# Bridge clearance on ICW



## Pamlicotraveler

I understand the bridges on the ICW are supposed to allow a 65' clearance, but have been told that isn't always the case. Is there anyone with any experience lately about what to expect? 

I was on a boat recently with almost 64' mast height. We had read that the bridge above Belhaven NC on the Alligator River (not sure of mile marker) was possibly below that clearance, depending on the tide. That was enough for us not to go through there. Does anyone have any experience on ICW for the clearance?

And also, has anyone ever hit a bridge? What were the consequences? I guess if you lost just a windvane you'd be relieved, but its not something I ever want to experience if I can avoid it.


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## jswwrites

LOL "...has anyone ever hit a bridge?" I was living in Pensacola years ago when a barge hit the bridge going over to Pensacola Beach during the night. The bridge was out for months, and people were commuting by boat - and literally within 12 hours there were tee shirts for sale that said, "I was there when the ship hit the span!" Probably not a good thing from anybody's standpoint to hit a bridge...

I looked at Skipper Bob's "Anchorages along the ICW" for info on the bridge at Bellhaven. He doesn't have any notation about the bridge height being too low, but the chart does show the Wilkerson Bridge (Alligator River at Pungo River) to have a 64' clearance. (I thought all the high rise bridges at least a 63', not 65'?)


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## camaraderie

I have been through all those bridges with a 64' stick and never even scraped. (Most recently in April). You DO have to pay attention to unusually high water in the rivers and bays generated by tropical storms/hurricanes and then the clearance will drop. Ernesto raised the water by a couple of feet for 4-5 days after the storm as all that fresh water tried to make its way back to sea. Other than that...in normal conditions you should have no problems as the bridge boards and markers are notoriously innaccurate. Just count on 64' all the way down to Miami's Julia Tuttle bridege UNLESS there are extreme high water conditions. 

I do know a guy with a 67' mast who tried to make it from Norfolk to Beaufort inside...didn't make it! He was lucky only to take off all the instruments and did some damage to the mast head as he was going dead slow at the time...could have been a lot worse. He figured the tide would help him get through despite the warnings but it only runs about 6 inches there!


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## Cruisingdad

Many of the bridges (or most) are 65+... but that is NOT always true. The ICW on the west side of Florida and around is 55 feet. The enterance past Sanibel that was a draw bridge has now been changed to a 70' fixed, but the next bridge up in Cape Coral is 55 feet.

Better check your maps closely depending on where you are going.


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## camaraderie

C-Dad...I said to MIAMI....the left coast draft and height restictions are vastly different.


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## Cruisingdad

Cam,

I was not referring to you, but commenting on assumption that ICW means 65 foot clearance. It does not. I will also tell you from experience it also does not mean 7.5' depth.

By the way, I have heard you can make it under a low bridge if you go really, really fast!! HAHA! Had a sailboat try that on the enterance into Mantanzas Pass. Bent the stick all the way back. Not pretty. I would be absolutely amazed if someone was not really hurt!


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## Chuteman

*Guide to Help*

PT:
Crewed on a northbound boat from NC to Norfolk.
The gang has already mentioned the key points..........many but not all bridges have Clearance height (calculated by using the water level) marks on pilings, etc near the bridge ..........some are brightly painted others suffer from wear & tear.

It can be nerve racking if it's close (like us)..........the water is moving, there are often lights & bridge supports hanging down below the max height........so we had to dodge then as we aimed for the highest section of each span.....................after that it was just timing & communicating (if necessary) with manned bridges

I used a cruising handbook = The Intracoastal Waterway - Norfolk to Miami by Jan & Bill Moeller. It worked real well & was very accurate. It tracks the whole route by milemarkers. Also includes info on marinas, fuel, sights, etc.


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## Pamlicotraveler

Cruisingdad said:


> ...By the way, I have heard you can make it under a low bridge if you go really, really fast!!


Gotta love it! I'll try that one


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## camaraderie

C-Dad...oops sorry...wrong assumption!


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## chuck5499

we came down to the mouth of the cape fear river with a 54' mast on a Jeanneau ds40 - only problem is tuttle bridge in miami which is 56' -did not want to even try it - 
if you are truely 64' then your i might be more concerned with the draft as some locations on the icw are getting a bit shallow -- if you do try it make sure your BOATUS coverage for unlimited towing in paid up. 
chuck and soulmates


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## ebs001

Went under the Julia Tuttle with a VHF aerial that's just under 54' and didn't touch. Note however if you are south bound and are 56+ you have to go outside at Ft. Lauderdale or it will be a long trip back.


