For captain Nico Schaart, Bridgescout® has become as natural as his steering wheel. With over 40 years of experience in inland shipping — much of it spent on tankers — he now primarily transports hazardous materials. “It’s a field that takes you to all kinds of places, and bridges are rarely generous in height,” he says. “The system does exactly what it’s supposed to do. It allows us to sail with more confidence.”
With a vessel weighing nearly 9,000 tons, “just stopping” isn’t an option. Nico explains, “We often sail with a high profile, so everything needs to be set to its lowest. And then it’s great that Bridgescout® simply gives a signal: you need to lower — or not. No more guesswork.” According to Nico, the system significantly increases a skipper’s confidence. “There have been moments where you think, ‘we’ll make it under that bridge.’ But you don’t always have visibility of the water level. Bridgescout® gives you that certainty.”
Sceptics who say, “I’ll judge it myself,” are quickly corrected. “That’s nonsense. We’ve all misjudged situations before. You don’t always see it clearly. Bridgescout® doesn’t hesitate: green means go, red means lower. It’s that simple.”
Practical, fast and reliable
He’s also very pleased with the installation and calibration. “It went smoothly. The installer from Sensor Maritime was done in under half an hour. The service is just excellent.”
According to Nico, the system is both user-friendly and low-maintenance. “There are no settings to adjust. Just take a quick look at the screen. And when you clean the ship, you clean the lens too — that’s it. It’s housed in a stainless-steel box — solid, neat, not a hassle to hang at all.”
Embracing innovation
Nico is a strong believer in innovation within inland shipping. “Back in the day, you’d stick your head through the roof hatch to see if you’d clear the bridge. That was then. But why take the risk when you can just check a screen?” For him, the choice is obvious: “Bridgescout® brings confidence. And as a skipper, that might be the most important thing of all.”
Whether you sail with a tanker, container ship or passenger vessel – Bridgescout® is for anyone who doesn’t want to take unnecessary risks. Get in touch via info@sensormaritime.com or call +31 (0)73 220 0454, and let’s explore the possibilities together.