Hello, wheelhouse question?

Hello everybody, I am a newcomer to your forum, and need help with a wheel house problem.
We operate on the river Clyde in Glasgow Scotland a 60ft. ex Dutch waterbus. The wheel house needs to be modified to allow us to navigate under a bridge at high tides. We are seeking a method of making the top approx. 800mil, removable, utilising some quick release catches.
Would be oblidged if anyone has done this or knows of a method and could point us on the right course. Many thanks, Parahandy. Boat can be seen here.

http://www.clydewaterbusservices.co.uk/

 

You may see a lowering wheelhouse here:
http://www.jenal.co.uk/JENAL_Wheelhouse.htm#erect aluminium wheelhouse
It seems lowering the wheelhouse is not so rare among barges, so probably our dutch friends in these forums may be of more help.
Cheers.

 

I'm not a boat designer but do engineering design, so just throwing ideas around.

It appears you don't have 800mil above windows, would removing 800mil pf window obscure your view? Maybe copy the pop up caravan design using lineal bearings to raise and lower the top actuated by pneumatic cylinders.

Raising and lowering the whole cab, if controls not attached directly making the job too complicated, this would require heavier duty linear bearings.

Ballast tanks if possible to increase the boat's mass so it floats 800mil lower, pumping out after negotiating the bridge.

Poida

 

After staring at the boat for a while, I came to the conclusion that if the bridge roof down to the bottom of the windows were replaced by cored glass composite construction/lexan, it would weigh maybe 300 lbs max..
The entire structure would be forward-hinged to rest temporarily upside down forward of the lower wheelhouse..
This would require a shaft on the hinge axis, and a hefty worm and sector arrangement coupled to a gearmotor located within the wheelhouse.
Alternately, aluminum could be used instead of composite/glass.
Hinges are probably the cheapest and most reliable solution. Simple lock-downs on each aft corner inside, rubber gasket around just below windows.
This would lower the height in excess of the requirement, but then the more the better, as tides vary, and bridges keep being built.

Alan

 

Hello, wheelhouse question

First off, welcome to the forum. An intriguing question to open with, and I don't have an answer - I'll leave it to the more learned of my colleagues.
But I would pose a question of my own - why choose such a vessel for that particular service. Or was it chosen for you ?
Anyone familiar with the Clyde would be aware of the clearances of the 20 or so bridges which span that section of river - many having been there for the past 150 years.
I doubt your namesake 'Para Handy,' for all his misadventures would have made such a basic error.