we watched and followed last wednesday a green pusher tug, a fairly big one registered in savannah , thru elliott cut to the wappoo bridge which was not open. Tide was going toward the bridge, toward the harbor, the tug turned stern to the bridge and drifted backwards until almost at the bridge, then put on power to hold position, apparently trying to gage close up if there was clearance. there was not so the tug just stayed there about 30 ft horizontally from the topside pilot house of the boat and the underside of the bridge. They stayed there for 10 minutes blocking the channel like that til time for the bridge to open. then they moved away from the bridge enought to turn in place and go thru the bridge.
I would have been afraid to be that close to the bridge for that long. one power burp and the highway dept can charge you for a new bridge.
You can bet that tug Captain knew what the height of the bridge was and knew he wouldn’t clear - before he got there - they usually time thier trips to coinside with the scheduled openings. He probably turned bow in to the current for better handleing while he waited for the bridge tender to open the bridge.
Mike Austin
“HATTERASER”
quote:Did the tug block you (or anyone) from going under the bridge in the channel?
Originally posted by edwardh1we watched and followed last wednesday a green pusher tug, a fairly big one registered in savannah , thru elliott cut to the wappoo bridge which was not open. Tide was going toward the bridge, toward the harbor, the tug turned stern to the bridge and drifted backwards until almost at the bridge, then put on power to hold position, apparently trying to gage close up if there was clearance. there was not so the tug just stayed there about 30 ft horizontally from the topside pilot house of the boat and the underside of the bridge. They stayed there for 10 minutes blocking the channel like that til time for the bridge to open. then they moved away from the bridge enought to turn in place and go thru the bridge.
I would have been afraid to be that close to the bridge for that long. one power burp and the highway dept can charge you for a new bridge.
Ron
2000 Camano Troll
North Charleston, SC
probably not- even tho they took up most of the space.
small boats went by,
and a big sailboat was waiting.
quote:I was thinking of a boat like mine. Small enough to go under the bridge, but it would be inconvenient at best to have to manuver around a tug a few yards from the bridge. I would have expected the tug to stay back a couple hundered feet at least.
Originally posted by edwardh1probably not- even tho they took up most of the space.
small boats went by,
and a big sailboat was waiting.
Ron
2000 Camano Troll
North Charleston, SC
many tugs do not get near the bridge and wait couple hundred feet away.