Doing the Port Mayaca “Limbo”

“Heeling. Nothing more than heeling…” or so the song goes.

Friday, 6 March

There is no tidal swing this far up the St. Lucie River. There should be plenty of water to keep Sirena on her lines. There’s no evidence of panic aboard so it’s assumed everything is alright. But it’s clear she has begun to list heavily to port. And, as it turns out, she heels by design.

Ahead lies the Port Mayaca Railroad Bridge. A lift-type bridge, vertical clearance 49’. At least, that’s what the chart says. It sure doesn’t look like that when Steadfast–mast height 38 plus anchor light and antenna–motors through. There should be at least nine feet of clearance above her masthead. Must be, but from the deck, it sure doesn’t look like it.

The view to the lift from Steadfast’s deck.

Sirena’s mast height above water—including anchor light and antenna—is closer to 50’. Her crew now attempts, in effect, to make her shorter. Sirena’s skipper, Dale, has calculated that if they can induce her to heel about ten-degrees, Sirena, a Pearson 34, should slide right through with no problem.

At least, that’s the thought.

The “bucket brigade” leaves Sirena with the look of a fire boat.

So Sirena’s port rail is lined with a dozen (as in 12) five-gallon buckets, dipped in the St. Lucie River and filled to the brim. Those are joined by three yellow five-gallon cans of diesel fuel, a couple of blue cans of drinking water plus fenders, Debbie and—suspended from the boom, swung out over the side—the heavy wood pram that is her tender.

Yep, she’s definitely heeled to port, at which point Dale pushes the throttle slowly forward and Sirena motors slowly toward The Bridge. Yard by yard, foot by foot, inching ever so slowly ahead.  This is scary, my friend.  You know what a new spar costs?  Scary.

Sirena approaches.

From downstream, there seems to be no clearance at all, as in close! But waddya know, there’s no buckling of the spar, no crunch of the masthead or anchor light. Sirena slips right through.

Sirena passes under the lift, barely.

She’s through!

No crunch.  No clank.  There is, however, a nearly audible sigh of relief, no doubt, on deck of Sirena.

So…that’s how it’s done.  Easy, huh?  There’s a video version of this process for viewing on You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTh7yLcNaQs Different boat, of course, but just as much fun to see. Interesting stuff.

And remember, sometimes it’s okay to be tipsy!

Steadfast out.