Pontoon bridge unprecedented 730-meter, fortified pontoon bridge across the Scheldt river at the Siege of Antwerp in 1584 to close off water access to the city. In the battle of Saraighat in 1671, the Ahoms spanned the river Brahmaputra at Saraighat over an improviso bridge of boats. In the 1670s, the French devised the copper pontoon; after this point, rivers and canals ceased to present significant obstacles. The early modern period in pontoon use was dominated by the wars of the 18th and 19th centuries during which the art and science of pontoon bridging barely changed. This however did not stop all
Pontoon effect each pontoon can support the vessel's entire weight (plus any lateral forces that arise like wind), the center of gravity cannot move transversely beyond the center of buoyancy at the most extreme tipping angle, and the pontoon effect cannot occur. Note, however, that this is not the sole effect to be taken into consideration when assessing the likelihood of capsize. The change in hull windage as the vessel heels is also important. In the case of a trimaran designed for cruising, with solid wing decks (as opposed to racing-type designs with mesh or open wings), those with wide-beam floats able