Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

[UncleWillie]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

Reality Check.
A small, 100 Gal, 800#, Water Sack with a 500 gph pump is realistically, going to take 20 minutes to fill and another 20 minutes to empty.
Add Setup and Storage and you are looking at an hour to get under the bridge.
Super duty the setup and maybe 30-45 minutes. Is this acceptable?

Another method is to Go Faster, The boat will squat in the trough behind the Bow Wave and sit lower in the water.
(1:30 in the Video)

This could be really scary the first time you try it.
As you approach the bridge, place your eye level exactly at the top of the windshield,
if you can NOT see the horizon in the distance you will NOT clear the bridge.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

Another method is to Go Faster, The boat will squat in the trough behind the Bow Wave and sit lower in the water.
(1:30 in the Video)

This could be really scary the first time you try it.
As you approach the bridge, place your eye level exactly at the top of the windshield,
if you can NOT see the horizon in the distance you will NOT clear the bridge.

I think this may be one of those "but someone on the internet said it would work" type things. Not sure if I thought about it if I could come up with a worse idea than that.

 

[Knot Waiting]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

Reality Check.
A small, 100 Gal, 800#, Water Sack with a 500 gph pump is realistically, going to take 20 minutes to fill and another 20 minutes to empty.
Add Setup and Storage and you are looking at an hour to get under the bridge.
Super duty the setup and maybe 30-45 minutes. Is this acceptable?

Another method is to Go Faster, The boat will squat in the trough behind the Bow Wave and sit lower in the water.
(1:30 in the Video)

This could be really scary the first time you try it.
As you approach the bridge, place your eye level exactly at the top of the windshield,
if you can NOT see the horizon in the distance you will NOT clear the bridge.

I think this last part is meant to be tongue in cheek considering UncleWillie usually gives pretty sound advice. DO NOT approach this bridge at any speed. You'll wreck you boat and possibly injure yourself and crew or worse. Not to mention most bridges (especially low ones) are slow no wake.

 

[Jonnybbad]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

I need to party with unclewilly! Your one crazy dude!

 

[agallant80]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

I need to party with unclewilly! Your one crazy dude!

While drinking Uncle Willy's pure mash liquor. Or was that uncle jemima's pure mash liquor....

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

R

Another method is to Go Faster, The boat will squat in the trough behind the Bow Wave and sit lower in the water.
(1:30 in the Video)

This could be really scary the first time you try it.
As you approach the bridge, place your eye level exactly at the top of the windshield,
if you can NOT see the horizon in the distance you will NOT clear the bridge.

Few tips if you try this;
-Wear a hard hat, or better yet a full faced helmet.
-Duck!
-When you clean the windshield off the boat, post a new thread asking about the best ways to avoid June Bugs. Willie may be able to drum up more videos of how cruise ships with displacement hulls do it....

 

[colbyt]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

While I would love to film many of the suggestions being implemented, the only one that makes any sense at all is hinging the windshield. I recently saw a how to thread where the guy had built and hinged one for his bass boat. I don't think that was here.

 

[striker1211]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

Sorry for the lack of info, I've updated my sig. It is a 1996 Sea Ray Bow Rider 175 OB w/ Mercury 115hp. I'll have to look into piano hinges. Thanks.

 

[delbellboy]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

I have used a twin size air mattress that you get at wally world to fill with water when I need more weight in my truck bed. It is more durable than you would think. never leaked yet. put as much weight as you need with minimum water movement.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

Before we discount the Go Faster Option completely, and I freely admit it sound ludicrous on the surface, there may be something to be said for it.
If you are not at planing speeds, you are a displacement boat.
The water in the Bow Wave and in the Wake came from somewhere, and some of it came from the hole you are riding in.
Getting on plane is often characterized as trying to climb out of the hole.

If the bridge is in a No Wake zone, this option may be moot. :grumpy:

I am not suggesting blasting through at 30 mph! :faint2:
However speeding up to the 8-12 mph range may produce your largest wake and lower the boat a few inches.
I can see maybe 6 inches as within reason.

All that said, I sure would never just go for it cold Turkey.

I need to party with Uncle Willy! You're one crazy dude!

Yes! I am crazy, But I am not Stupid!

The geek in me wants to set up a couple of Limbo Poles in a shallow lake with a piece of string set right at the Windshield Height.
Multiple passes at various speeds would demonstrate if the theory is sound.

Sometimes the crazy people are not as crazy as they appear.

 

[Chris_94_Sprint_TX]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

The geek in me wants to set up a couple of Limbo Poles in a shallow lake with a piece of string set right at the Windshield Height. Multiple passes at various speeds would demonstrate if the theory is sound.

If I was closer I'd definitely help with these tests, sounds interesting and fun.

Chris

 

[Fed]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

Do lakes have tides?
Maybe you could go under when all the water is up one end?

Salt water boater here.

 

[littlerayray]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

the great lakes have small tides but most do not

 

[Alwhite00]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

Just put more beer in the cooler.

LK

 

[rbh]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

How about a picture of this bridge, maybe we can work this from a different angle.

 

[lumpy1976]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

Small boat. Just have your passengers in the front, reach up and push. Walk it through that way.

 

[striker1211]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

Here is an entire article on the dreaded bridge:

Moon Lake Bridge in Leoni Township could be replaced, raised in 2016 | MLive.com

 

[Chris_94_Sprint_TX]

Re: Good idea, bad idea? Plan to get under a low bridge....

you may be able to idle under the bridge gonna be a tight fit but most likely doable. Article says 4.5 feet clearance underneath. take a measurement of your boat sitting in water from water to tallest point and you will have your answer.

Chris