June 12                                    Mannasquan, New Jersey

Weather reports indicated considerable winds and rain for the next three days.  We needed to be in New York before the weekend as we had tickets to Broadway shows on Saturday and Sunday.  We wanted to avoid cruising in rough waters.  Our memories of a very stressful day on the Strait of Georgia in Canada were still vivid!  We left port at 8:30 AM and headed through the canal to the Atlantic Ocean.  The winds were approximately 15 knots and the water was choppy but the boat stabilizers functioned well.  Cruising was pleasant and we enjoyed seeing the rows of hotels, condos, and homes lining the extensive length of white beaches that make up the famed Jersey Shore.

Before leaving Cape May, I had talked to a boat owner who advised us to be wary of charts for the New Jersey area because of Hurricane Sandy and the subsequent shifting of great amounts of sand.  We had initially planned to go to Barnegat Bay but were not sure dredging had sufficiently restored the depths we would need for The Bottom Line.  He recommended Manasquan and we decided it would be a perfect place for our stop before New York.  It was 79 nautical miles from Cape May and we would have a long day of cruising but we would then have only 40 nm to travel on the following day when the weather was predicted to be worse.

Our brief stay at Manasquan was very pleasant.  We had good dockage at Hoffman’s Marina with excellent dock help.  Even though the pantry and freezer were filled with food, we opted to have our dinner cooked by others.  Captain’s Landing was a block from the marina and the ambiance, service, and food were excellent.  We enjoyed roasted pear salads, seafood imperial with crab, lobster, and shrimp, and clams marinara. 

We plan to return to Manasquan on our return trip.  We would enjoy seeing more of this charming, pristine community with its rows of lovely beach homes and crowded marinas.  It seems to be a very active center for sports fishing.