Help - Jersey coast

[martyhasson]

Hey folks, just getting back into sailing after 30 years of almost none. I bought a Cal 39 in Cape Cod and have brought it down as far as Atlantic Highlands, northern Jersey. My next target is Cape May. Figure it's a two day sail, stopping overnight. (No auto-pilot). I'm looking for any help in nav'g a stop off, as I have a 7' keel. Someone told me Banegat is not good depth and squirrelly to get into. That Atlantic City is the place to go. I am not sure if I can make it that far. Comments?

Thanks, Marty

[D.D.]

Manasquan inlet in Point Plesant is OK for depth, but once inside you are sure to have problems. Atc. Cty. is really your ONLY choice. Barnegat is trecherous, shallow in spots in the channel and is ever changing. Sandy made even a bigger mess of the channel...you really need to proceed slowly and watch the depth finder. I draw 3'11'' with my board up and bumped Sunday.....IN THE CHANNEL at Barnegat. The Highlands to AC is a straight run...You can leave VERY early in the a.m. and hit AC by 8:00 p.m. I would NOT consider Barnegat at all. It's usually a 6-8 hr. sail from Barnegat to AC. Tha marina is to your left when you enter.

[martyhasson]

Thanks so much. What marina are you referring to. I thought there'd be more than one.

[D.D.]

There are two marina's that I am familiar with...... Kammerman's is not the best and I would not stay there. The marina at the Golden Nugget is very, very, nice and has floating docks and clean facilities. It use to be the old Frank Farley State Marina. It's well kept and you can call to make arrangements ahead. It's a full service marina with fuel, provisions and showers. Plus you can eat at the Chart House should you desire as you are right at the Casino. Google the Atlantic City Marina Golden Nugget.

[psneeld]

Atlantic City if you can...Barnegat at high tide if you are worried about distance...big fishing vessels and tug go in and out of Barnegat all the time (guessing their drafts are easily 5-8 feet. The actual inlet isn't that bad...of course like all inlets, tide against the wind makes'm choppy. If worried about depth...call Sea Tow or BoatUS in that area and ask for a post Sandy update...

Atlantic City is pretty expensive to tie up in and full if travelling in the summer...lot's of people anchor just shy of the first charted bridge.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Marty.

[capngeo]

Originally Posted by psneeld

Atlantic City if you can...Barnegat at high tide if you are worried about distance...big fishing vessels and tug go in and out of Barnegat all the time (guessing their drafts are easily 5-8 feet. The actual inlet isn't that bad...of course like all inlets, tide against the wind makes'm choppy. If worried about depth...call Sea Tow or BoatUS in that area and ask for a post Sandy update...

Atlantic City is pretty expensive to tie up in and full if travelling in the summer...lot's of people anchor just shy of the first charted bridge.

^^^ Good advice^^^^

Last time I transited Barnegat, I waited on a local comm'l vessel with a speed and draft similar to mine.... and followed his wake.

[bstreep]

AC, if you can. Barnegat if you have to, and the weather is decent. Choose your weather wisely. Whatever you do, don't try Beach Haven.

P.S. I grew up on Long Beach Island, and own a partial interest in a house there. I'll be there in a couple of weeks. Just in case someone wonders "what in the heck is a guy from South Texas doing posting on this...".

[psneeld]

Just checked with one of my captain friends who runs tug/barges and workboats in/out of Barnegat all the time....

Seems like the bar on the South side is a little worse and the North continues to be the favored approach...but he said the depth was fine with normal "standing wave/chop conditions" most of the time.

At Barnegat it's usually not the inlet you have to worry about...inside past the light is usually where the sand shifts a lot...the creeks back to the mainland have been reported much shallower and not marked correctly after Sandy...but just to overnight shouldn't be too bad....just follow the marks in to a dock or the deep anchorage just inside to the west along what the charts call "the dike".