Bridge Clearance near Pensacola, Florida

[Soldack]

I am new to boating. I'm trying to find the bridge clearance of a particular bridge. How do I go about it?

The specific bridge I need is near Pensacola, Florida. From Pensacola Bay, travel into East Bay, then north into Blackwater Bay, then take a left onto Pond Creek. Just as you start on Pond Creek, there is a bridge which is either Canal Street or Forsyth Street.

What is the boating clearance for that bridge?

Thank you for helping me and I apologize if this is a dumb question, I promise I am new to boating.

 

[Cigatoo]

A nautical chart will tell you as will your chart plotter. Better you ask the question now than when approaching the bridge
Looks like 45 feet if this is the correct bridge.

 

[Cigatoo]

Here is the next one to the north. Poor picture but 16 feet is the vertical clearance.

 

[boater3]

I am new to boating. I'm trying to find the bridge clearance of a particular bridge. How do I go about it?

The specific bridge I need is near Pensacola, Florida. From Pensacola Bay, travel into East Bay, then north into Blackwater Bay, then take a left onto Pond Creek. Just as you start on Pond Creek, there is a bridge which is either Canal Street or Forsyth Street.

What is the boating clearance for that bridge?

Thank you for helping me and I apologize if this is a dumb question, I promise I am new to boating.

i double check bridges on garmin active captain. free website.

 

[Sabre602]

It's not a dumb question; we all had to learn how to do it at one time.

It is strongly recommended to take an introductory boating course such as is offered through the Power Squadron or Coast Guard Auxilliary.

I also suggest reading this from cover to cover, then referring to it often:

Whether it's Pensacola, Mobile Bay, or any of the local waterways, you will encounter a lot of commercial vessel traffic, various channel markers and other buoys, and will need to understand radio protocols and rules of the road. Piloting with navigational charts, whether paper or electronic, is an essential skill. Start by studying Chapman...it has all the basics to get you started.

 

[Cigatoo]

It's not a dumb question; we all had to learn how to do it at one time.

It is strongly recommended to take an introductory boating course such as is offered through the Power Squadron or Coast Guard Auxilliary.

I also suggest reading this from cover to cover, then referring to it often:

Whether it's Pensacola, Mobile Bay, or any of the local waterways, you will encounter a lot of commercial vessel traffic, various channel markers and other buoys, and will need to understand radio protocols and rules of the road. Piloting with navigational charts, whether paper or electronic, is an essential skill. Start by studying Chapman...it has all the basics to get you started.

Chapman is ?

 

[Shrew]

I looked at the charts. In the chart images from "Cigatoo" the first image looks like it is the bridge spanning the "Blackwater River". In the second image, there are two bridges on the Blackwater further north.

A swing Bridge with 8 ft of clearance

then a fixed bridge with 71 feet of clearance.

however, the description from the OP talks about turning to port into Pond Creek, which is after the first bridge on Blackwater, but before the next two.

That bridge doesn't list a clearance for the bridge or the overhead cables, it only marks that they are present. None of the charts I looked at NOAA or Nautical, show depths for that area either.

Is Pond Creek navigable? If it were I'd expect datum on the charts. I've never navigated anything called a Creek in anything bigger than a canoe, kayak or innertube.

 

[Sabre602]

I just called my uncle, who lives in Pensacola. I grew up boating all over that area but know the waters west of town much better than East Bay. He kayaks all over the place, though.

He said that Canal St, which turns into Forsyth and crosses Pond Creek, is a small bridge under which only small outboard-powered craft may pass.