Florida Bridges

well, you never know where a thread will go...

one of the span was locked down when i came thru, the other one was up in the air... looks like the bulk of the work is done.

every bridge i've seen rebuilt here in Miami on the river has taken 2 to 3 years... looks like the temporary lift bridge will be pretty easy to remove.

i took this picture because it looked for a moment that the down current sail boat where going to hit the idiot coming up current...

Well said Pascal..

Huh, according to whom?

I'll sail wherever and whenever I want, could not care less if Capt. Jerk has to slow down and if he is trying to keep his engine hours low.

it all comes down to why you're on the water. Personally, I didn't come to this job from the commercial world because jobs on white boats was available, or i didn't get there as a career started handling lines moving up step by step. I got to drive boats for a living because i love being on the water and i've owned boats for 30 years. As such, I really enjoy these trips and boat schedule/owner's preference permitting, I find the ICW to be a much more enjoyable experience than chugging outside.

it's also far more economical for the owner to relocate the boat at slower speed... on that last run, comparing 22kts outside vs 10kts inside still results in a net saving of around $10 000 to the owner.

Many of the boats you see on the ICW at migration time are owner operated, these folks are out there having a good time enjoying the scenery, enjoying the dolphins, enjoying the sunrise, the sunset or a nice stroll ashore in one of the many quaint towns along the way. why should someone decide that they should be outside, which in many cases takes longer because of long channels and inlets anyway...


back to the OP question... it' s my understanding that the Bridge of Lions has some historical value which is why it was rebuilt. I don't think there is any room for approach ramps to a 65' fixed bridge anyway...

Just a guess, but I think it had much to do with looks. The Bridge of Lions has always been a high point of my trips for its beauty. It fit the town. A 65' bridge could destroy the character of the area.

My previous post about being surprised that the ICW was under inland rules
comes from the fact that we here in Vancouver have a 300 mile long Island between the inland waters and the Pacific but we still use the International rules in Vancouver and the Strait of Georgia, indeed we have some inlets that run a further 20 miles inland and still are under International rules, interesting that the US decided to make the ICW inland rules considering it is so open to the Atlantic in so many areas. all our lakes of course are under inland rules.

Although I'm no expert in this I would have to assume that the reasoning is that your islands are true islands, separate an distinct from you mainland where our east coast "islands" are considered more barrier beaches in line with our coast and often cut by man. In fact, most of these "islands" are actually peninsulas connected to the mainland except for the efforts of man and dredges. The ICW is a series of natural waterways connected by man made waterways to facilitate the safe inland passage of trade. It's a fairly unique situation so easy to misunderstand by someone on the west coast, but if you look at a map or chart it makes sense, especially if you look at a pre-CCC map.

More people should have that attitude and respect for others. Too many me people in the world today.