Proper name for a "drawbridge"

RumHead · #1 (**permalink**) 09-17-2008

Yesterday we were taking a friend's 38' Irwin from the marina to a local boatyard. On the way, we had to go through two drawbridges. The first one, known as Structure C got stuck while being raised. The operator had a lot of trouble and got one side far enough open for us to get through, but it was stuck after that - for at least 45 minutes. To try and lighten the mood I said over the radio "sorry about breaking the bridge" and he replied back very snidely "it's not a bridge, captain". My brother-in-law told me to tell him "not anymore" I didn't have the guts, and I travel this way a lot.

So what is the proper term? I did a search on a local drawbidge renovation and the city titles it "John's Pass Bridge Project". My chart refers to them as "bascule bridge" and I've also seen/heard the term "causeway".

One more, why are the male drawbridge operators so ornery? The female operators always seem pleasant as can be.

JohnRPollard · #2 (**permalink**) 09-17-2008

Beats me. Maybe he just meant that it's a "drawbridge", not a plain old "bridge"??

Bascule merely refers to the type of drawbridge mechanism, in this case one that is counterweighted (as opposed to hydraulic, lift, etc). "Bascule" is the French word for a seesaw -- a child's counterbalanced toy.

LittleMissMagic · #3 (**permalink**) 09-17-2008

That sounds like a real mystery. I have never heard of a drawbridge not being a bridge. Bascule bridge is the type of drawbridge where you have two spans that lift up away from each other. You also have lift bridges and swing bridges. The term causeway refers to a narrow strip of land with a road on it, sometimes leading up to a bridge.
I think your operator may have just been ticked off and couldn't come up with anything better to say.

RumHead · #4 (**permalink**) 09-17-2008

I think he was ticked too. We think he may have done something out of sequence. Right before the bridge went up we heard two loud "booms" like something wasn't released. He even said over the radio that he needed to call his supervisor. I felt bad for him, until I got that comment.

Another time I had radioed a bridge and asked if they were "on demand" or on a schedule. The operator replied back "I am ON REQUEST, captain".

denverd0n · #5 (**permalink**) 09-17-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by RumHead

Another time I had radioed a bridge and asked if they were "on demand" or on a schedule. The operator replied back "I am ON REQUEST, captain".

Well now that one, I don't really blame him. After all, he's the one with his hand on the control. You're not really in a position to DEMAND anything!

Boasun · #6 (**permalink**) 09-17-2008

And more than one boat have had a bridge lowered on its mast. Come to think about it.... that has happened numberous times.

But for a perticular bridge you may have to look on a land map of that area in order to find the local name for that bridge... Some are named for the streets that cross them and others for some dead person who did something and some for the name of the location that they are in and many other various reasons.

And some bridges are operated remotely and you have to call a number, that you can't locate, in order for them to open the bridge that they can't see.

nolatom · #7 (**permalink**) 09-17-2008

I thought a bascule had only one "leaf", and a drawbridge had two. So you aim for the high side of the bascule, but for the middle of the drawbridge. that's why mariners may want to the know the distinction

But I think the term "drawbridge" is taking over both types in common language. They have a hinge, and rotate upwards, whether singly or in pairs.

Swing bridges are common with railroads. Most rotate around a central turntable. A few swings are floating bridges, usually swing from one corner.

But what you passed under sounds like a "bridge" all right. You just caught someone with a reason to be grumpy.

Lift bridges stay horizontal, lifted on both sides by towers.

US27inKS · #8 (**permalink**) 09-17-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by RumHead

My brother-in-law told me to tell him "not anymore" I didn't have the guts, and I travel this way a lot.

So what is the proper term?

I believe the proper term for this particular bridge would be a launch ramp.

JohnRPollard · #9 (**permalink**) 09-17-2008

Quote:

I thought a bascule had only one "leaf", and a drawbridge had two...

I'm not an authority, but...

I'm not so sure about that. While single span bascules are more common, I've certainly seen twin-span versions. I would say rather that a "bascule" is one kind of drawbridge.

Also, I would not necessarily agree that "drawbridge" only implies a bridge that pivots upwards. I believe any bridge that can be drawn aside to permit navigation, including by swinging or lifting, is considered a drawbridge.

Maybe we'll have to do some more research on the derivation of these terms...

RumHead · #10 (**permalink**) 09-17-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Well now that one, I don't really blame him. After all, he's the one with his hand on the control. You're not really in a position to DEMAND anything!

That's for sure! Funny thing is I learned that term from another "bridge tender" (which is a term they probably don't like) when I asked what the opening schedule was. He told me that it was on demand. Somebody needs to publish a set of politically correct bridge terms so one of these guys doesn't dismast me/others.
I learned that actually happened to my boat 8 years ago. Previous owner got in an argument with the - ah - tender, and he showed him who's boss. Most everybody in my marina told me about it after I bought the boat. At least my mast is fairly new.