Sailing a boat under a bridge - GIF and video

[Jon]

Sailing a boat under a bridge.



This is what they're trying to avoid:

Previously:

Boat snaps cable during loading - GIF
Pulling a boat through locks GIF
Cubans flee Communism with American cars converted into boats
Boat that pulls itself ashore
Sealegs amphibious fishing boat
Trailer with built-in boat as roof
Flying inflatable boat
Van/boat combo - GIF and video
Airplane fuel tanks turned into Vietnamese boats

[mklotz]

How do they right the boat after motoring under the bridge? I doubt they have ballast tanks and, even if they did, couldn't transfer that quickly.

[olderdan]

It looks like they pulled the weights inboard so the craft rights itself, its a shame we dont get to see how they swung them out in the first place. It takes a lot of confidence to pull a manoeuvrer like that.

[mklotz]

It looks like they pulled the weights inboard so the craft rights itself, its a shame we dont get to see how they swung them out in the first place. It takes a lot of confidence to pull a manoeuvrer like that.

OK, I missed that. If you look really, really closely you can see the lines attached to the bottom of the weights. These must be what they use to retrieve the weights. As you say, it takes a lot of sailing expertise to perform such a maneuver.

[Moby Duck]

They are possibly water bags. Secure bags to a mast top rope, dangle over the side, fill with a hose or bucket, (or just dip them), hoist bags slowly when full and they should give the required list if you got the calculations right. On completion, haul bags inboard and spill water on deck.
This is a well thought out maneuver but this yacht is not 'sailing' under the bridge, it is 'motoring'.

[Jon]

Here's a fail of a boat under a bridge. The mast breaks once about midway up, and then either breaks or detaches at the deck. Is this the correct designed failure for the mast?

[mklotz]

The best failure mode would be for it to break in such a way as to land on the head of any boat driver dumb enough to sail under a descending lift bridge.

[Toolmaker51]

The best failure mode would be for it to break in such a way as to land on the head of any boat driver dumb enough to sail under a descending lift bridge.

Evidence of a common nautical failure "Failure to maintain a proper forward watch". Often coupled with a case of too much money, or it being collected too easily.
How does one take the helm unaware proper info on his draft, mast height and periodic tide? I'd guarantee bridge supports are marked for any tide that harbor receives.

[markonevet]

A very expensive day. Gives meaning to BOAT (Break Out Another Thousand).

[Frank S]

The same quality of people would be the one who try to outrun the RR crossing arms as they are descending their judgement is clouded by the incurable disease of stupidity.