Emergency Waiting on a Bridge Drills
Emergency Waiting on a Bridge Drills
Circling, circling, circling while waiting on a bride puts you in multiple right-of-way situations. This can be nerve-wracking on your crew as well as people on the other boats. Here’s a way to lesson the stress for everyone on the water.
Point Into the Current
Simply turn into the wind or current’ whichever is stronger. Hold that position with gentle use of forward and maybe forward and just enough throttle to hold you in place. Once you are stable, it is so much easier to monitor the other boats.
Here you can see our stern pulpit facing the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine, Florida where the currents can run quite strong.
Slip Your Clutch on an Uphill
Simply turn into the wind or current’ whichever is stronger. Hold that position with gentle use of forward and maybe forward and just enough throttle to hold you in place. Once you are stable, it is so much easier to monitor the other boats.
Other boats will continue to circle, and due to your standing still; you can monitor them far more easily than if you both are moving. Just relax and watch them circle. One or two may take a hint, and turn their bow into the current to wait with you – just like fish in a school, all facing the same direction.
Watch for Signals, Traffic
If the current is coming from the bridge – bonus! You get to face the bridge and watch for the signals leading up to an opening. If your engine dies or prop fouls, you are carried away from the bridge.
Or, if the current is carrying you toward the bridge, you will “tread water” with your bow away from the bridge. You can still see the bridge and the opening sequence, just over your shoulder. Wait until the bridge is fully open and any “shorter” vessels have transited, then go through.
Be aware that your bow will come around rapidly, so don’t turn too early. Practice your timings.
Strong Current Considerations
If the current is pushing you toward the bridge – you also want to be further away so you have a longer reaction time. You’ll get there fast once it opens due to the current carrying you toward the bridge.
In the event of a fouled prop, engine failure, other problem; your bow will already be into the current, making an emergency anchoring easier. This is because you might be able to hold your position with bow into the current just long enough to get the anchor over before the boat swings one way or the other. That gives you (insert length of your boat here) feet more of stopping distance than if your bow was pointed at the bridge, tide pushing you toward the bridge, and you had to drop your anchor.
How To Practice the Drill
I recommend practicing holding your vessel into the current on a calm day – try it out so you know how your vessel reacts. You want to know how fast she will “peel off” and twist her down down current.
Remember; a three-knot current will carry you 100 feet every 20 seconds, or, 304 feet per minute downstream. A six-knot current will carry you 607 feet downstream in a minute.
Right of Way
Don’t forget to listen to your VHF radio for any communications from the bridge tender. A last-minute change of plans may require immediate action. Also, be sure to watch carefully in front of and behind you for other vessels. As you are under power; you are the lowest of the right-of-way vessels; pretty much everyone has right-of-way over you! Watch for vessels not under command (aground, adrift, at anchor), restricted ability to maneuver (tugs, barges), constrained by draft (everyone?), fishing (hopefully no one is trawling around the bridge – trolling does not count), sailing (really should have their engine running in case tides sweep them toward the bridge fenders) and then us; a sailing vessel under power just like all the other power vessels.
Emergency Waiting on a Bridge Drills Checklist
- Point into the current, or the wind if it’s stronger – whichever is affecting your boat the most
- Use just enough gear and throttle to hold your vessel in place
- Let other boats circle you while you monitor them
- Watch / Listen to bridge tender for information, instructions
- Consider what actions you would take for engine failure, fouled prop, or other situation
- Allow shorter and faster vessels to transit the bridge before you
- Turn toward the opening, proceed with caution
- Pay attention to the right-of-way of other vessels in the area
What to Read Next
Why Did the Sailboat Hit the Bridge // Confirmation Bias Study
This might interest you after thinking over all the things that can go wrong around a bridge in an area with swift currents.
I Don’t Go Anywhere Without:
- North American Rescue CAT tourniquets.
- PierShare to rent your dock out or rent a dock.
- BoatUS for your boat towing insurance! Code: “HEWAF88”
- Thank you Bill for being the Best Sailing Partner EVER!
