is more like 60' - 62' depending on the tide.

The weights are surely being held out or they would not be stable.
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Not held out. He does a sort of wiggle and they swing out under centrifugal force until they touch the water. Get under the bridge, then another wiggle to bring them back on board.
Not something I would want to learn as I approached the bridge. I suspect he tried it before in open water...
 
rotrax said:
First Mate and I visited Wexford in 2015. Interesting entrance-imagine Bembridge but a six mile channel.

Picked up a fellow Island Packet owners mooring and made fast. The local club had been hosting a European round of a dinghy championship. The fleet and the safety boats passed us on the mooring and approached the low road bridge. The dinghy crews capsized their boats, allowing their masts to lay across a safety boat, which then motored both of them under the bridge. This was repeated untill they were all under the bridge.

I dont suppose it was a first, but we had never seen it done before.
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Dee Sailing Club used to run a race to Chester which involved competitors capzing to pass beneath several bridges, helped along by 5 knts of tide. Ensuring the Dee bore had formed ahead was another important race strategy.
 
Indiantown Marina on the Okeechobee Waterway across Florida used to offer a heeling service to get boats of up to 53' height through the 49' clearance bridge nearby. They fitted large water tanks to one side deck to heel the boat.
The more dynamic procedure in the video looks like it would need a bit of practice to get it right!
 
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