The problem here seems to be simple boathandling skill: the
skipper is handling the
boat as if he were in still
water, but he isn't. The
current wants to carry the boat forward (as it approaches the bridge). The
skipper failed to keep the stern from falling off, and once past about 45° to the bridge, beam-on, with limited room to
power in reverse toward the concrete structures in the background and run the stern up-current again, it was a done deal.
Once it was known that the bridge was too low, which happens relatively early in the video, applying
liberal thrust astern and
steering to keep the stern into the
current was called for.
Still, this is less than optimal. Turning the bow up into the current well upstream, then letting the current back him down slowly, shifted into Forward, to gauge the clearance, would put the skipper in a position of better control: the skipper has steerage while "standing still" in relation to the bridge, or even when letting the boat approach slowly. A nudge of the throttle simply increases the boat speed through the water, and will hold the boat off the bridge by letting the boat do what it was designed to do most effeciently, e.g.,
power forward, instead of trying to power that flat stern against the current, with marginal steerage. Easier to control boat position that way, both in terms of distance upstream of the bridge, and lateral distance, i.e., keeping oneself centered in the channel.
Better yet not to get that close in the first place.
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