# Tool Talk >  Sailing a boat under a bridge - GIF and video

## Jon

Sailing a boat under a bridge.



Your browser does not support the video tag.


This is what they're trying to avoid:




Previously:

Boat snaps cable during loading - GIF
Pulling a boat through locks GIF
Cubans flee Communism with American cars converted into boats
Boat that pulls itself ashore
Sealegs amphibious fishing boat
Trailer with built-in boat as roof
Flying inflatable boat
Van/boat combo - GIF and video
Airplane fuel tanks turned into Vietnamese boats

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olderdan (Nov 16, 2017),

Rangi (May 4, 2020),

Seedtick (Nov 16, 2017)

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## mklotz

How do they right the boat after motoring under the bridge? I doubt they have ballast tanks and, even if they did, couldn't transfer that quickly.

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olderdan (Nov 16, 2017),

Toolmaker51 (Sep 30, 2018)

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## olderdan

It looks like they pulled the weights inboard so the craft rights itself, its a shame we dont get to see how they swung them out in the first place. It takes a lot of confidence to pull a manoeuvrer like that.

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## mklotz

> It looks like they pulled the weights inboard so the craft rights itself, its a shame we dont get to see how they swung them out in the first place. It takes a lot of confidence to pull a manoeuvrer like that.



OK, I missed that. If you look really, really closely you can see the lines attached to the bottom of the weights. These must be what they use to retrieve the weights. As you say, it takes a lot of sailing expertise to perform such a maneuver.

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## Moby Duck

They are possibly water bags. Secure bags to a mast top rope, dangle over the side, fill with a hose or bucket, (or just dip them), hoist bags slowly when full and they should give the required list if you got the calculations right. On completion, haul bags inboard and spill water on deck.
This is a well thought out maneuver but this yacht is not 'sailing' under the bridge, it is 'motoring'.

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olderdan (Nov 17, 2017),

Toolmaker51 (Sep 30, 2018)

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## Jon

Here's a fail of a boat under a bridge. The mast breaks once about midway up, and then either breaks or detaches at the deck. Is this the correct designed failure for the mast?



Your browser does not support the video tag.

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markonevet (Oct 6, 2018),

Seedtick (Oct 6, 2018)

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## mklotz

The best failure mode would be for it to break in such a way as to land on the head of any boat driver dumb enough to sail under a descending lift bridge.

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Toolmaker51 (Sep 30, 2018)

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## Toolmaker51

> The best failure mode would be for it to break in such a way as to land on the head of any boat driver dumb enough to sail under a descending lift bridge.



Evidence of a common nautical failure "Failure to maintain a proper forward watch". Often coupled with a case of too much money, or it being collected too easily.
How does one take the helm unaware proper info on his draft, mast height and periodic tide? I'd guarantee bridge supports are marked for any tide that harbor receives.

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## markonevet

A very expensive day. Gives meaning to BOAT (Break Out Another Thousand).

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## Frank S

The same quality of people would be the one who try to outrun the RR crossing arms as they are descending their judgement is clouded by the incurable disease of stupidity.

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## Jon

Very nice, even if he did poke a few faces on the way down.



Your browser does not support the video tag.

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PJs (Oct 14, 2018),

Seedtick (Oct 13, 2018)

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## ranald

> Very nice, even if he did poke a few faces on the way down.
> 
> <video controls autoplay loop>
> <source src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/hmt-forum/ducking_to_cross_under_bridge.mp4" type="video/mp4">
> Your browser does not support the video tag.
> </video>



wonder how they would go if the tide was in. Wonder how it floated with all those people aboard & so so shallow.

must have a very flat bottom and no keel.

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## Jon

Your browser does not support the video tag.

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baja (Jun 16, 2019)

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## Ralphxyz

Actually that is funny, stupidity a work again but funny.

Ralph

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Slim-123 (Jun 15, 2019)

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## Frank S

Not as quick and agile as she thought she was  :ROFL:  :ROFL:

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## ranald

but she saw it in the movies.

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## Jon

"Oh, it's really low today..."



Your browser does not support the video tag.

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baja (May 23, 2020),

MIGuy (May 22, 2020)

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## Ralphxyz

Actually it should say"really high today"!

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## IntheGroove

Time to start pumping water into the boat...

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## GeoffN

Either that or let the tyres down!

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baja (May 23, 2020)

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## Ralphxyz

Obviously not a sailboat.

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## old kodger

Looks like they are going to get a "crash" course in removing the steering wheel

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## Frank S

> Looks like they are going to get a "crash" course in removing the steering wheel



They had probably driven under it the day before but the lake level rose. Once on Lake Fork here in Texas we moved our barge to a different section of the lake by going under the 515 bridge a few weeks later when it was time to return the only way we could get it under the bridge was to disassemble some of the equipment but the lake had only risen a couple of feet

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