Sailing Yacht Runs Aground Under 17th Street Bridge

Just after noon on April 17th a 130 foot sailing vessel was passing under the 17th Street Bridge bound for one of the marinas that are located along the Intracoastal Waterway in Ft. Lauderdale. The bridge was only allowing vessel traffic to pass by raising the West bridge span due to a maintenance project that was being carried out aboard a barge under the East span. A combination of low tide along with the inability to use the center of the channel as a result of the construction likely led to the grounding. TowBoatU.S. New River was able to free the grounded vessel using two of their twin diesel tugs. One of the tugs was positioned to apply steady pressure astern while another was positioned off the Starboard beam after the barge was clear and the East span of the bridge was raised. As the sailing vessel was inched toward the Southeast by the two tugs, she moved into the deeper water in the center of the channel and floated free.

This incident may help serve as a reminder to all of us to review local charts, call ahead to bridge tenders to ensure bridges on your intended route are functioning properly and seek local knowledge before venturing into unfamiliar waters. TowBoatU.S. New River is always available to assist with local knowledge questions via phone or VHF radio...Free of charge! The company can also provide a boat to escort you to destinations where depth may be an issue. Each of their boats are equipped with accurate depth sounders and they are crewed by captains that have years of experience underway on the waterways and offshore waters throughout South Florida and the Bahamas.