Pinned to the bridge In brielle

[Bill Allen]

There's a later model Hatt running around the river in Brielle N.J. with banners all over it offering a charter, can't make out the name since they block it but it's Hatt something. Saturday he somehow got it pinned agaisnt the railroad bridge in Brielle. Coast guard shut the chanel down had a 47 and the small coast guard boat there while Boat us tried to pull him off. With a 3 to four kt current he was pinned and couldn't get off since the current was on his beam. I felt for him especially before they closed the bridge since the wakes from the boats were just grinding him agaisnt it. Haven't a clue how it happened other then I watched as he got too close then just drifted agaisnt it. Looked like rubrail damage and some fiberglass on the hull really beat up. If he's on the forum would love to hear how it happened. Bill

 

[rsmith]

I have to wonder if he had a engine quit and couldnt get the boat turned into the current. I had the same thing happen to me when I was running charters in our old 34 up in Cape May Nj. I was trying to sneak thru the ocean drive lift bridge behind a dragger and the ahole bridgetender started droping the bridge before the dragger even got thru just to block me. The Cats in didnt like the throttles chopped too quick and one quit. With the current and wind behind me I couldnt get the boat pointed up into the current and naturaly the engine would not restart. I ended up manuvering the boat to drift thru the lower center section of the bridge to advoit hitting the piers. Tore all the antennas and outriggers off. My current boat has a tuna tower and I stay well upcurrent of bridges untill I know their fully open and will hold them for me.

 

[SeaEric]

That happens here at Kent Narrows occasionally. It's typically a sailboat. The tide runs faster and stronger than you think.

 

[garyd]

And you have to disciplined and practiced to understand that the correct response it to get the vessel so the props and rudders can have an effect. So it takes nerves of steel to understand that you have to put the boat in forward and turn towards the bridge to start your getaway. You might get damage but you won't get pinned against the bridge. Of course every situation is different but that is the correct way to get away.

This is why you should learn how to use the wheel when docking. Stay in practice so it is a natural response. I can't tell you how many captains are under the mis-understanding not to touch the wheel.

 

[Bill Allen]

I don't think he could have gotten away with the maybe four kt. current. It probally would have been too little too late. He couldn't go foward as his bow slid behind a wood bulkhead. The only responce I could see was not getting in that posistion in the first place. But it was interesting watching it develop. Bill

 

[garyd]

I agree and was offering that up as a what to do to not get in that position. But once in that position you need to use everything to get the props and rudders to be in a position to help.

So if your pinned with port side against it and you still have steerage and power you might be able to spin it with the port side in reverse. If not both throttles have to go in forward with the wheel hard to port. You now really want it to stayed pinned but only at a point near the bow.

So you are now in a position to do what everyone has told you not to do. This is where people get in trouble. No practice no experience NO GOOD>

So you have the wheel hard to port now you work in the throttles fast. Trick is to get the ass end to move off the wall. The farther from the wall the more effective everything has in a positive way. So you want to throttle up have the prop wash hit the rudders and move the back end not move the boat forward. Remember it is heavy and it will take a while for it to accelerate. This is the time area you must work in. Lots of rudder lots of throttle boat kicking hard away from the wall but no forward movement.

Once forward movement is felt you must come off the wall side throttle get that engine into reverse and now add a bunch of throttle to that engine. This little game continues until you are at such and angle you can put them both in reverse and get the heck out of there.

This works but must be practiced over and over again. Once you get it and feel confident you can use it when needed. The best time to use it is before you get into trouble if possible. But sometimes you wake up and you got a heck of a wind against you that can equal a 4 kt current.

Find a place to practice and do it until you can do it in your sleep then you can do it in an emergency.

Now that's what I call having fun boating!

 

[rsmith]

Somedays no mater what you do your the bug and not the windshield.

 

[Pascal]

looking at current tables, it's more like 1.75 to 2 kts in Brielle, not really 4kts. That said, once you're pinned, you're really out of luck whether it's 2 or 4 kts.

pivoting of a wall is pretty standard stuff but it's one thing against a sea wall where you can put fenders, it's a different ballgame against a bridge!

indeed, against a wall or dock, you put the nearside engine in reverse, offside engine in forward, full rudders towards the wall and you let assymetrical thrust and the prop wash do their work using some RPM as needed. then when you at an big enough angle, you throw the off side engine in reverse and get off the wall. no big deal.

against a bridge, or other tough structure, it's really a tough call. will you do more damage trying to pivot or are you better off trying to use fenders and wait for the current to come down? depends on the conditions... i've refueled at Brielle a couple of times, and that railroad bridge looks rough.

unfortunately, it's easy to overlook the effect of current and even with both engines running, you can often end up a little too close for comfort to some structure or shoal you'd like to stay away from.

Staniel Cay, in the exumas is a good example. Even though everyone knows about the shoal off the T dock, many boats when making the turn on an incoming tide end up too close, and once in a while one the shoal!

if you want to play it safe, evaluate the current then dont' get closer than you can away on one engine!

 

[rsmith]

Spring lines!!!

 

[Bill Allen]

I was guessing at the current, but it was a full moon recently and we had heavy rains. The problem with the bridge is it does restrict the flow of the river some. So at the openings especially the part you go through it can get quite dicey. Truth be known I was a bit suprised how long and hard the tow boat took to get him away. The sad thing was he was getting waked quite badly until the C.G. shut the trafic down. I agree with rudders and trying to get off, but I still think the best course of action is staying away from the damn thing. I don't think he had any power or sterring issue with the boat since once he was pulled away he went right up the river with no issue other then the damage to his boat.

 

[garyd]

So How did they pull him off. If they grabbed his stern and pulled him off while he either fended off or used a fender to protect the boat until he got to a point that the rudders and props were once again effective he could of done that himself.

If they pulled his bow and stern off at the same time, that he couldn't have done.

 

[rsmith]

hmmm LOL

http://www.sandbarhopper.com/boatips/bt3.htm

 

[garyd]

That works most of the time but when you are really pinned it will not work. Both of them have to go in forward then the pinned side can go in reverse. And they have to go in forward with mucho gusto. The second after it starts making headway the pinned side goes in reverse with much power.

If your really smart you will have figured out which way your vessel backs away easier because of "P" factor of the props and put that side out. Course if you were that smart you propably would not have gotten pinned in the first place. lol

 

[Pascal]

i've pivoted my boat using the near side engine in reverse with up to 20/25kts. pretty typical right after a strong cold front in So Fl and one place I used to go on week ends (no name harbor) has an east/west bulkhead.

i'm reluctant to use a lot of power on a cleated spring since I never know how strong that dock cleat is.

also, when single handling a flybridge boat, coming back down to undo the spring isnt' not an option as by the time you get back up you'll be back where you started... alongside the dock.

those diesel have a lot of torque...