Notes to boats: We came and went from the southeastern entrance to the Metedeconk River.
There is over 20' of water in the Point Pleasant Canal. Active Captain notes said only go through there at high slack? That is stupid! Make sure you are able to control your boat in the current, don't worry about the depth. If you were against the 3kt current, you wouldn't make much headway with no wake, but use your own judgement on how your boat handles.
The same goes for the railroad bridge at Manasquan inlet. Don't get pushed down into the bridge. Plenty of depth there. Enough said.
The journey: We awoke to slick calm conditions, and promptly checked the weather stations and picked up anchor and were underway by 0530.
Maybe my humor is different in the morning, but, let me set the scene... There is a canal with metal bulkheads on either side called the Point Pleasant Canal. For safety reasons in places like this, there are escape ladders, should anyone fall in the water, they can grab a ladder to climb out. However, some authorities have decided that it was important to keep people from falling in, so they have fences all along the canal. Placed, however, right next to the ladders. Now, if you fall in, first you need to be able to swim. Second, you must be able to climb a ladder. Finally, you need to be able to scale a large fence upon reaching the top of the ladder.
As we turned out of the canal, into the Manasquan River inlet, the railroad bridge was in the up position. As we continued towards it, it went down, a commuter train passed, and the bridge was raised again about the time we arrived. How about that!
There were lots of folks fishing from the banks in the early morning as we passed by, going out the inlet into the Atlantic Ocean.
The ocean was calm, with a slow swell running, making for a good trip to Sandy Hook, NJ. The biggest waves were from all the head boats out running to their fishing grounds.
We tucked into the inside around Sandy Hook, and anchored between the USCG base and the Sandy Hook Lt. @ N40 28.100 W 074 00.801. We dropped the RIB in, and I took the dogs to a tidal sand spit where they could run on their own little island! They had a couple hundred feet of pure bliss, and left no area without a dog track. The tide will erase all trace.
We came back towards the boat, and visited with the Dessert 1st, who'd anchored for lunch nearby, before continuing up the harbor. Then it was bath time, and dog spa. Each dog gets heavily loved on, thoroughly bathed, rinsed, dried, brushed, and their nails cut.
Tonight as I write, it is calm, raining, and all the crew has already called it a night.
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