You are pretty safe north of the Rt 72 bridge,take the intercostal below it there are two short no wake zones.After Long beach island going through great bay is ok but then you get into a narrow winding channel.You really need to pay attention at low tide stay between the markers and watch your GPS.At low tide you can be in the channel and see crab pots outside of the channel above water:eek:.If you are careful you will be fine,Those who boat in Barnegat bay have a saying "if you break down its ok because you can walk home"

If you are running down on the weekend and I have some notice I will run with you and you can follow me.

That's pretty funny Tim, never heard that one before!

Jeff, I'd give yourself 3 -4 hours from Liberty to AC if you're taking the intercoastal. Figure 100+ miles at 45 mph with no wake zones, maybe a train bridge, the canal etc.

The outside all the way down would be much shorter if you're up to it. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half to get from Sandy Hook to Barnegat Inlet and less than an hour to get to AC inlet from my recollection.

I've never made the trip all the way from Sandy Hook to AC but have done the trip from Sandy Hook to Barnegat Inlet countless times and also did Sandy Hook to Beach Haven, NJ but did Brick NJ to AC on the poker run.

Have fun, sounds like a nice trip!

Frank

If you leave early, you might have a nice ride and get there in 2-3 hours. If the afternoon SE winds kick up, even Barneget Bay gets ugly and it will be a long ride inside. I would plan to arrive before noon.

thanks guys for your help offer !!! I'll sure let you know!

I ran down to Barneget last weekend on the outside and from the Varazano Bridge it's 65 miles to the inlet, it took me 1 1/2 hrs both times (up & back) running at 47 MPH.
I think AC is about 20 miles south of barneget. If you plan to run the outside you will need to go early before the winds kick up.

Enjoy
JB

This is true, but really only between the TR bridge and Barnegat Inlet. South of that most of the intercoastal is broken off of open water by sedge islands until a short open water run thru great Bay and then into protected waters again.

I've made that trip many times, back in the SH days it was 2 or 3 times a week from Sandy Hook to AC (always on the outside). If you want to kill a day go inside, if not go outside and like others have said do it early, the afternoon wind can slap you in face going south sometimes.

Also, as others have said you can hug the coast until you get to the southern inlets, then you need to be a mile or two out but then you can cut back in if you want to. You'll see the water breaking, during the day I tend cut inside between the bars and shore but unless you know the area, stay offshore, your GPS shows the shoals, beleive what it tells you the water does turn to land out in the ocean!

I enjoy the ocean swell rather then endure no wake zones and everything else you encountered on the inside.

Lobster pots are marked with a stick on a bouy, there might be just some small bouyed pots but at speed even if you hit one the chances of fouling the prop are slim the boat thens to push them to the side and you go over. Lord knows at night we've hit plenty at 15 knots and never snagged a pot. There is always current so the lines on the pots go fairly staright down no need to stay more than a few feet away.

leaving friday! it's coming!

Wow! That's a nice long ride! I did it in late eighties in my Cigarette Firefox when took I it to work one Friday. I was working construction on the restoration of Ellis Island. Long story short, the crane broke early & I left around 9 am. A beautiful sunny day, light breeze, and 2/3' seas the whole way down. Made one pit stop for food/fuel & took off for AC! I'm guessing 3 1/2 hours total. Enjoy the ride!

Cape May to Manasquan Inlet took me 2.25 hours in this:

http://sharkeyimages.zenfolio.com/img/v4/p931131247.jpg

I am sure you can average a bit better speed than that... :evilb:

Have a great trip !