With snowbirds cruising south along the Intracoastal Waterway, this video from a few years back has resurfaced, and even if you’ve seen it, it’s worth another look.
It appears that a clever and courageous skipper has rigged two large, thick rubber bags full of water from halyards to the top of the 80-foot mast. The “balls” weigh about a ton each.
A turn of the helm swings the weights away from the boat and starts the heeling process. Then comes the delicate balancing act. Take a look.
After the bridge is cleared, another turn of the helm and a pull on horizontal control lines and halyards and the yacht is upright — until she reaches the next fixed bridge, according to Mike Ahart, an editor at Waterway Guide, who recently posted the video and provides a more detailed explanation.
