Ovation of the Seas: Vancouver, BC Departure on May 13th, 2019

On May 13th the Ovation of the Seas made her inaugural departure from the Canada Place Cruise Terminal in the port of Vancouver BC. Like her arrival, this grand departure was delayed until later in the evening to allow for perfect conditions. To ensure safe passage under the Lions Gate Bridge the ship needed to pass at low tide. This gave for a tide height of 5ft instead of the scheduled 11ft she would have experienced at the original time. She also needed perfect slack water to ensure that as she made the unique turn to exit the port and sail under the bridge the stern of the ship would not slide out further than allowed risking contact with the bridge. After gaining access to the North Star platform to watch this incredible moment all the planning and changes came together and she made it under with an official clearance of 8ft. This feat is even more astounding when you consider the heights involved. The Lions Gate Bridge has a clearance of just 200 ft (28 less than the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Anthem sails under) while the Ovation of the Seas has an official height of 236 ft. Through the use of her telescopic funnel she was able to get her height down to 223 ft. The rest of the clearance was accomplished through the sailing methods imposed.