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## camaraderie

Chuck...you are right about the depths though there has been some much needed emergency dredging lately. Suggest anyone planning on heading down the ICW check out the BoatUS "east coast alerts" topic on their bulletin board as there is an every 2 week update to conditions and the info is quite detailed. If anyone finds a shallow spot (in the channel!!) please post it on the BoatUS site for all to see so we don't make TowBoatUS rich!


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## Pamlicotraveler

And if they are dredging can't they just dig a little under the bridges to give a little more clearance?


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## Pamlicotraveler

That previous post was just ot see if anyone is paying attention


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## btrayfors

You mean that doesn't work? I thought if you just dug deeper the water would fall into the new hole and give additional clearance )

For anyone wishing to visit Washington, DC there's good news: the old Wilson Bridge opening spans (which had a 50' clearance) are gone. They've been physically removed, and a 1/2 mile section of the old bridge has been demolished.

One of two new spans is completed and is carrying road traffic in both directions. It was planned to have a clearance of 70', but laser measurements after construction indicated the actual clearance is 85' MHW or 84' MHHW. That's wonderful news for those of us who've suffered over the years getting past this bridge.

You still have to be careful during the day, because they sometimes anchor construction barges in the main navigation channel underneath the bridge spans, but even with this caveat it's a MUCH better situation than before.

Bill
S/V Born Free


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## T34C

I had a friend (who shall remain nameless) sail up to a draw bridge to see if could get under with the bridge down. I know, bad plan in sooo many ways. Anyway, mast hit the bridge beam to, and the backstay hooked over one of the bridge lights. The boat started to raise with the bridge (only breifly) before the backstay parted. Tension on the mainsail kept to mast up while he was towed home.


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## dpoissant

A lot of information about the trip from mile marker 0-to Miami. Any information about the trip from St. Lawrence to mile marker 0 would be greatly appreciated?


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## sailingdog

Most of the time someone says *"I had a friend (who shall remain nameless)"* it is a euphemism for _*"I did this but don't want anyone to know."*_    


T34C said:


> I had a friend (who shall remain nameless) sail up to a draw bridge to see if could get under with the bridge down. I know, bad plan in sooo many ways. Anyway, mast hit the bridge beam to, and the backstay hooked over one of the bridge lights. The boat started to raise with the bridge (only breifly) before the backstay parted. Tension on the mainsail kept to mast up while he was towed home.


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## Vasco

ebs001 said:


> Went under the Julia Tuttle with a VHF aerial that's just under 54' and didn't touch. Note however if you are south bound and are 56+ you have to go outside at Ft. Lauderdale or it will be a long trip back.


Actually the Julia Tuttle has greater clearance on both sides of the main draw. Led a group through there a couple of years ago when it was too rough to go outside and we were being hassled in Lake Sylvia. Ben 423, Whitby 42, Morgan 382 and a Ben 393. We went at half tide.


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## camaraderie

dpoissant...there are also threads with great detail on the trip from long island sound, through Hell Gate, down the Jesey Coast and up the delaware bay through the C&D canal to the Chesapeake. 
The sailing down from Maine through the Cape Cod Canal and into Newport and Long Island Sound is all coastal and it is really a matter of timing and weather and picking your ports but it all can be done in daylight hops or longer if the weather cooperates. Making points south and west from Maine after about mid September is more difficult as the weather changes and prevailing winds change to more on the nose. We found the Maptech/embassy guide to the NEngland Coast very helpful. 
Embassy Guides
Check out any of the above mentioned threads through advanced search using keywords like hell gate in your search and using my screen name as I have generally posted on stuff from NY south.


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## toewsrus

*Wilkerson Highway Bridge*

I noticed in the cruising guides it says that a wind tide can make the clearance less than the charted 64 feet.

Is this during hurricanes with storm surges, or just any low preesure with 20 knot winds?

Does anyone know?

Our mast is 63.5 feet. The boat made it through once with the previous owners, but now the forcast is for 25-30 kt winds from the south. I'm curious, actually a little more than curious, what I should be planning on. A new route, waiting it out, just being careful?

Any experience with this bridge.

Thanks


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## WinterRiver

I made it under that bridge last June with a stated 63' mast. I watched as a sister boat, with apparently a slightly taller mast or just more stuff on top lost a light. (It floated, so she dropped the dinghy and went back to get it.) I went very, very slowly and only my whip antenna touched.

