On the Water with As You Wish: May 31 Cape May to Atlantic City

May 31, 2019

With a favorable weather window and forecast we started the offshore passage today up the NJ coast. While NJ actually has an intercoastal waterway from Cape May to Manasquan it is not part of the Corp. of Engineers responsibility and is therefore not well maintained. Dredging is the responsibility of the state and other than keeping a few inlets navigable, not much is done to enhance an inshore passage for pleasure boating. That is sort of surprising since NJ has one of the higher per capita boat ownership levels so there’s plenty of taxes and registration fees collected to support doing a better job of dredging the inland passage to make it safer and more enjoyable for everyone. OK - Off my soapbox.

Captains meeting discussing weather report, departure times, destinations

Due to the shallow depths and our deep draft we must go offshore all the way to NYC. There are only 2 usable inlets. Absecon Inlet (Atlantic City) and Manasquan Inlet. The easy route if you can get 3 good weather days is Cape May to Atlantic City on day 1, then Atlantic City to Manasquan Inlet on day 2, and then Manasquan Inlet to the NYC area on day 3.

Leaving Cape May Inlet

We had a good weather day today so got to Atlantic City without issue. Left around 8AM with a 5-10 knot SW breeze and seas 1-2 feet. A nice gentle rolling sea pushing us from behind. Both of these inlets are pretty big and used by lots of boats, so they are well marked and deep but with a bit of a current.

Other than a few dolphins and some lobster pot markers (yeah – who knew lobster were caught down this far south??) it was mostly just open water and looking at the NJ seaside resorts a few miles off the port side.

Amusement rides at Wildwood, NJ

As we rounded the tip of Wildwood, NJ it was surprising to see the towers of Atlantic City already while they were still well over 20 miles away. It took 3 hours before we were up to them!

Atlantic City from 12 miles out

Another 3 miles to go

Once past the inlet we settled on an anchorage behind Plum Point. Out of the way of boat traffic and current and it offers some protection from winds if they happen to unexpectedly develop. We’ve been to Atlantic City before so no real desire to spend a fortune for a slip at the marinas here. We’re just using this as a stopping point for a very early departure in the morning. Had a great on board meal. Grilled some veggies and pork chops. Added some fresh Amish farmers market tomatoes and corn on the cob. Even got a nice sunset as a bonus.