good to see its not only truck drivers who can get it wrong
Raymundo.
Perhaps there are as many skippers who don’t allow for “spring” tides as there are truckers who don’t allow for that resurfacing the bridge approach road got a few weeks back. 
Notice when a truck hits a bridge - it often “just” hits it, suggesting in turn that they KNEW the height, KNEW the risks and thought “Oh f— it. This 13’9” will go under that 13’6 bridge - the community always told me that you get “4 inches leighway”! 
It was Raymundo, on the lash the night before and nine times over the legal limit to be in charge of a vessel.Hope you like porridge mate.
Wonder if there’s any salvageable parts on that bridge that could be sent to Edinburgh to patch up the FRB. [emoji3]
Winseer:
Perhaps there are as many skippers who don’t allow for “spring” tides
Neap tides at the moment, not springs.
He would have had a pilot on board and spring tides have little effect near Papenburg where the ship is now, height of the of tide in winter is mainly controlled by the amount of rain water coming down from further upstream with other factors taken into consideration, also the speed the current can attain does often make it difficult to control a ship if going the same way as you when asked by the bridge master to ‘come to the bridge then I will lift it’ then if he found a fault and it wouldn’t lift then brown underpants in the ships wheelhouse.
On the Schelde/Rhine canal which links Antwerp to Amsterdam there is one fixed bridge that was about 25 cm lower than the rest and for us to get underneath it at high water we had to approach slowly then when the sharp end was under give the main engine every thing we could get and that would drag the stern down to give us about 10 cm clearance on top of the wheelhouse, not good but better than waiting for the water to lower on the ebb tide.
When I left the ship the new skipper didn’t know about the height and just kept going normally and demolished his wheelhouse totally. The owner said ‘You broke it so you mend it’ and to his credit he made a good job of the steel and woodwork but it ended up as an old ship with a modern shaped wheelhouse which totally destroyed the character of the old girl. Ships name Andrea, foto’s available on request 
Thats going to be expensive, if it costs thousands to close a bridge for a couple of hours whats the bill for demolishing and rebuilding over years?
Not a lot of demolishing needed 
it has to be said that some of the pathetic attempts by our steering wheel attendants pale into insignificance compared to that . those nautical types don’t do half a job . i wonder how the ship fared ?
Ship is OK, now ■■■■■■■ in Papenburg, bit of paint needed but that’s about it but as for the bridge well …
Picture and narrative credit to Jochen Wegenerture.
‘‘The sudden death of a voyage: she left the Port of Papenburg at 18.00 yesterday in the evening and crashed the closed train bridge near Weener guided by pilot on board at 18.40 with a speed of about 8 ktn. The bridge is a 10-million-euro-total loss, people who want to go from Leer to Groningen have to take now the road instead of the train for the next several years, maybe five, till the newbuilding will be ready.’’
toby1234abc:
It was Raymundo, on the lash the night before and nine times over the legal limit to be in charge of a vessel.Hope you like porridge mate.
Years ago having a bloody good session before sailing was the norm, but now it’s a big no no, but not I will add to some of the EE bods, looking through the MAIB accident investigations and a the number of times the ■■■■■■ up watch keeper is from there beggars belief !! And they do get paid less than us, so tough luck to the ship owners who employ them !
The owner of this casualty is aptly named Grona Shipping also of Papaenburg will be doing some groaning now !
That ship has more draught on it than a free house pub. 
Winseer:
That ship has more draught on it than a free house pub.
her draft is 4.2 metres at present but she is MT, have you done the same to your local ? 
