$10,000 Fine

    What's wrong in the above photo?  If you are a boater and have navigated through bridges, you should have spotted it immediately.  If you're not a boater, welcome to ICW Bridges 101.  Boats have 2 drafts, the all important one is "What floats your boat?".  Big Run needs 4'6" of water and then we're still not going anywhere.  So we need 5', Sharon prefers nothing less than 6'.  The second draft is your air draft or "How tall is your boat?".  Measured from the waterline to the top of the tallest fixture is your "air draft".  Big Run's tallest item is our VHF antennas yielding us an air draft of 28'.  It is very critical to know both of your drafts.  However, your draft (water) when approaching a bridge is not critical because you're probably already and should be in the bridge's navigation channel.  Here is where the air draft becomes so important.  Most bridges have boards at each entrance to the bridge's fender system.  On the boards are the bridge's clearance based on the tide height.  In the above picture you would read the clearance at the waterline.  But in the above picture of the boards for the Barefoot Landing Swing Bridge in South Carolina, one would have to question "Which board is positioned correctly and do I trust the dude that installed the boards(s) can read a tape measure?".  The prudent sailor would hail the bridge tender.  I almost forgot one other thing.  If you request a bridge opening but your boat would clear the bridge span without an opening, you are subject to a $10,000 fine.