Jersey Coast, Need crew?

[wwilson]

Scott,

Thanks for the Barnegat entrance encouragement. (Though I am normally cautious of dragging my 6'2" draft where a guy in a Cat says it's OK! ;-) I'll give it a try next season.

Wayne

[NautiG]

Good point Wayne. But there are big fishing boats in there, and you can anchor just inside the inlet.

But I've also gone in Shark harbor a few times, so maybe my advice is a little suspect.

Scott
Gemini Catamaran Split Decision

[chef2sail]

Wayne you will have no trouble at all. We will be doing a trip to Northport, Greenport, Newport, Cuttyhunk Marthas Vineyard this year from the Patapsco. On the way up we will go in Barnegat as we usually do. It really is one of the prettyiest anchorages around behind the lighthouse there.

The route in is straightforward. There is a green can in the middle of the inlet and you must stay near the north jetty. Then as nauticat says you hook left and keep the nuns on your right and drive in close behind the lighthouse. I never saw less than 12 ft and once in it expands to 20's. behind the lighthouse its tricky to the anchorage, but there are privare mooring balls identifying it and you just stay in the channel and dont cut toward them till you are right in from of them. The anchorage was 8 ft at low tide.

Wanye, before you go in Barnegat PM me and I will give you my phone number and we can talk about it, or come with us and about 4 boats from the Maryland Yacht Club on our trip up north the weekend after the 4th of July.

Shark River....now theres an inlet which looks crazy for sailboats as you have to wait in the inlet with the current to have the bridge raised. And there is very little water behind it.

Dave

[gershel]

Last summer we left AC late in the day, and made Barnegat inlet our first stop. Entering was fairly straight forward. After turning left, we went straight to the anchorage, which was to the right, Meyers Hole. You mentioned going to the left. Would that be behind that small island?
The next day we went inside Sandy Hook to Atlantic Highlands, and anchored behind the jetty. Mooring are also available there ($50/nite). Next day we went into Manhatten, 79ht st. Boat Basin.They have moorings ($25), and slips ($2/ft). They don't let catamarans on moorings, I don't understand why? There were about 6 cats there, all anchored with no problem. Great location, close to everything. We took a slip.
On the way back, we stopped in Manasquan, went thru the RR bridge to the Yacht Club on the right ($2/ft)
Marc

[deniseO30]

I can't seem to find any real time or current (up to date) information on Barnegat inlet if it's so treacherous.

[wwilson]

Dave - I'll see if our group of 3-4 can schedule the same time after the 4th.

[ottos]

Originally Posted by deniseO30

I can't seem to find any real time or current (up to date) information on Barnegat inlet if it's so treacherous.

Don't underestimate Barney - he'll bite you !

Tidal Current Predictions

Wx32 also has a current chart.

As with other Jersey inlets - avoid running it when wind and tide oppose each other. Wait for slack. And never, ever cut the channel!

Sea Tow to the rescue! - The BARN

Which Is The Worst Inlet? - The Hull Truth

Barnaget Light

Opinions vary, but I wouldn't take that inlet too casually.

Not too long ago, I crewed on a newly purchased boat leaving Avalon, NJ through Townsends Inlet - another uncharted inlet. First time there for me. To prep, I drove there (not too far from my house) and surveyed the channel from the bascule bridge. I was uncertain about how the channel went, due to some conflicting buoy positions, so I emailed the local YC. They got back to me and told me that the one buoy had dragged, and that the channel made a hard right once hitting the ocean, paralleled the shore and then broke east. I could easily have missed the turn entirely. I was glad I did my homework.