As we just made the trip yesterday I thought I would share the results for the benefit of anyone else who might be considering the inside trip.
We made it in 7 hrs. 15 mins. without any problems other than some fog. From Forked River to Cape May there are only two reliable inlets, Atlantic City and Cape may. Barnagate inlet usually ok but when it i bad it is very bad. On our day for the trip winds were from the southwest with a 4 ft swell we would be heading into the whole way so our speed outside would have been slow and not likely very much fun. Inside there are no wake zones but much of the milage is open with calm water to plane along on at 17 knts.
The route is VERY well marked. We triple checked with charts from 2004, 2011 and the chartplotter. They all pretty much agreed. Behind Little Egg Inlet that chages frequently, the 2004 was the closest but the channel is so well marked there was never any question where the channel was. We found some shallowing in Sea Isle and Stone Harbor but the bottom is very soft mud.
The bridges were also not a problem. Offshoreblue.com was a great resource for current bridge opening schedules. The AC railroad bridge is mostly kept open and Wildwood RR bridge is gone. The bascule bridges did not delay us. The lowest fixed bridges are all 35 feet. The only issue worth noting is apparently the bridge tender for the Margate bridge stays down at the toll booth so untill you pull up close he can't see you and does not hear a horn or vhf call from further away.
While the outside passage is faster in good weather, the inside route offers more options for engine malfunctions, we had a few minor ones, and much more scenery. The area behind AC and Ventor felt like the canals of Vence. While alot of time spent in no wake zones, most of the milage is perfect for high speed planning in calm waters. Sailboats with under 3 to 4 foot drafts and bidge clearance under 35 feet should have no problems with the route.
