Bridge openings

Bridge openings, especially on weekends, always have the potential to create difficult navigating situations. Question for the board. The bridge opening in this case is the narrow railroad bridge on a shark river inlet and assume for this question it's a strong incoming tide. There's a party boat outbound on the west side of the bridge (bow into the current) and smaller recreational boats inbound on the east side of the bridge (stern being pushed by the current). Assume that the party boat is first in line of the outbound traffic and there's a series of smaller recreational boats waiting on the inbound side. Question is in that situation when the attendant raises the bridge, who has right of way?

[cukes]

It is supposed to be the vessel with the tide but not always a factor, there are vessels inability to maneuver, vessels constrained by their draft and just plain common sense, bridge operator has the say so

[Capt. Debbie]

NEITHER BOAT DOES. That current with/against rule is a Rule of Thumb not a COLREG. The party boat is NOT constrained by draft there and can certainly leave the channel. That's ludicrous its not Barnegat Bay. Nor is the party boat un-maneuverable or they would never get back into the slip without help.

NEITHER BOAT does. You'd be surprised how many licensed captains do not know rules they used to know 25 years ago.

As a practical matter the steel boat wins in a crash with a plastic boat. But it would be both boats at fault under COLREGS and the party boat captain is getting a piss test too.

Originally Posted by cukes

It is supposed to be the vessel with the tide but not always a factor, there are vessels inability to maneuver, vessels constrained by their draft and just plain common sense, bridge operator has the say so

[jakesdad]

As Capt. Frank says most don't know the rules. I have been running out of Shark River since the early 60's. In the old days, everyone respected the rules of the road. Everyone knew what a whistle signal meant, and everyone knew the clearance height of their boat. Many times people where advised they had to drop all non essential items in order to clear the bridge.

Openings where limited to those in need, outriggers are not essential, antenna, soft tops etc, all had to be dropped.

My crew still laughs when I approach any span I use my horn, at all times especially with the tide. Can't tell you how many times oncoming traffic still proceeds. In today's world I even ask if there is any traffic on channel 13 before I proceed.

Better safe than sorry.

[Capt. Debbie]

Well said.

True most don't know the blind spot whistle signal. Forget dropping movable antennas & outriggers to get less air draft. Or even what 5 or 6 short blasts whistle signal means two things. Many do not know how to use a radio, the channels or even have it on. I used to do the same thing and ask the bridge tender down in SRI who's the last boat coming my way as I waited. The old bridges were narrow and low except for Ocean Ave.

A professional mariner in a duckboat killed two people and injured 12, while another professional mariner ran a tug and tow over him at 5 knots in a mile long straightway on the Delaware River 2pm on a sunny July day. Really? WTF! That's the blow hard pros who preach loudly. Haven't bothered to even looked at the rules in decades since their Test.

The rawest rule of boating operation is to trust no one.

Originally Posted by jakesdad

As Capt. Frank says most don't know the rules. I have been running out of Shark River since the early 60's. In the old days, everyone respected the rules of the road. Everyone knew what a whistle signal meant, and everyone knew the clearance height of their boat. Many times people where advised they had to drop all non essential items in order to clear the bridge.

Openings where limited to those in need, outriggers are not essential, antenna, soft tops etc, all had to be dropped.

My crew still laughs when I approach any span I use my horn, at all times especially with the tide. Can't tell you how many times oncoming traffic still proceeds. In today's world I even ask if there is any traffic on channel 13 before I proceed.

Better safe than sorry.

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by Capt. Frank

NEITHER BOAT DOES. That current with/against rule is a Rule of Thumb not a COLREG. The party boat is NOT constrained by draft there and can certainly leave the channel. That's ludicrous its not Barnegat Bay. Nor is the party boat un-maneuverable or they would never get back into the slip without help.

NEITHER BOAT does. You'd be surprised how many licensed captains do not know rules they used to know 25 years ago.

As a practical matter the steel boat wins in a crash with a plastic boat. But it would be both boats at fault under COLREGS and the party boat captain is getting a piss test too.

Actually most Bridge operators adhere to sections of rule 9 intended for listed areas.
They hold the vessels based on tide flow to allow those with the tide on their stern to proceed first through the opening.
Problem in SR is half the guys dont even turn their radios on , nor pay attention to the bridge operators instructions