Close clearance - GIF

**Jon** · Aug 2, 2019, 08:40 PM

Close clearance.

Previously:

Sailing a boat under a bridge - GIF and video
Float-on yacht transport vessels - GIF and video
Amphibious motor coach that doubles as a yacht - video

**Toolmaker51** · Aug 2, 2019, 10:27 PM

Paint the bridge or yacht, won't fit anymore.

**Tooler2** · Aug 3, 2019, 05:08 PM

I have taken my boat under a draw bridge with at least 4' clearance and it was scary as hell thinking it would not fit.

**Toolmaker51** · Aug 3, 2019, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by Tooler2

I have taken my boat under a draw bridge with at least 4' clearance and it was scary as hell thinking it would not fit.

I was US Navy aboard USS Enterprise CVAN-65. We could not depart or enter San Francisco harbor [Golden Gate Bridge, 220', 67m] unless it was low tide. Keel to mast was 250', on 39' draft. Tide chart Aug 3 shows about 7' variance low-high tides. Looking straight up or from the bow, the space below girders to masthead light didn't look too generous.

**Ralphxyz** · Aug 3, 2019, 07:31 PM

definitely should have waited for low tide!!

**IAMSatisfied** · Aug 3, 2019, 08:16 PM

The captain probably had to let some air out of the tires to make sure he'd clear.

**hemmjo** · Aug 3, 2019, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by IAMSatisfied

The captain probably had to let some air out of the tires to make sure he'd clear.

Or maybe added some water to ballast the bow down.

The bow of that boat looks to me like it is setting very low in the water? It has no rise like a proper bow should have. If that is in normal trim, it sure would not be a safe open water boat!!! I wonder if they flooded the bilge to get it to fit under that bridge?

**thevillageinn** · Aug 4, 2019, 01:51 AM

Originally Posted by hemmjo

Or maybe added some water to ballast the bow down.

The bow of that boat looks to me like it is setting very low in the water? It has no rise like a proper bow should have. If that is in normal trim, it sure would not be a safe open water boat!!! I wonder if they flooded the bilge to get it to fit under that bridge?

I noticed how low it looked as well. Looked like passengers were mostly in the bow area.

**Troll Hunter** · Aug 5, 2019, 08:30 PM

I witnessed a similar situation when I was living/working in Abu dhabi (1980 - 1986. I had a small dhow, so no problem with the bridge between Abu Dhabi Musaffa but a UAE Navy boat ahead of us had not considered the tides and his total above water height, and he got stuck. We waited for about 30 mins for the tide to go down .

Mike

**Tooler2** · Aug 5, 2019, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by Troll Hunter

I witnessed a similar situation when I was living/working in Abu dhabi (1980 - 1986. I had a small dhow, so no problem with the bridge between Abu Dhabi Musaffa but a UAE Navy boat ahead of us had not considered the tides and his total above water height, and he got stuck. We waited for about 30 mins for the tide to go down .

Mike

It would have been a more interesting wait had the tide been rising.