Any Barnegat Bay sailors using the Double Creek Channel to Barnegat Light yet this year?
I can't say that I have seen any and my dock neighbors have not said anything about it to me yet. The bay-side end of it had been shoaled for years before last fall when it was finally dredged out again. I have been curious about it ever since but didn't actually have the nerve to try it until Sunday morning, Sue and I exited the anchorage at Barnegat Light by going home through this channel instead of Oyster Creek Channel, the way we came in the previous evening.
The traffic was nerve-wracking for sure. The channel isn't much wider than a 2-lane operation, yet power boats went roaring thru 2 abreast as they went passing by in both directions. I'd guess that about 100 boats went by us at open throttle, many passing the markers just to the outside. Me, I hugged toward the center/starboard side as best I could. I tended to freak out and slow down when the depths rise under 7' and I see boaters relaxing on sandbars that are barely submerged. It looks funny to see Labradors splashing around in ankle deep water in the middle of the bay! … not very far away from the channel.
Much of the channel was 15' depth and for the most part in the 10' depth range. Power cruisers of all sizes blew right by me without any horn signals. There is no way to keep watch behind while Sue mostly had her eyes shut and her mouth flapping about whether or not I knew where I was going and was I sure we didn't have to turn around as we did 2 years ago when we entered this channel by mistake.
Stressful wasn't strong enough a description!
The one thing that occurred to me is that I have never seen a sailboat pass through it and I wondered if there was a reason. Eventually, we made it through but it was a long ride.
I can't say that I have seen any and my dock neighbors have not said anything about it to me yet. The bay-side end of it had been shoaled for years before last fall when it was finally dredged out again. I have been curious about it ever since but didn't actually have the nerve to try it until Sunday morning, Sue and I exited the anchorage at Barnegat Light by going home through this channel instead of Oyster Creek Channel, the way we came in the previous evening.
The traffic was nerve-wracking for sure. The channel isn't much wider than a 2-lane operation, yet power boats went roaring thru 2 abreast as they went passing by in both directions. I'd guess that about 100 boats went by us at open throttle, many passing the markers just to the outside. Me, I hugged toward the center/starboard side as best I could. I tended to freak out and slow down when the depths rise under 7' and I see boaters relaxing on sandbars that are barely submerged. It looks funny to see Labradors splashing around in ankle deep water in the middle of the bay! … not very far away from the channel.
Much of the channel was 15' depth and for the most part in the 10' depth range. Power cruisers of all sizes blew right by me without any horn signals. There is no way to keep watch behind while Sue mostly had her eyes shut and her mouth flapping about whether or not I knew where I was going and was I sure we didn't have to turn around as we did 2 years ago when we entered this channel by mistake.
Stressful wasn't strong enough a description!The one thing that occurred to me is that I have never seen a sailboat pass through it and I wondered if there was a reason. Eventually, we made it through but it was a long ride.
