Nj Intercoastal Bridge Clearance ??

[MrBee]

Good evening all,

I will be bringing a boat down the coast in May and might have to use the ICW in NJ. In looking at the charts I see a bridge just south of AC that has a Fixed Clearance of 35 ft? Assuming that is correct i'll have to go on the outside . Another Fixed at 35ft at Peck Bay ?

just want to make sure I'm not missing anything. I would rather go the outside anyway but wanted to have the ICW as an option if the weather turns bad.
just wanted some one with more experience to check my info and make sure
I'm correct.

Coming from NY I will have to run the ocean side past Sandyhook then I could go the inside from Barnegats Bay to Atlantic City, then due to the low bridges I'll have to go back outside from AC to Cape May. ???
I'll be on an Irwin 10/4 with a Mast hight of just under 40 feet above water.

Thanks to ALL that gave input on my questions in the thread for Haverstraw Ny. to Md.
As it turns out we are buying a boat in Cowaton CT. , just up the coast from Stamfort, so the trip will be about the same except coming down the East River instead of the Hudson.
Hoping to make the trip starting the 9th or 10th of May.

Thanks much

Brian

 

[sailaway78]

New Jersey Coast

Brian,
I have made this trip south twice, and those bridges are 35'. Seems like one of them is even less. IMHO, the best plan is to run offshore from Sandy Hook, straight to Cape May. About a 24 hour run. Keep the inlets for emergency use if you need them. There are several you can head into if things go bad. AC is easy, but rather expensive. Manesqua and Barnegut are a couple others.

 

[jk kudera]

I agree with Nice and Easy, the Intercoastal is OK, for your mast height, but, do it only if the weather is bad. I have done that trip many times, from Manesquan Inlet to AC. My mast is 52'. Anchor in the cove to the North, or the river at AC, dockage is out of sight! Outside is the only option for a sailboat from AC to Cape May.

 

[MrBee]

Thanks Easy and jk,
I would want to anchor if we have to stop for the night. Trying to conserve $$ because, with a new to us boat I know there are other things we want to do.
I can Anchor most any place so long as it's out of the channel ? My draft is 3' board up and 6' board down so I should be able to get into most any cove.
I have the proper charts for the area but no "guide" so if you can give me more precise anchoring locations that would be a great help.

How far off shore do you guys usually run ?? Is most of the traffic at night going to be fishing boats ? Commercial boats don't run that close to the shore do they. ?

Thanks
Brian

 

[sailaway78]

Get a Skipper Bobs guide

Get yourself a Skipper Bobs guide to the ICW. It is more than worth the money. Gives lots of really good info, on water depths, anchorages, marinas, resturants and much much more. Pretty inexpensive too. On both my trips I tried to run between one and two miles offshore. Most commercial traffiic will be a little farther out, and there are some bars that build up around inlets if your too close in. I'll never forget the hammering I took, by going over the bar at AC on the north side of the inlet, instead of bearing off and going outside of it.

 

[Ed Schenck]

We stayed outside but daylight only. First was Manasquan but we tied up there. Then two days anchored in Barnegat Bay. Left at the lighthouse and then south in front of a little beach. At AC there is an anchorage to the right part way in, opposite the Trump marina. But we wanted to clean up and go gambling so docked at a small marina across from Trump. Next was Cape May. Plan the tides for the inlets. The currents are amazing. At idle going into AC I was doing 9+ according to Garmin.

 

[MrBee]

Thanks Folks.
I will be getting a guide but i'm waiting to see what the present owners already have on board. They might have that one.

 

[Jeff 21307]

http://www.amazon.com/Cruising-Guid...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242336882&sr=8-2
Check out this link. I just finished reading this book. It is very informative and covers NJ waters from the Hudson, down the coast both inside and outside, and up the Delaware. Good luck. If you do come down the intracoastal, make sure you take a side trip up the Toms River, great views of some old victorian homes in Island Heights and coves on both sides of the river for overnighting.