Official Deception

Vero Beach, FL

NoLL

We're back in Vero again. Stuart was a nice change of scenery, but we needed to return here to keep doctor appointments.

I ran across a fascinating topic on the SSCA web site. A number of people complained that the State of Florida has monkeyed with the bridge clearance signs between Ponce Inlet, and Vero Beach, FL. Here's the story.

Starting many years ago, the federal goverment made a rule that bridges over the ICW must provide at least 65 feet of clearance above MHW (mean high water). However, actual clearance varies with water level, and water level varies with the tide and with winds. Therefore, most fixed bridges have signs that provide a gauge. On the gauge you can see if the actual clearance right now is 65' or perhaps 66', 64' or whatever.

Older bridges are granfathered in, but when they are replaced the new ones must be at least 65 feet high.

Well the story goes that some cruiser with a 65 foot high mast, hit a red or green light that was protruding below the bridge. The owner sued the state for damages.

The story says that after being sued, that the sate went out and moved the gauges to show only 63' of clearance for 65' bridges. They didn't change the bridges, just the signs.

You can imagine the consternation of cruising sailors with masts higher than 63'. Many of them come to Florida every year and pass the same bridges. Some of them keep meticulous logs and record the actual clearance of every bridge every year. This year it appeared that all the bridges were 2' lower. People waited and waited for hours or days for the water level to go down. Some brave ones tried to pass through anyhow, despite the signs. They got through fine.

The online complaints say that in some cases draw bridge tenders confirm that the gauge signs were moved. Some say it was outside contractors who did it. However, nobody of authority in the state government can be found who knows of the problem or who can be held accountable.

One cruiser wrote online that he contacted the man in the US Coast Guard responsible for bridge clearances. He hadn't heard of the problem but he says that the federal permits require the state to maintain a minimum of 65' clearance. He promised to investigate.

No doubt the weaselly lawyers for the state will point out that the law requires them to maintian 65' clearance, but the law does not require an accurate gauge sign. It makes my head hurt to contemplate the layers of incompetence malfeasance in all levels of government.

Just to make my head hurt even more, I just read in the New York Times that Obama's program to rescue homeowners threatened with foreclosure has so far spent $850,000 per rescue. The average value rescued houses was $166,000; still it cost us taxpayers $850,000 each.

Yee God. I think the only thing our government can do right is to make war. Everything else they attempt goes sour, be it federal, state or local. That's why I'm a political conservative.

p.s. Tarwathie's mast height is 49', plus about 2 feet for the whip radio antenna. Libby and I are very happy that it's not higher, just because of the bridge clearance problem. So here's a tip if you ever want to shop for a cruising boat. Avoid anything with more than 50' of mast height. If you need more sail area, buy a ketch, a yawl, or a cutter rig. All those allow more total sail area without needing higher masts and without the need to handle such big heavy monosails.