Pick your boat's make and model, or enter your own numbers, and this tool checks it against every bridge on the Indian River, Banana River, and Canaveral Barge Canal, plus the Canaveral Lock. Built from published clearances and Coast Guard operating rules. Verify against the tide boards before you commit.
Heights below are approximate manufacturer figures for the highest fixed point (hardtop, arch, or mast) above the waterline. Adjust the number if you've measured your boat. Your measurement always wins.
Don't see your boat? Choose "Enter my own measurements."
Waterline to highest fixed point. Editable.
Deepest point below waterline (drives down/keel).
Fixed antennas, outriggers, radar, tower. VHF antennas alone add 3 to 8 ft.
Buffer for wakes, wind tide, and chart error. 2 ft is a sensible floor.
The Canaveral Lock is the largest navigation lock in Florida: 600 ft long and 90 ft wide, built in 1965. It connects the Banana River to Port Canaveral's west turning basin, and it's how most Merritt Island and Cocoa Beach boaters reach the Atlantic without running 50+ miles to another inlet.
Hours: 6:00 AM to 9:30 PM, seven days a week. Lockages run roughly on demand within those hours; expect to wait for the current cycle to finish.
How to use it: Hail "Canaveral Locks" on VHF Channel 13 with your vessel name and direction of travel, then stand by for the green light. Bring your own lines and secure bow and stern. The lift is small, but you'll tend lines while the chamber equalizes. Lock office: (321) 783-5421.
Watch for wildlife: Manatees and dolphins routinely share the chamber. Go to neutral when they're near.
Heads up: The lock closes periodically for maintenance and ahead of tropical weather. Check USACE Jacksonville District notices before a trip you can't reschedule.
All Florida drawbridges are hailed on VHF Channel 09. Signal is one prolonged blast plus one short blast. Schedules change for repairs and events. These are the standing Coast Guard rules as of mid-2026.
| Bridge | Type | Closed Clearance | Opening Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christa McAuliffe (SR 3) Canaveral Barge Canal, mile 1.0 | Double bascule | 21.6 ft MHW 90 ft horizontal | Opens on the hour and half-hour, 6 AM to 10 PM. No openings weekdays 6:15 to 8:15 AM and 3:10 to 5:59 PM. Overnight (10 PM to 6 AM): 3 hours notice required. |
| SR 401 Bridges Barge Canal, mile 5.5, Port Canaveral | Three bascules | 25 ft MHW 90 ft horizontal | Open on signal, except weekdays 6:30 to 8 AM and 3:30 to 5:15 PM, and weekends 11 AM to 2 PM. A temporary rehab rule (single-leaf openings; 4-hour notice for full openings) ran into early 2026. Confirm current status before transiting with a wide beam. |
| Mathers Bridge South Banana River, Merritt Island | Swing (1927) | 7 ft closed 80 ft horizontal | Historically opens on the hour and half-hour, 6 AM to 10 PM, with on-request openings (advance notice) overnight. Schedule deviates during repair periods. Call Brevard County Road & Bridge at (321) 455-1389 or hail VHF 09. |
| Haulover Canal (Allenhurst) ICW at Merritt Island NWR | Bascule | 27 ft charted at center; boards often read ~23 ft | Opens on signal. Strong current through the cut; heavy manatee presence. Use idle speed. |
| NASA Railroad Bridge (Jay Jay) ICW mile 876.6, Titusville | Railroad bascule | 7 ft closed | Normally sits open with flashing green lights; closes only for train passage. |
Depths in the lagoon system are chart datum figures and local rules of thumb. Shoaling moves. If your draft is over 4 ft, treat everything outside a marked channel as suspect.
| Waterway | Typical Depth | What You Need to Know |
|---|---|---|
| ICW channel (Indian River) | 7 to 12 ft | Federal project depth is 12 ft; real-world controlling depths often run 7 to 9 ft with shoaling near spoil islands and channel edges. |
| Indian River outside the channel | 3 to 6 ft | Wide but thin. Deep-draft sailboats stay in the ditch. |
| Canaveral Barge Canal | ~10 to 12 ft | The deep-water route across Merritt Island. Tidal influence increases toward the Port. |
| Banana River, marked channel (Barge Canal to Pineda) | ~6 to 7 ft | Well marked from the Barge Canal past SR 520; sparse markers south of there. GPS tracks and local knowledge matter. |
| Banana River outside the channel | 3 to 6 ft | Shallow flats throughout. North of SR 528 toward the Cape is a restricted/no-motor manatee refuge zone. You can't run north to the Port inside the Banana River. |
| Sykes Creek | ~5 to 6 ft channel | Access limited by the fixed SR 520 (~7 ft) and SR 528 (~15 ft) bridges. This decides what boat a Sykes Creek canal home can keep. |
| Merritt Island residential canals | 4 to 6 ft typical | Varies canal to canal and dock to dock. Verify depth at the seawall at low water before you buy. I check this on every waterfront contract. |
| Port Canaveral harbor | 35 to 44 ft | Deep-draft ship channel. No depth worries; watch cruise ship traffic and security zones. |
I check bridge clearance, canal depth, seawall condition, and dock fit on every waterfront purchase I handle, before my clients are under contract, not after. If you're comparing a Merritt Island waterfront home with a boat in the picture, let's organize the route, dock, depth, and clearance questions before you commit.
Schedule a Call Call 256-479-2800 Ask Carrie about a Merritt Island waterfront property