The most annoying aspect was the lack of clearance boards on many of the bridges. I know there was no clearance board on the south side of this bridge for the northbound folks. I believe there was one on the other side. That, of course, is subject to change.

Winds were nonexistant when I went through, so I can't report on that part.

Fill up on fuel, water, and beer. Can't hurt.


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## camaraderie

There is really no way to tell the water level in advance. It can happen in just a couple of hours of heavy rain or winds...or in a few days of modest winds from one direction.

May I suggest that you simply avoid the bridge and take the "alternate ICW" instead of the Alligator River route. 
The alternate ICW heads 164 degrees magnetic from the north river channel where it opens on to the Albermale Sound...then EAST and South down Roanoke Islands Eastern Side. (Stop in at Manteo for free overnight dockage- no electric but I'll help tie ya up!) Then you head down the marked channel to the Pamlico Sound under the 65' bridge and SAIL to the Neuse River entrance and on to the ICW again at Oriental. There is also a great slight detour to the Silver Lake anchorage on Ocracoke Island...one of the 10 best beaches in the World! 
No worries about depths...7ft. minimum anywhere on the route and only ONE true 65' bridge and you can SAIL much of the route which is also SHORTER to Oriental. 
Here's the Manteo Waterfront Marina. That's Camaraderie at the far left!
Manteo Waterfront Marina in North Carolina, United States.


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## WinterRiver

The "alternate ICW" route is probably a bit more scenic than the Alligator River route. There's a fine line between mellow and monotonous.


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## camaraderie

It was not monotonous on Monday...a sailboat tried to sail thought the Alligator river bridge and got a bit sideways...losing the mast. OUCH! 
Motor through those bridges guys!!


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## sailingdog

The swing bridge near where I keep my boat won't let you through if you have the sails up.  You have to motor.


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## dcortes

I have a Tanzer 16 and want to sail it down the ICW from Wilmington, NC to Miami. I don't want to spend a lot of time motoring. Can this be done? I'll be leaving in mid-April. I've been told that currents and the narrowness of the waterway will require constant motor. True? Remember, my boat is small.

dcortes


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## camaraderie

dcortes...it HAS been done entirely under sail but I would caution you that it would be VERY difficult to do, somewhat dangerous due to wakes and open sounds and would take you a LONG time. You may expect to be becalmed many days...and when the wind IS blowing you may need to tack every 30 seconds to stay in the ditch. 
Not recommended but possible if you are the type of nut that enjoys this sort of thing!


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## tallsb

*ICW Blue Heron Bridge, WPB*

The Blue Heron bridge is published on nautical charts and bridge clearance documents to provide 65 ft from MHT clearance. The construction at the east opening provides 65 ft. The construction at the west side, the main channel provides only 63 ft. From mid tide to high tide, sailboats needing 65 ft use the east opening.

Yes, I hit this bridge about 5 years ago. There were no height placards on bridge fenders. I relyed on the charts. My height requirement is 64.5 ft with wind instuments, lights, antenae. Cost me about $1,500 to replace.

I complained to the CG, they added placards, told me to go around main channel at mid to high tides.


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## tallsb

ALSO, The ICW Blue Heron bridge in West Palm Beach,mile marker 1018, is published on nautical charts and bridge clearance documents to provide 65 ft from MHT clearance. The construction at the east opening provides 65 ft. The construction at the west side, the main channel provides only 63 ft. From mid tide to high tide, sailboats needing 65 ft use the east opening.


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## TQA

tallsb did you have a look at the dates on the previous posts? The OP is 5 years old.


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## roma

Pamlicotraveler said:


> I understand the bridges on the ICW are supposed to allow a 65' clearance, but have been told that isn't always the case. Is there anyone with any experience lately about what to expect?
> 
> I was on a boat recently with almost 64' mast height. We had read that the bridge above Belhaven NC on the Alligator River (not sure of mile marker) was possibly below that clearance, depending on the tide. That was enough for us not to go through there. Does anyone have any experience on ICW for the clearance?
> 
> And also, has anyone ever hit a bridge? What were the consequences? I guess if you lost just a windvane you'd be relieved, but its not something I ever want to experience if I can avoid it.


Connecticut River Bridge closed on me 2001...43' Irwin. Slight encounter buckled the keel stepped mast about a foot above he deck. Mast and boom wound up straight back on the binnacle and wheel. Fortunately no one hurt with 4 in the cockpit.


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