Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Day 18)

Hoffman's Marina, Manasquan, New Jersey: September 21, 2020

Marc-  We are still here and our departure date keeps getting pushed back.  We thought we'd be able to get out tomorrow, now we're hoping for Wednesday.  The gale force Northeast winds have finally subsided.  Unfortunately the 8 to 12 foot seas created by days of strong winds continue making any exit tomorrow problematic.  Sage advice is to wait another day for the seas to drop to 5-8 feet before existing this Inlet.  We are very safe here and treated well.  Our friends and travel buddy boaters, Michael and Doreen Gilmartin went home today and will return on our departure date.  Their boat is shallow draft and would allow them to take the New Jersey Intracoastal waterway route to Atlantic City. We need the Atlantic route.

Our walks today were dry because we have learned to adjust our route to the tides here.  These are very beautiful neighborhoods but their streets are under water twice a day.  Sue and I still had to take off our shoes and roll up our pants to get to our boat on the flooded docks. I did a boat project replacing a solenoid for the electric winch that operates the centerboard.  I also did a little polishing on my friend's aft bronze porthole.  

Coast Guard Radio tower (highest structure on this part of the NJ Coast) and the restored Lifesaving Station.

Manasquan Beach lifeguard

Nicely polished Tugboat porthole.

Late entry: Michael and Doreen's dinner last night - crab cake on mac and cheese!

 

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Day 17)

 Hoffman's Marina, Manasquan, New Jersey: September 20, 2020

Marc-  I am beginning to wonder how long our stay will be here.  Tomorrow will be day 5.  The wind is still howling from the Northeast at 20 knots gusting to 30 knots and building 6 to 8 foot waves.  Today we we went walking after breakfast and then met up with Michael and Doreen at the local Sugar bakery and coffee shop.  Michael suggested we explore more of the Jersey shore by car and we did.  Our stay here at Hoffman's Marina is fine.  We did laundry today in pristine machines at no cost. 

Our land based adventure brought us first to the seaside resort town Seaside Heights where we visited a larger boardwalk(than yesterday's at Point Pleasant) and amusement park. Although it had more of everything, I preferred Point Pleasant.  Afterward we ventured to our next possible port at Barnegat Inlet.  What we found was a very dangerous Inlet with treacherous waters that were poorly marked.  We watched two Coast Guard rescue boats traverse the inlet and their route was not intuitive. They also came through on an outgoing tide with a heavy NE surf colliding with it inside the Inlet.  The Village of Barnegat Inlet and the harbor itself is very nice and protected. 

Bench at our Sugar Coffee Shop

Surf is still high, so we are still here on the Jersey Shore

Still in Manasquan!

So we went sightseeing...

The Boardwalk is so long here that they have a chairlift to help you get along.

 

Michael & Doreen Gilmartin

Barnegat Light

Barnegat Inlet.......

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Day 16)

 Hoffman's Marina, Manasquan, New Jersey: September 19, 2020

Marc-  Another day of fun and exploration on the Jersey Shore.  The wind was gusting out of the North at 30 knots when we went for our beach walk after breakfast at 08:30.  We left just as our finger pier was getting flooded by the incoming tide.  We proceeded out to Manasquan Beach and had a nice walk on the beach stopping at the Inlet.  It was very windy out there with 8 foot waves and crashing surf clearly surmounting the North Jetty protecting the Inlet.  There were fishing boats on the river, but none beyond the Inlet. We explored a nature park beside the Inlet with several hiking trails.  Our return to the Marina was not so simple.  As we approached the Glimmer Glass Bridge we noticed that its approach street was under 6 inches of water and rising.  We tried the next bridge at Main Street but its approach was also under water but with a walking path that was mostly dry.  After successfully crossing this bridge Michael Gilmartin came over with his Honda Pilot to drive us back.  We enjoyed coffee and a Pork Roll (ham, potatoes, and eggs all rolled up in freshly baked bread) at the "Sugar Bakery" on the way back to our boats.  The docks were still under water when we returned to the boats but the water was beginning to recede.  

Our next exploration was with the Gilmartins by car to Point Pleasant and its Amusement Park along about a mile long boardwalk.  This place was busy with many families enjoying the sunshine, rides, ice cream and arcades.  We found a seafood restaurant on the Pier named "Martell's Tiki Bar" and enjoyed excellent lobster roll and a mahi mahi sandwich, while being entertained by a live band playing Jimmy Buffet tunes and others.  In the evening we returned to the Helfrich's for dinner in their backyard.  A wonderful cookout with good  friends.

