Lanoka Harbor to the "Outside" best to go....

[Northern Ivy]

North to Manasquan or South to Barneget Inlet (ultimately we are looking to go north).

We kept the boat in Lanoka Harbor (on Cedar Creek) for the winter as the Manufacture was replacing the top and tower due to a crack.

On the way down in late November we helped the corp of engineers dredge the bay the entire way south of the canal. As we churned up mud the whole way down.

So we are going to launch this year on 4/5 and we are getting ready to make the dreaded trip once again.

Are we better off running south to get to the ocean? We draft 3' and we ran the magenta ICW line the entire way down.

Any input would be great.

NB. I was at the boat today and I noticed that alot of the bots in Brielle and point pleasant were sitting on the bottom. At low tide due to the west wind that has been blowing since we made our first trip south.

 

[dominic]

Hopefully by time 4/5 rolls around, this west wind will have turned south and blown some water back into the bay. Right now, I'm looking out my back window and the water in the canals are down about 2 feet below a normal low tide. This wind has been steady 20-30 knots WSW with gusts to near 50 (as per the roof mounted weather vane)just about all weekend now.

Anyway, back to your original question....It's the proverbial 6 of one and half dozen of the other....with two caveats if you head south...oyster creek channel and Barnegat Inlet.....both of which have their own unique issues. Oyster Creek channel has some VERY low areas itself and the markers, especially early in the season, may have moved over the winter and not yet been re-positioned. Then there's Barnegat Inlet...much better since both jetties have been redone, but still, IMHO, more "tricky" then Manasquan.

I live/boat out of Bayville, which is a stones throw from the mouth of the Cedar Creek. Whenever I've traveled north towards NY, I've always started north via the ICW and then out the Manasquan. The ICW north of Cedar Creek is all fixed position Dolphin markers upto the Pt. Pleasant Canal. Once through the canal, there are some cans/nuns upto the railroad bridge. IMHO, it would be a shorter and nicer ride to go the ICW.

Either way, good luck and keep us posted...If I'm in and running, maybe I'll go north a ways with you..

 

[Northern Ivy]

Dominic,

I tend to agree with you and your assessment of going north or south. I would love the escort through the skinny water if you are up and running. I was looking at the tide tables as well as the chart and it seems that high tide is around 11am at cedar creek on the weekend that we are looking to make the trip. But given the tide tables it is impossible to have high tide at or around the Manasquan river and still have high water in the bay (makes total sense I know). If you had to pick on station to have hide tide when making this trip which station would it be? Following the magenta line of the ICW is that a safer bet or are there local deviations that one needs to aware of for the trip? I noticed on the way down that boats were passing us on plane and our sound was showing 3'ish feet of water and we were churning mud (boats the same size if not larger).

NB> I did not send out the props this winter as I feared this trip; we were able to get up and run prior to putting her away on cedar creek and the WOT RPMs seemed spot on as well as no vibrations. Worst case I have your old set of props ready to go on when she arrives in Atlantic Highlands.

 

[Britanic]

I know both inlets fairly well. I would take Manasquan hands down for the simple reason of, it will be early in the season and I would prefer someone else "test the waters". Manasquan is a straight shot in, you know what you have there, and once through, its clearly marked and rarley changes. The railroad bridge is not a big deal, especially early - not much boat traffic.

Barnegat inlet on the other hand shoals up once inside, you have to be very careful. We had a fishing boat capsize this past season, although it was saved and it was possibly the captains fault. But once your in, the funs not over, you have to get past the south side of Tices Shoal, the channel are tight enough and its really the recreational boats that keep that area "dredged".

My port is opposite Old Barney and I cant tell you how many boats I see stuck in there, and some appear to be in the channel, however they are just slightly out - Theres you problem, if the bottom has shoaled in the channel at all - slightly is enough.

Less risk in my opinion to take Manasquan. Good Luck.