Florida Bridges

CaptNeil · Nov 11, 2009

Never would have thought that this would generate such hostility. Hopefully after this east coast blow is over I can go down quickly on the outside and not have to worry about all the drama in the ditch.

Anyway back to my original question about the Bridge of lions. What is going on with it? How come it seems to be taking forever to build a new bridge? Will they ever be done? What are they doing? What are they going to do with the temporary drawbridge they built?

Pascal · Nov 11, 2009

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...

CaptNeil · Nov 12, 2009

Pascal said:

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...
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That is just a plain bonehead move there. Nice pic lucky it didn't end up in court.

2-3 years seems like a normal amount of time, but this bridge as far as I remember seems to be more like 4-5. I don't think it will ever be done. Also if they were rebuilding a bridge why didn't they eliminate the drawbridge?

Norseman · Nov 12, 2009

Well said Pascal..

If it's less than 12' offshore, you should be sailing there.
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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.

Pascal · Nov 12, 2009

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...

NYCAP123 · Nov 12, 2009

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.

dennismc · Nov 12, 2009

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.

NYCAP123 · Nov 12, 2009

dennismc said:

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.
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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.

hat4349 · Nov 12, 2009

Pascal said:

while i agree that 16 should not be used for passing arrangements, unfortunately we dont' have a choice since that's the only channel monitored by 99% of boats. Yes, scanning can work but when your vhf ha stopped on 16 to listen to a 20 second transmission from the USCG to repeat warnings about a small craft advisory, by the book repeating 3 times Hailing all stations and this is USCG sector Charleston South Carolina, you're going to miss that call on 13.

What i do is keep one or two portables clipped at the helm, monitoring 9 and 13 since they will only need to receive xmissions from nearby boats.

now, fuel savings and time / hour savings are sorry excuses in my opinion. as I said, a properly executed minimum wake pass takes 30 to 45 seconds, not 10 minutes! I rarely pass more than 30 or 40 boats during a 10 to 12 hour day so at the most that's going go add 20 minutes to a 10 hour day. completely irrelevant in the big picture.

Hours on the engines? give a me break... you're talking a handful of hours a year on a boat that does the round trip! that is one sorry excuse!

and you are forgetting a major point... modern engine maintenance schedule and wear isnt' only measured on hour meters but on fuel burn, so if you run at 80% load,you're going to wear those engines and do maintenance more often. sorry excuse #2...

as to wasting fuel, that's a myth. when you start slowing down your fuel burn comes way down as you coast from 20+ to hull speed. while your running below hull speed, you're burning about 1/3 to 1/2 per mile of what you're burning on plane. While accelerating back on plane, you are burning near cruise fuel while accelerating but unless the boat is grossly underpowered, the extra fuel will be offset by what you saved while slowing down. sorry excuse for rudeness # 3...

I've timed it, I've looked at fuel burn while decelerating and accelerating, it doesnt add up. you dont' burn more fuel and the time wasted is minimal and a small price to pay for being courteous to others.

As to antennas, I think i've yet to come across a bridge where i wasn't able to put the boat in neutral and get my antennas down. On this boat it means climbing on top of the skylounge and lower 3 antennas mounted on the arch. even if it's blowing 20 to 25kts, I always find enough time to do it before the boat start being blown off by the wind.

yes, your boat should be secured while underway. but you could have passengers down below who are going up or down steps, maybe even preparing something in the galley. When that Capt Jerk comes blowing around a bend at 25kts and passes within a boat length, you may not have enough time to warn everyone on board, even if you sound 5 blasts.

bottom line, my priority is the safety of my boat and passengers, but priority nr 2 is being courteous to others, boaters and bridge tenders alike. Enough of this "me me me myself and I" attitude that has become so prevalent on land.
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More people should have that attitude and respect for others. Too many me people in the world today.

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Florida Bridges

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Pascal Senior Member

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hat4349 Senior Member