Today, we cruised on the Atlantic Ocean. The trip down the New Jersey shore was very easy as the winds were from the west - which is offshore. We stayed about 1-2 miles offshore and the only thing we had to worry about were all of the fishing boats. We were constantly dodging them - both pleasure and commercial. At the end of the day, we were greeted by the lighthouse at the Barnegat Inlet. The various write-ups we had read stated this inlet can be very treacherous. But today, the conditions were perfect.
Once we entered the harbor, we were greeted by this distressing site. On Friday, when conditions were not good, a local commercial fisherman (so much for local knowledge!) was not so fortunate and ended up flipping his vessel on a sandbar. Apparently, an outflowing tide and an incoming strong wind - which matched what we saw Friday, creates 8 foot waves with bottoming out a possibility in the channel.
This obstruction caused us some consternation, as there were numerous boats nearby, gawking and taking pictures within the very narrow channel - there was much jockeying for postion.
Tonight, we are anchored in Meyer's Hole. This is the view from the stern of Monarch this evening. Note the shoaling in line with the lighthouse - don't go there! The channel twists and turns in unexpected ways. We called TowBoat US for some advice on how to reach the anchorage, and they were most helpful. They stopped by after we were on the hook, to offer advice on local eateries and points of interest.There is a fleet of about 35 commercial fishing boats in this harbor, replete with paravanes and booms which handle the nets and the excessive rolling encountered offshore.
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