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80' mast? 65' bridge? no problem.
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That video was very un-settling to the SWO's. Although it is strangely comforting to watch a command operate with "huge balls".
FWIW, the skipper was immediately relieved of command. The commodore cited a "lack of confidence."
There's a really fine line between brilliance and stupidity.
Believe it or not, this is actually something regularly brought up by "cruisers" and/or sailors who transit the inter-coastal waterways. I know, growing up, there was a bridge (in the Miami area) that was questionable, depending on the tide, that we had to go under. It worked out, but the other boat we were with was sweating it and slowly motored up to test it. If it hadn't worked out, there was a plan similar to the video above.
They used to do this every year during a sailboat race in J'ville. There were several boats with 45' masts that could not clear the 44' center span of the bridge in Green Cove Springs. They would hang someone out on the boom and heel the boat (under sail) to be sure they could clear. Now the race prohibits boats with a mast higher than 44' from participating. My boat barely fits at 43.5'. Being a catamaran, I actually have to make sure it does NOT heel, because it gets taller at first before it reaches the angle where it starts to get shorter.
Like I told BZB in a different thread, it's a different Navy and Marine Corps than you remember.
1. If it's stupid and it works, it's still stupid.
2. If it's stupid and it doesn't work, it's even stupid-er.
3. If it's not stupid and it works, odds are someone is going to Monday Morning QB you and decide that it's stupid. (Jump to #1.)
4. If it's not stupid and it doesn't work, it becomes stupid. (Jump to #2.)
Lesson: It's easy to get 'stuck on stupid.'
You can also (and some times have to) use the same technique for sail boats if you run aground. And no, it's not nearly the big deal to run aground in a sailboat as it is for the Navy...as long as it's a soft bottom.
Ha, great movie qoute!
What so painful about this statement is that Big Navy SW policies rarely encourage true out of the box thinking, especially at the FFG level.
Ideas that exceed 2 degrees pitch are long term career averse. Figuratively of course. I suppose that is why I'm here vs. Sailor Jerry's Kids.