New Jersey ICW this season

[Nick14]

Has anyone transited the New Jersey ICW this season? In particular, the stretch from Atlantic City north to Manasquan Inlet?

How is the water depth? I know about the infamous shoaling of the NJ ICW, am debating running it with 4 ft draft.

How about the Cape May Canal? It’s been years since I’ve run that and have read about severe shoaling there as well.

Thank you!

 

[psneeld]

2 things that seem to never change in that area (boated that area many years and ran that area as assistance tower for 14 years.) so even though my experience is now getting dated, I am pretty confident it will help.

Advice for boats with protected props, twins with dangling props may want to reconsider. The area in question is all sand and going slow will rarely involve damage if you touch bottom....but you have to be going slow.

1. Shoaling in the Cape May canal is usually just in back of the ferries from their prop wash. Hug the ferry area about 100 feet or less off the ferry sterns and I have never seen a grounding. Traditionally there was a buoy or two marking that shoal.

2. The average tide in the NJ ICW is between 3-5 feet. Rarely would dry land be present in the marked channel at dead low. If it is, usually a temp buoy is marking it. So if you run the ICW at mid tide and rising, you should have an extra couple feet of water over any recent soundings and have a couple hours in most cases of rising tide will help. Lots of 4 foot draft boats do it every year without issue, but staying in the channel and going slow is the mantra.

One issue that never seems to change, is staying in the channel. Lots of locals with tons of time running these backwaters go aground. Pulled plenty off sandbars. They always said "but I am in the channel". As I pulled up to them, I would line up the daymarks and I would say, "no, I am in the channel.... you missed it by a bit". The punchline is...it is tricky, especially in areas of cross currents to the channel. A bit of inattention and yes you will touch bottom sooner or later. Many boaters don't think the channels are well marked.... they are marked well enough but reading the water is a learned art that really helps.

If reading the water isn't a learned art, the next best recommendation is to try and stop at marinas or anchor close by where assistance towboats are tied up. See if you can get a moment with the captains to point out tricky areas on a chart for you. I used to do it quite often. A boater would call the office and they would patch a phone call to me. Rather than quickly explain trouble areas, I would try and meet up with the skipper to be more thorough.

 

[Nick14]

2 things that seem to never change in that area (boated that area many years and ran that area as assistance tower for 14 years.) so even though my experience is now getting dated, I am pretty confident it will help.

Advice for boats with protected props, twins with dangling props may want to reconsider. The area in question is all sand and going slow will rarely involve damage if you touch bottom....but you have to be going slow.

1. Shoaling in the Cape May canal is usually just in back of the ferries from their prop wash. Hug the ferry area about 100 feet or less off the ferry sterns and I have never seen a grounding. Traditionally there was a buoy or two marking that shoal.

2. The average tide in the NJ ICW is between 3-5 feet. Rarely would dry land be present in the marked channel at dead low. If it is, usually a temp buoy is marking it. So if you run the ICW at mid tide and rising, you should have an extra couple feet of water over any recent soundings and have a couple hours in most cases of rising tide will help. Lots of 4 foot draft boats do it every year without issue, but staying in the channel and going slow is the mantra.

One issue that never seems to change, is staying in the channel. Lots of locals with tons of time running these backwaters go aground. Pulled plenty off sandbars. They always said "but I am in the channel". As I pulled up to them, I would line up the daymarks and I would say, "no, I am in the channel.... you missed it by a bit". The punchline is...it is tricky, especially in areas of cross currents to the channel. A bit of inattention and yes you will touch bottom sooner or later. Many boaters don't think the channels are well marked.... they are marked well enough but reading the water is a learned art that really helps.

If reading the water isn't a learned art, the next best recommendation is to try and stop at marinas or anchor close by where assistance towboats are tied up. See if you can get a moment with the captains to point out tricky areas on a chart for you. I used to do it quite often. A boater would call the office and they would patch a phone call to me. Rather than quickly explain trouble areas, I would try and meet up with the skipper to be more thorough.

Thank you very much!!

 

[Datenight]

Did the Cape May canal last week. Never saw less than 10’.

Rob

 

[O C Diver]

I can't speak to the lower portion, but use to enter at Barnegat inlet and exit at Manasquan inlet. The section (which you won't travel) from Barnegat inlet to the ICW behind Barnegat changed 3 times in 8 years of my traveling through there. If you plan to do that section, contact the local Seatow (if a member) to understand what changed over the winter.

The other useful information I will give you is that the high tides don't correspond in the bays to the Ocean. As the bays between Barnegat inlet and Manasquan inlet are quite large, the tide difference can be up to 4 hours apart.

Point Pleasant canal can have currents above 3 knots. There are tide and current tables for the canal that allow you to travel near slack water. Slack water at Manasquan inlet has no correlation to slack water at the Point Pleasant canal, even though they are only two miles apart. Traveling near slack water is ideal and the depth isn't a problem. Travel with the current isn't bad either. It gets very busy on the summer weekends with novice boaters!