Some homes have stone lawns. 

Homes along the beach have sand lawns.

at the Pt. Pleasant Amusement Park on the Boardwalk.

Most of the boats at our marina resemble this sportfishing boat.  We are the only sailboat.

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Day 15)

 Hoffman's Marina, Manasquan, New Jersey: September 18, 2020

Marc-  Our second day here in Manasquan was fairly nice.  There was a brief weather window to get out this morning but the rain came and we decided to stay on since we would only have gone to Barnegat Bay.  The day started with breakfast at the local diner called "The Capsized Cafe".  The food was excellent.  Michael Gilmartin suggested a New Jersey ham and egg sandwich called a Pork roll, aka Taylor's ham.  There is apparently a dispute about the proper name for this delicacy dependent on whether you live in North or South Jersey.  Our next stop was at the West Marine in nearby Brick, New Jersey.  Special thanks to Doreen Gilmartin for driving down here.  The car allowed us to get to the diner and get some shopping done.  And whenever we drive in the car there is a call from Michael's brother, Brian.  (Hint hint brother John, pick up the phone.)  I needed a new computer chip for the Raymarine chart plotter.  It appears that after three years the chip containing the charts degrades, showing lesser and lesser amounts of detail (depth information disappears).  All is back to normal now with the new chip.

Most of my day was spent in an online mediation involving a case concerning my brother's death.  We did get some closure today.  

The evening was spent at the marina at a nice picnic area at the head of the docks.  We enjoyed amazing Rosie's square pizza pie from Point Pleasant thanks to Greg and Eileen Helfrich, specialty cupcakes and cannolis from Michael & Doreen from Mueller's Bakery in Bay Head.  Michael had the Yankees vs. Red Sox game playing during dinner.  The final excitement was the exceptionally high tides tonight.  Our fixed docks are underwater at this time.  Tiny fish, perhaps smelt, were jumping on the docks or simply out of the water as larger fish pursued them.  By the time we were aboard the docks were under several inches of water.  All of the streets in this section of Town will be under water tonight.  The beautiful homes here that were built with storm preparation in mind will be spared flooding.

Fiddler's Green, the Gilmartin's Tugboat.

Commuter trains pass every hour with a siren announcing the bridge closing fast and then a toot on the horn from the train engineer.  Luckily this line is only for commuter trains.

Our dock covered in fish as the tide comes in.

Sue has started knitting mittens.  This has finger access for texting.  The cover pulls off from the front, the fingers come out to type, and the cap is held on the back with the buttons.  We may need mittens if we have to stay here much longer!  

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Day 14)

 Hoffman's Marina, Manasquan, New Jersey: September 17, 2020

Marc-  Departure came early today.  We pulled the anchor up at 6:00 and were headed out of Atlantic Highlands by 6:10.  It was dawn so we kept our running lights on.  This was to be a motorsailing day in order to reach our destination of Manasquan Inlet before noon and deteriorating weather.  We were able to have breakfast along the way.  An excellent omen was seeing a pod of dolphins jumping out of the water as we passed Sandy Hook.  We completed this thirty mile day despite opposing tidal currents in Sandy Hook channel, opposing currents along the New Jersey shore, rain, and finally a tricky inlet.  There were some favorable West winds from time to time so we kept the main, mizzen and genoa up for the entire passage.  When we arrived at the Inlet at 11:00 we noticed only a 4 foot swell coming in and that the time was outgoing.  With Sue at the helm we pressed on.  Our first issue was a high speed State Police boat that threw a large wake in the mayhem of this inlet.  Unfortunately a large sportfishing boat came along from behind throwing a 6 foot wake.  Needless to say the narrow inlet was turbulent.  Sue handled it easily and we headed for Hoffman's Marina.  The tie up was with excellent help of marina staff in dealing with strong tidal current.  The Manager boarded our boat to direct  his crew in attaching our lines.  We are not used to tying the boat up to pilings and adjusting the lines for the tides.

Rough edges of the Inlet.

Crepe Myrtle trees abound in the yards of Manasquam.  Our friends the Helfrichs graciously invited us to a fantastic dinner at their nearby summer house.