Bridge comment on SR 168 (Battlefield Blvd) Bridge

Comment by: Dennis Mcwaters on May 14, 2024
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 32'

Waiting for an opening I was told to "move up closer" by the bridge tender when I was about 150 feet away, so I did to about 100 feet away and AGAIN the bridge tender told me to "move up closer" AGAIN. I did to about 60 feet or so. When the bridge opened there were 2 commercial boats waiting coming from the opposite direction side by side so I had to get over very close to the concrete abutment of the bridge. When they flew past me their wake and the wind/current here pushed me into the bridge abutment when I tried to go forward. I got a $2700 scratch on my starboard hull which would not have happened if I had been back farther like I should have been and NOT listened to the tender. Just a couple hundred feet south of the bridge is Atlantic Yacht Basin the the Dock Master there told me that happens VERY often and to INGORE that guy, YOU are the Captain NOT him!! I've been up and down most of the ICW for 15 years now and never have had a problem before this with bridge tenders as they are almost always super accommodating to cruisers. One of the tenders here has a history of doing this the dock master told me so beware!

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