Whoops. Not my fault, but was my responsibility
The Portage Canal Lift Bridge between Hancock, Michigan, and Houghton, Michigan is lifted by request. It is a cut on Lake Superior that makes going around a large peninsula unnecessary.
I had gone under the Lift Bridge when raised a number of times in my Nordhavn 55. On one occasion when there was a lot of traffic and an emergency vehicle expected "sometime in the next 20-30 minutes or so", the Liftmaster said he had lifted the bridge for me in the past and assured me that it was simply not necessary. I would clear easily enough.
I'm sure you are familiar with the grating that makes up the roadway often on the opening sections of the lift bridges. I was the only boat needing passage and the water was absolutely calm. Well, I moved in very slowly. One of my antennas was soon clanging away as it was hitting the roadway. I slowly backed out. No damage to the antenna or anything else but I was going no farther.
He lifted the bridge a few minutes later after checking with the police and being told the ambulance would still be another 20-30 minutes at least. After passing through I thanked him just like I would normally do. He didn't answer back.
I should not have let him talk me into the passage in the first place. That was ultimately my decision.
I called Nordhavn and got my approximate air draft number when light, and when with full everything. My measured guesstimate and the numbers provided were off by about 4 inches so I went with the highest.
Lessons learned: know you air draft, and don't let a bridge Liftmaster make a decision as to whether or not you can safely pass when closed.
