Still More Discussion on Fort Myers Beach Fixed Bridge Height, Matanzas Pass, West Florida
Fort Myers Beach Bridge – Click for Chartview
The bridge in question crosses the Mantanzas Pass/Fort Myers Beach Channel, and vessels must cruise under this span to reach the POPULAR Fort Myers Beach Mooring Field (A SALT SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR). If anyone has information about this span’s clearance, please click the “Comment on This Posting/Marina/Anchorage/Bridge” link below, and share your information.
Has anyone had trouble getting under this bridge. I have a 64 foot mast. and I question the markers which show 64 feet at medium tide.
Craig
After receiving the above note, we called the City of Fort Myers Beach, and talked with both the city dockmaster and the local USCG office. Both said their information indicated the actual bridge clearance to be 65 feet.
More from Captain Craig:
Claiborne:
Thank you for looking into this matter about the Matanza Bridge. This is what makes me think that the water markers are off. According to my tide chart , On 12-12-2010 high tide was at 6:15 PM. with a height of 1.9 Feet. That Sunday I was at Bonita Bills asking this same question about the bridge. I looked at the marker at 3:00 PM, three hrs before high tide, and the marker read 63′ 11″. Looking at the tide chart the high tide can get up as much as 3.2 Feet for that area. I would think that’s when the marker should show around the 65′ mark. I E-mailed Doug at the Colgate sailing school. They had a Hunter with a 64′ mast. He said they made it under a few times only at low tide.And a couple of times scrapped the VHS antenna.
Again thanks for all your help. I only want to find a home for my boat, and being able to get under that bridge scares me. When the charts say 65′ at MHW, and I personally saw 63′ 11″. I’m not going to make it.
Thanks
Craig
I have my boat at Salty Sam’s Marina east of the bridge and my mast clearance is 64′. The marker is accurate but the tide chart never seems to be quite as accurate at this bridge’¦.I have scraped my VHF antenna a few times but don’t pass under the bridge at unusually High Tide over 2.8 to be safe. There’s a lot of current but no waves or chop. Just avoid the highest of high tides and you’ll be fine.
Steve
April 4, 2014
Had the occasion to deliver a Leopard 44 (mast modified to 64ft) to Fort Myers Beach yesterday. Arrived Matanzas Pass Bridge at about 5:30 (High tide 3:10 pm 2.8ft) with the water marker showing 64ft clearance. Waited till 7PM, removed the Windex, wind speed/direction sensor, rode the boat under the bridge (with me near mast head) and cleared by perhaps a foot.
Either the clearance marker is wrong or Robertson Caine made a boo boo on the mast height mod requested by the owner.
Bobby Ward
May 26, 2014
My mast height is 64′ 10’³, with my SS whip antenna at 67.5′. When the paddle boards read 66′ or over, I don’t touch. I’ve been under that bridge at least 20 times. My criteria is +0.5′ tide or less. It seems on outgoing tide predictions of 0.5′ I don’t touch, but do on incoming tide predictions of +0.5′ the SS whip antenna will hit. I believe I could make it up to a +1.0′ tide, but have never proven it.
Marc
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