Close under the Bridge

We set the alarm for 0400 this morning.  One of the realities in this business is needing to take advantage of the tide no matter the hour.  So, hot coffee and weigh anchor.  An hour or so later, we entered the Port Townsend canal, which is spanned by a fixed bridge.  Calculations said we'd clear by at least eight feet, but when you look ahead at a 62-foot high bridge, and up at a 54-foot high mast, the geometry is disconcerting.  No turning back in the narrow canal with cruise speed plus two knots of current.  The impression of imminent disaster is difficult to shake, and with a nervous laugh, we pass under.