Options
If you put in at Barnegat Inlet, it can't be overstressed that you heed the winding channel. With 5.5 draft, any small deviation could have you bumping the shoals more often than you'd care to. Once inside, there is a fairly calm anchorage to port known locally as Meyer's Hole. (I'm not sure if it's marked as such on charts.) I've anchored there overnight several times, and the water is both suitably calm and more than deep enough for you. Or, once you follow the channel toward the mainland shore and reach the "BI" daymark, turn south and head for Mariner's Marina. I've never stayed there, but it's almost entirely a sailboat marina, and I'm sure they would have no problem accommodating a boat with your size needs. As for Manasquan, one option is the Brielle Yacht Club. I believe it's the second marina to starboard after passing the railroad bridge. Again, your boat's size shouldn't be an issue there. There's a good restaurant on premises (The Sand Bar). Just before the BYC is the Brielle Yacht Basin, which is OK to stay at in a pinch, but it's an overwhelmingly powerboat (i.e. fishing boat) crowd, so you'd have to deal with boaters firing up their noisy, smelly Johnsons in the pre-dawn hours to go find the fish. Good luck, and enjoy the trip. If you need crew, give me a shout. Pete s/v "Crossroads" (ODay 322) Little Silver, NJ
