icw bridge heights?

Libo3 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-17-2003

Has anyone who sailed the icw would have information on what mast height is too high for the bridges?

Lia
s/v Libo3
Barnegat Bay, NJ

GordMay · #2 (**permalink**) 10-18-2003

See:
http://www.inter-yacht.com/CC/icwrestr.htm
and:
http://www.islandhopping.com/bridges.html

camaraderie · #3 (**permalink**) 10-18-2003

Thanks for the good links Gord. The thing that jumped out at me was that the 65''controlling height for the fixed bridges along the waterway is apparently nnot honored in Cocoa Beach with a 63 ft. height. While the Julia Tuttle low height is well known, I was unaware of the Cocoa problem...Does anyone know if this is true...and if so, what are tide heights there. Heading south soon with a 63 ft mast & don''t wanna lose my rig! Best...GB

WHOOSH · #4 (**permalink**) 10-20-2003

Lia, you might want to narrow your definition of ICW a bit. If you''re thinking of the East Coast, 65'' seems to be the limit. The Okeechobee is 50'' and parts of the Gulf Coast ICW is 55'' (with a few exceptions in/around Pensacola that take it lower).

Jack

DonFoley · #5 (**permalink**) 10-21-2003

Cocoa beach isn''t on the ICW, the closest you can get is taking the barge canal over to the port at Cape Canaveral.

The bridge at 528 is something like 36 feet, and a few miles south of that is 520, which is even lower at something around 25 feet. If you come up from the south, and you have a short mast, you can make it under Pinedas causeway bridge at something like 43 feet.

The Banana River (body of water you need to go through to get to CB) is extremely shallow, there are channels, but the depth prohibits sailboats with any substantial draft.

I''ve plied those waters constanty in my youth in a daysailor. There''s a reason it''s not considered a sailing haven. Even with a daysailor I was constantly pulling up the centerboard, as the bulk of the river is a foot or two deep.

gershel · #6 (**permalink**) 10-21-2003

I think Lia meant Cocoa , not Cocoa Beach. I''ve noticed that many people make the same mistake.
I think all fixed ICW bridges are 65''except the one in Fla.
Marc

DonFoley · #7 (**permalink**) 10-22-2003

You''re probably right. Having grown up in Cocoa Beach it becomes a pretty automatic reation to say "Cocoa BEACH" when someone says something like "I hear you''re from Cocoa," but I''m not used to people mistaking Cocoa for Cocoa Beach.

Regardless, my charts have both bridges between Merritt Island and Cocoa (528 and 520) both being at 65 feet.