cape may canal bridges

[Pandor]

Those damn bridges are supposed to be 55 feet, but I’ll swear they are a couple of feet short of that. My measured air draft is 54’ and I have struggled with those bridges the last three times I tried to go through. The first time, I had paid particular attention to the online tide tables as my approach was going to be mid-tide. I worked out in advance the clearance to the inch and it was supposed to give me over a foot of safety. But whe I got to the first bridge, the draft board said only 53’ so I turned around and went the long way.

The second and third attempt I deliberately waited until absolute low tide. I still barely made it through.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Roniszoro

I had the same thought. It wouldn't take much to lose ones wind instruments, anchor light and VHF antenna. For what? To save 4 hours? Highly questionable seamanship in my opinion.

Really. Not even 2 hours.


Or he could have taken a dinghy over and looked at the tide board. Or he could have waited for low tide, and followed the flow up the Delaware (smarter).


I wouldn't cut it so thin for such minimal reasons. Even a slightly higher than average tide would have cost him instruments or worse.