Manesquan could also be deadly to someone who researched and reviewed navigational resources so little as to have written the OP of this thread. It can be a pretty dangerous place even for the experienced. Almost nothing on the charts of NJ can be trusted now due to Sandy.
Did anyone mention Active Captain to this fellow?
http://www.activecaptain.com/
Manesquan could also be deadly to someone who researched and reviewed navigational resources so little as to have written the OP of this thread.
So were you refering to me Roger.
I have followed your posts on here as well as the Site which you moderate with great respect as well as admiration for your posts.
I also have learned to respect others opinions as well. In addition I try and get my facts straight before making some kind of blanket statement about someone elses post.You need to learn the same respect.
The facts: I lived in Ocean City NJ for 18 years and had a keelboat there and kept one in barnegat Bay for 4 years.. I have transitted Cape May/ Atlantic City/ Manesquan/ Barnegat Inlets over 100 times individually in my own boat. I would say thats enough to qualify for " local knowledge of the inlets in and many more times in others boats and use them every year. Having lived at the Jersey Shore for 18 years I have also run the other inlets ( Little egg, Great Egg, Avalon, Corsons) which are not really good choices for sailboats, and run them in power boats and fishing boats.
I feel qualified as anyone to post about The Big 4, Cape May, Absecon, Manesquan and Barneget as anyone, maybe even more. In additon I run these inlets every year on a trip north/ south to the LI Sound and New England. I also have monitored there conditions since Sandy with great curiosity to see if we have to alter plans. I beleive I have a great amount of locak knowledge of these inlets and have already helped many sailors with advice and suggestions already transiting Cape May, Absecon, Barneget, and Manesquan Inlets.
All NJ inlets are dangerous, as an inlet with a large body of water behind it can really help created the bottom conditions as well as current to enhance breaking waves and turbulence.
I smiled at RichH nickname for the boat eating bridge as his description was accurate about the currents and it should be noted. The whole Pt Pleasent Canal is a quick moving nightmare for a sailboat and I suggest not be transited.
However, I will disagree with you about Manesquan Inlet. Always enter any inlet with care and knowledge of local conditions. Manesquan, Cape May and Absecon are the most straightforward INLETS in terms of navigation and shoaling extending into the ocean on eaither side, which knowledgheable sailors know will cause breaking rollers sideways across and inlet with proper wind and current conditions. Manesquan is home to a lrge commercial fishing fleet and has safe doicks once inside the inlet breakwaters in case of an emergency, there is no real place to anchor though. As you continue back to the Fuel dock on the Starboard just before the small bridge Rich names and after that and the railroad brige close to it is HOffmans which provides transient slips. After tghat you are in the PT Pleasent Canal with major current and low bridges ( many of them). Manesquan is a good bailout point if necessary. Same with Absecon and Cape May.
Barneget is the most trecherous of all of ther ones I would navigate by sailboat due to the shoals extending 1.5 miles out from either jetty as well as the counter intutive passage way inside the jetty with the green can quarenteening the north 1/2 of the area inside the south jetty to the back of the inlet with shoals, This forces the mariner to hug the north jetty on the way in to the west. Another nuance is the 90 degree dog leg turn at the rear of the inlet and the perpendicular cossing of the back of the inlet to an area which is the intersection of three channels. Like New Jersey traffic ceircles ( which usuall are mayhem with 6 major roads entering and exiting) this junction is the channel leading behind the Barnegat Light and the CG Station, the channnel leading back to the beautiful 2 Meters Holes anchorages and also the HIgh bar Yacht Club , and lastly the busy narrow shoaled channel leding through the Sedge Islands back to Barnegat Bay. I am sure this was majorly affected by Sandy. Barneget should opnly be attemp[t in good conditions and with good knowledge of what you will see once headed in the inlet.
Absecon is straightforward with major current past the entrance to Clam Creek( Farley State marina) Current is worst by the Brigantine Bridge and Harrah, right where one of the anchorage areas is.
Cape May is another staightforward Inlet
All four of these inlets have large commercial fishing fleets and CG stations at their entrances. All inlets including thes in NJ must be transited with caution. The CG has sounded all four of these inlets well and they are safe to c ome in. What you find behind them may still be being resounded and mapped.
Yes by all means use Active Captain I do, They can be behind in acurancy thoufgh especially as realted to Sandy. Use the GC and TowBoatUS for information as well as call before transitiing for the latest up to the moment conditions and warnings/ advisories to mariners