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SUMMER 2004 ISSUE

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BOATING SAFETY: 

BRIDGES - Approaching and Passing Under Bridges

Boaters frequently traverse waterways that are crossed by many bridges, especially on rivers and in bays. Famous bridges like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge attract boaters as sight-seeing destinations; sailing under one of these bridges can be the highlight of a trip. All bridges across U.S. waterways are subject to navigation signals and rules. Learning these signals and rules is an important part of a boater's education.

BRIDGE LIGHTS:
The lights on a bridge indicate not just its location, but other key features like main channel location and piers. Lights on a bridge, in general, may be white, red or green and indicate many important bridge features:

RED LIGHTS (A) - mark location of piers and supports. Red lights can also be used to indicate that a lift span bridge or drawbridge is closed to traffic.

GREEN LIGHTS (B) - mark the centerline of the navigable channel through a fixed bridge. Green lights may also be used to indicate that the lift or drawbridge is open to traffic.

WHITE LIGHTS - when there is more than one navigable channel under a bridge, the preferred channel is marked with three vertical white lights (C)

CLEARANCE GAUGES:
Clearance gauges indicate the height between the lowest part of the bridge and the waterline. Knowing the height of your boat is extremely important: the bridge's clearance gauge lets you know if your boat will sail under the bridge safely, and with enough room to spare for wave action. Clearance gauges are marked by black numbers and lines on a white background indicating height in feet. This does not mark the depth of the water. The gauge is read downward, with the lowest number visible indicating the distance in feet between the "low steel" of the bridge and the waterline. If your boat's height is less than the number indicated on the gauge, you may proceed under the bridge. (Remember that wave action may change the relative height of the water by several feet, so take this into consideration when checking the clearance gauge. Be sure to give yourself enough room in case a wave raises your boat while you are sailing under the bridge.)

DRAWBRIDGE OPENING SIGNALS:
There are two types of signals that boaters may use to contact the tender of a drawbridge to request opening:

1. Radio (VHF Channel) - Drawbridge tenders monitor VHF-FM channels 13 and 16, except in Florida. In Florida (and Georgia and South Carolina), use channel 9 (this is to cut down on the traffic on the other channels) to hail the bridge tender.

2. Sound Signals - Standard sound signals are:

Opening Signal: An air horn is used to hail the tender to request opening. Give one long blast (4-6 seconds) followed by one short blast (1 second).
Reply to Hail: The tender will follow the Opening Signal with the same signal (one long followed by one short). The boater may then proceed through the open bridge. If no reply to hail is received, and the drawbridge is open, the boater may proceed cautiously 30 seconds after the Opening Signal.
Drawbridge cannot be opened or must close immediately: tender will give five short blasts in rapid succession

These rules and signals should be followed by all boaters, and should be memorized in order to avoid dangerous situations around bridges.

March 10, 2004 - MarinaMate.com
Information provided by the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety website.

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