The following accident took place on July 27, 2009, at about 1630 hours.

The operator of vessel 1 was taking his sailboat out for a test run, as he had been having trouble with the main sail sticking when attempting to raise or lower it.  As he proceeded in the direction of the General Sullivan bridge, he attempted to raise the sail, which got stuck 75% of the way up.  As the operator tried to fix the sail, the vessel entered a swift current that pulled the boat closer to the bridge than the operator had ever intended to get.  He put the 15 HP motor into reverse, but it did not provide enough power to manuever away from the bridge.  As the vessel drifted under the bridge, the mast caught the side of the bridge and was pulled off the boat.  With the assistance of a nearby boater, the operator was able to bring vessel 1 to a nearby marina to be removed from the water.
Dover                         