4 to 12 hour notice

[markpierce]

The Petaluma CA, D Street bridge requires four to twelve hour forward notice for raising. Here its Bascule bridge is rising, precisely on time, for the Mahalo Moi and the Carquinez Coot on Saturday morning, March 23, 2013, leaving town, downriver (photo under-exposed but with dramatic effect). I believe the city's public works employees enjoy operating the bridge.

 

[SomeSailor]

We have one similar to that here on the river. It is manned 24 hours a day and they'll open it anytime you call. I've always wondered what it costs to operate it annually.

 

[Codger2]

Mahalo Moi and the Carquinez Coot on Saturday morning, March 23, 2013, leaving town, downriver (photo under-exposed but with dramatic effect).

Same shot with some "antiquing" applied.

 

[FlyWright]

It must have been a great trip, guys. Looking fwd to your trip report and pics.

 

[GFC]

Why the lengthy notice requirement? Is that a train bridge or a vehicle bridge? Is it manned, or operated remotely?

All the bridges around here are "on demand". You call 'em on the VHF as you're approaching. The train bridges may take a few minutes before they open if there's a train approaching, but the vehicle bridges usually open on demand.

 

[Giggitoni]

Money. The City of Petaluma once had a budget that could support a full-time bridge staff. More important is the silting of the tidal estuary called the Petaluma "River". The channel requires dredging about every four years. It's been about eight years since the last dredging. Money!

Ray

 

[FlyWright]

California Delta Bridge Information

 

[Giggitoni]

Here is a photo from the west end of the turning basin in Petaluma. This location is the furthest point north of San Pablo Bay. What is called the Petaluma River is actually a tidal estuary that was deemed a "river" in 1959 so the city could tap federal money for dredging the 14 miles from San Pablo Bay.

Mark and I will put our collective photos together in the next few days and present our trip from Vallejo, California to Petaluma. I believe the destination is one of the best kept secrets in this area!

Ray, Mahalo Moi, GB-42

 

[caltexflanc]

I can't recall Petaluma ever having a full time tender going way back in the day. The channel dead ends almost immediately in the turning basin and there isn't commercial traffic. The tender traditionally was also the same guy checking parking meters and miscellaneous civic chores. D Street is moderately busy but the main issue is there is very very little boat traffic. Out on the east coast here there are very few draws in urban areas (none I can think of just off hand, other than the downtown New Bern bridge but I am not concentrating much on it) that are not on some kind of schedule, typically half hour but a few 20 minutes and others on the hour during the day, and others that do no open during rush hours. And you still have to make the request. Timing your speed to the bridge openings is a navigational consideration.

 

[markpierce]

Most commercial traffic appears to end a mile east of town although there are tugs and such located just outside the basin. (One is pictured in the photo of post #1.) Petaluma encourages boaters to visit the city. The docks in the basin are free for day use and for $23 overnight. Nevertheless, existence of these expensive bridges is evidence that commercial boat activity went as far as the basin in earlier times. Here is a barge located a mile or so out of town, east of Hwy 101:

I started a separate thread about our voyage on the Petaluma River.

 

[FlyWright]

Did they have any rules against anchoring out in the turning basin? I doubt it's used for that any longer...but curious if you want to stay longer than their 3 consecutive night dock limit.

 

[markpierce]

I doubt one can anchor there, Al. But you could park your trawler at the Petaluma Marina about a mile away and take your motorized dinghy to the basin/downtown for the day.

 

[rwidman]

Why the lengthy notice requirement? Is that a train bridge or a vehicle bridge? Is it manned, or operated remotely?

All the bridges around here are "on demand". You call 'em on the VHF as you're approaching. The train bridges may take a few minutes before they open if there's a train approaching, but the vehicle bridges usually open on demand.

There's a RR bridge near Charleston that requires advance notice to open. I've read anywhere from six hours to twenty four hours. My boat was on the other side of the bridge before I bought it but the PO arranged to get the bridge opened and bring it through.

We have another RR bridge that only operates in the daytime. It's closed to water traffic at night.

 

[GFC]

I guess we're spoiled up here. This railroad bridge sits about 1/4 mile downstream from our marina. We can either call them on Ch13 or on the phone. They'll let us know if there are any trains headed their direction and close by. If none are near, they'll have the bridge open by the time we get there.

In this shot we're headed upstream in the evening after a great day on the boat. I called on VHF when we were about a mile from the bridge to check their status. This is a manned bridge so he can see our approach.

The bridgemaster told me there was a train coming but if I stepped up my pace a bit he'd open the bridge for me and have it closed again before the train got close.

I did, he did, and the bridge was back down before the train got there.

 

[markpierce]

I can't recall Petaluma ever having a full time tender going way back in the day. The channel dead ends almost immediately in the turning basin and there isn't commercial traffic. The tender traditionally was also the same guy checking parking meters and miscellaneous civic chores. D Street is moderately busy but the main issue is there is very very little boat traffic. ...

For example, there were only two bridge openings on Friday: three more Nordic Tug 37s arrived in a group, joining the NT-37 Three Jeans which arrived shortly before us on Thursday afternoon, and a Nordhaven(?) which departed later on Friday.