Question re Maximum Waterway Mast Height
This query is for our tall-masted friends. Captain Tilley is considering reducing his 65ft schooner’s mainmast air draft of 85ft to a height compatible with Waterway bridges. He welcomes your input and suggestions. You may respond here or directly to his email: joseph.tilley@ymail.com. Many thanks!
Larry
Thanks for the information. And yes if you could pose the question on the form that would be great.
Looking to reduce our masthead height so we can safely transit the ICW.
Looking to cut mainmast down to 64 feet and want to know if this is sufficient.
Thank you!
Joe Tilley
Captain
Schooner Liana’s Ransom
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Comments from Cruisers (2)
I’ve been up and down the East Coast ICW and up to Tampa numerous times and my usual recommendation is a max. of 62 feet for relative ease on the East Coast. The official clearance on the East Coast ICW is 65 feet. The official clearance on the west coast of Florida is 55 feet up to Clearwater, but in reality you would be better off with 52 feet. I have seen 62 feet numerous times at places like the Wilderson Bridge, the Atlantic Beach bridge, and the Riviera bridge. Sometimes less. Bridge guages tend to be accurate. Down in South Carolina and Georgia there is plenty of tide, so usually bridge heights are less problematic, though you might have to worry about depths at low tide.
We just sold our 2005 41′ Hunter because of the fixed bridge issue. Our mast height was 63′. We have traveled from western Florida up the east coast to Long Island area four times in the past six years. With the changing weather patterns we have found heavy rains in the Carolina’s, North East wind in northern Florida have raised ICW water levels and blocked our passages due to fixed bridge clearances. If I were to recommend a mast height I would not go above 60′. A friend of mine has a 46′ Cat with a 64′ mast. Only at low tide and without an easterly wind can he proceed on the ICW. We have found the bridge gauges to be very representative of the actual clearances. Also because of your draft I would not travel the ICW without a copy of Skipper Bob’s Anchorage Guide. He has all the shoals listed and short routes to bypass them, when possible. Good Luck.