Ted

 

[mvweebles]

2 things that seem to never change in that area (boated that area many years and ran that area as assistance tower for 14 years.) so even though my experience is now getting dated, I am pretty confident it will help.

Advice for boats with protected props, twins with dangling props may want to reconsider. The area in question is all sand and going slow will rarely involve damage if you touch bottom....but you have to be going slow.

1. Shoaling in the Cape May canal is usually just in back of the ferries from their prop wash. Hug the ferry area about 100 feet or less off the ferry sterns and I have never seen a grounding. Traditionally there was a buoy or two marking that shoal.

2. The average tide in the NJ ICW is between 3-5 feet. Rarely would dry land be present in the marked channel at dead low. If it is, usually a temp buoy is marking it. So if you run the ICW at mid tide and rising, you should have an extra couple feet of water over any recent soundings and have a couple hours in most cases of rising tide will help. Lots of 4 foot draft boats do it every year without issue, but staying in the channel and going slow is the mantra.

One issue that never seems to change, is staying in the channel. Lots of locals with tons of time running these backwaters go aground. Pulled plenty off sandbars. They always said "but I am in the channel". As I pulled up to them, I would line up the daymarks and I would say, "no, I am in the channel.... you missed it by a bit". The punchline is...it is tricky, especially in areas of cross currents to the channel. A bit of inattention and yes you will touch bottom sooner or later. Many boaters don't think the channels are well marked.... they are marked well enough but reading the water is a learned art that really helps.

If reading the water isn't a learned art, the next best recommendation is to try and stop at marinas or anchor close by where assistance towboats are tied up. See if you can get a moment with the captains to point out tricky areas on a chart for you. I used to do it quite often. A boater would call the office and they would patch a phone call to me. Rather than quickly explain trouble areas, I would try and meet up with the skipper to be more thorough.

Good post. I'll echo some advice @psneeld often gives: call the local assistance towers. A friend recently called one in St Augustine with a question about slack water vs high tide since he could not find a reporting station for currents nearby. The municipal marina in St Augustine wasn't quite sure so recommended calling the local tower. He received excellent information. (FYI - slack water is approx 40-mins after high tide).

Peter

 

[Greg QS]

I have boated here for years in the barnagate bay. I don't know the area from AC to Beach Haven . Beach haven to mid island is good and well marked. Once you get to the mid island around the 72 bridge and turn inland take it slow. Skinny water for a 4' boat. After going under the 72 bridge and you turn back to the island the firs leg parallel to the island is ok but narrow. Take care. After that you are good for a while till you turn back again inland. Idle through there. Once back in the back bay it opens up and you can run quite a while north to the next major bridge with no problems. This is the piece I know well. Hopefully others can fill in the blanks.

 

[Nick14]

Thank you everyone! I had been thinking the ICW through NJ would be more scenic and interesting than running outside (that I've done before), but now am starting to think it might be more trouble than it's worth...

 

[psneeld]

If pressed for time, bad route.

If on a slow cruise and like stopping in at little shoreside towns for sightseeing and seafood dinners, then it might be worth the trouble.

The marshes are the same for much of all the ACIW, but are a lot smaller.... so to me less boring.

Plus don't be alarmed about running Townsends Inlet between Avalon/Sea Isle City.... it is much easier than cruising guides make it (as long as a big swell isn't meeting a strong outgoing). Just check with the local assistance towers to make sure the bridge isn't undergoing repairs as barges can make it tricky sometimes.

No matter where one travels an ICW, consulting LNMs for shoaling and bridge work is good planning.

https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Featured-Content/Mariners/Local-Notice-to-Mariners-LNMs/District-5/

 

[Nick14]

If pressed for time, bad route.

If on a slow cruise and like stopping in at little shoreside towns for sightseeing and seafood dinners, then it might be worth the trouble.

The marshes are the same for much of all the ACIW, but are a lot smaller.... so to me less boring.

Plus don't be alarmed about running Townsends Inlet between Avalon/Sea Isle City.... it is much easier than cruising guides make it (as long as a big swell isn't meeting a strong outgoing). Just check with the local assistance towers to make sure the bridge isn't undergoing repairs as barges can make it tricky sometimes.

No matter where one travels an ICW, consulting LNMs for shoaling and bridge work is good planning.

https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Featured-Content/Mariners/Local-Notice-to-Mariners-LNMs/District-5/

We’ve always run outside in the past because of limited time. This might be our last ever cruise, and were hoping for exactly what you described - stopping at shore towns for sightseeing and dinners.

I don’t mind going slow and needing to be vigilant watching the water. What would cross the line and make it decidedly unfun would be if the time was doubled due to constantly running aground. I don’t enjoy the feeling of looking forward and seeing no path with enough water to get through, or having to time things so closely as to only be able to pass near the peak of high tide.

Your suggestion of contacting local SeaTow is excellent and exactly what I’ll do.

Thanks again!