Hunkered Down - Manasquan

Trip Day:	89	Latitude:	40°06.40 ' N	Locks Today:	0
Miles Today:	0	Longitude:	074°02.94' W	Locks Total:	8
Total Miles:	1,750	Location:	Manasquan,  NJ

Yesterday while we were underway we heard the Coast Guard responding to a VHF distress call of a boat taking on water  -  today we found this report on the internet.  “The Coast Guard rescued six people from a life raft after the 38-foot boat they were in ran aground and began taking on water in Barnegat Inlet Thursday morning.  Once the boat began to sink, the crew abandoned the vessel and boarded a life raft where they waited for assistance.  Following the rescue, the fishing boat floated off the jetty and sank, authorities said. ”  All the inlets from Atlantic City to Manasquan are marked un-navigable and dangerous on the charts—guess this proves the point!

Manasquan is known as a safe harbor for boats to come into from the Atlantic in severe weather conditions.  This is one of those days and we stayed in the marina watching the fishing boats return with stories about how bad the ocean was today.  The winds have been 20-25 kts with stronger gusts all afternoon making for a bouncy ride even though we are tied in our slip.  By 5 o’clock it was extreme high tide with the water over the finger pier of our slip so Ron checked all the lines and adjusted for the high water which means he will adjust again late this evening since the tidal range is five feet. 

 Other than a two mile walk this morning, Ron spent the day researching the New York Harbor, setting way points for markers on the chart plotter, and confirming marina choices for the next week; while Jean caught up on email, logging expenses and slideshow building duties.  We are closely monitoring the progress and route of the Space Shuttle Enterprise which is scheduled to be transported by barge from JFK to New York Harbor in the next three days, meaning we have a good chance of witnessing history as it happens. 

 So, we are hunkered down expecting continued high winds and lots of rain tonight.  Tomorrow the weather is suppose to clear and we hope to pull out by mid-morning, if the predictions are correct, and head to an anchorage off Coney Island.

See Manasquan Inlet on Google Map by clicking on our Location in the footer below.