Bridge clearance issue

I was looking at the waterway information that I expect to do the vast majority of my sailing on and realized that the bridge in the middle is lower than what it looks like form on the bridge. I drive over this bridge very often and thought it would be fine but the clearance to the water is only 26'. I am sure that the mast on a 16 is 26 and change, plus the hull out of the water.

Is there any easy way to drop the mast in the water to pass under the bridge and step it back up after clearing? Even if I partially drop it and hold it while going under?

Anyone else have this issue?

The other options are to just trailer past the bridge and put in on the other side as the largest part of the lake is past the bridge or use someone's waterfront on either side of the bridge to do this on land or a dock. I know tons of people on the lake and I expect to have a trolling motor on board for power. It's just going to be too handy being able to put in right behind my house and not have to worry about trailering about.


Jeff.

There is no easy way to step the H16 mast on the water. Maybe capsize?

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

I have had the experience of losing a shroud pin while in the middle of Willard Bay, about 2 miles from shore. We tried everything we could think of to get the mast back up. There was just no way. The bridle is just too far out of the water and too far forward to re-attach the forestay. We ended up laying on our stomachs on the forward hulls and swimming the boat back to the marina. In the rain. I now carry two telescoping paddles bungeed to the underside of the tramp. We thought of using a line through the bridle and attached to the forestay and then just using the main, but we didn't have a line. I could have taken apart the jib sheet, but it just didn't seem like it was worth the effort. I was re-thinking that decision after about a mile of stroking.

I thought about turning it over but a number of reasons come to mind why that wouldn't work. Two main ones would be that this is a channel so there is often lots of traffic and the other is family that don't necessarily want to get wet.

I could try to fly a hull through, it might clear but that is WAY iffy... although it would be WAY cool

My terminology is not up to par yet but what about hanging a pully off of the lower jib connection (bridle?) and running a cord to the jib cable (forestay?) and run that through the pulley then back to the deck to let the mast down...I know I cannot lower it all the way as the leverage would be too great. But to drop it to allow the couple of feet clearance then yank it back up and reconnect the jib cable. If I found it too hard I could always add another pulley, make it a 2:1 and be less likely to be overburdened and drop it accidentally, maybe mount a cleat somewhere just for this purpose for safety.

Actually, this sounds like the makings of a two step solo mast stepping plan without using a winch but I don't know about doing it on the water without already having the connections in place, although I have some ideas about that too. I can easily have dock access on either side of the bridge so I am not totally euchred.

Hmmm.... any other thoughts?

Jeff.