Atlantic City Airshow - August 25

Fell 4 it

Fell 4 it

New Member
Jul 7, 2009
45
LBI
Boat Info
Sundancer 340
Engines
Mercruiser
10:30 - 3:00 pm on August 25. Anybody going? Anybody with experience on where to drop the hook for this event? There will be a "no boat" zone restricting boaters off the ocean.
 
I am planning on going and was just going to start a thread about this! :) We are coming from the Metedeconk River (North Barnegat Bay) area in our 240DA. I've never been in the ocean and I've never traveled this far before so it's going to be a little adventure for me. We are riding down the inside passage to AC because of my lack of experience in the ocean and our 1 year old passenger with us (no chances being taken!)

I have a reservation for one night at Trump but may wind up going for two nights (Tues-Thurs). It all depends on the weather.

MY QUESTION IS: I know many on here have done this ride inside and I was looking for as many tips as possible before I get going. I DO NOT have a GPS on board but I do have current charts and my iPhone APP with a GPS. I have reviewed this route many times now so I'm familiar with the idea of getting there but I am worried once I past Barnegat Inlet about the ride to AC. Is it clearly marked all the way? Can anyone offer me/us some advice for this ride down and back? THANKS!!
 
I have done the run several times and here are my recommendations:

Most important one:
- manage the tides, i.e. make your run past Little Egg Inlet at high tide. When you check Ch16 during low tide, you can hear how busy Tow Boat US gets in those times, pulling people off sandbars.

Other:
- the run from Barnegat Inlet all the way down LBI to Little Egg Inlet is quite easy. Just follow the markers and stay in the ICW and note the no-wake zones especially south of the causeway
- GPS is not essential (I only navigate by the markers in this area) but you should have a map and I would solicit help from a lookout onboard to identify the the next marker. The channel changes from year to year and sometimes from storm to storm. Going down, make sure you keep the red ones on Starboard and the green ones on Port (I know it's obvious but you can't imagine what all I have seen over the past year).
- Make sure you leave channel market #86 on your starboard side when heading south
- as you go down, just before Little Egg inlet (around marker #112), there is a black marker, marking a sandbar (don't go for that marker I saw someone do that the other day)
- Little Egg inlet can be a little confusing since the inlet markets and the ICW markers are close together- About a week ago, they were moving the channel markers around #156/157. Suggest you slow down for the Coast Guard tug and the barge waaay in advance for no wake. Monitor Ch 16 to see whether they are still there.
- the easiest way is sometimes to follow another boat (suggest pick a bigger boat than yours)
- if you are not sure where the next marker is, stop and locate it first
- if you get lost, retrace your steps back to the ICW

Are you looking at anchoring off-shore?
 
Thank you so much! That's excellent info and exactly what I was looking for! We were thinking of anchoring off shore but I have never been out an inlet nor in the ocean before with my boat so I'm way too nervous to do it with just my wife and 1 year old baby. I'm planning to be a spectator on the beach. Plus we are only going to make the trip with a good weather forcast.

Will you be going just for the day? Our trip is 65 miles and a bit too much I think for a day trip but I have never done this run or been this far so I'm not sure what to expect.
 
Fell 4 it said:
- as you go down, just before Little Egg inlet (around marker #112), there is a black marker, marking a sandbar (don't go for that marker I saw someone do that the other day)
Click to expand...

Also, around Little Egg, there's a dolphin that marks a danger area. It's just a bit outside of the channel which is marked by bouys. This area shifts so much that there are no permanent markers. Permanent markers around Little Egg thus usually denote a danger area. Last time though there I passed a Blackfin Andiamo, I think was her name, that was being pulled off the sandbar. Yup, looked like he was aiming for the dolphin. Watch out for the shallows or you'll be calling a tow boat to come and get you andiamo. LOL

Best regards,
Frank
 
M&M's_Beach_House said:
Will you be going just for the day? Our trip is 65 miles and a bit too much I think for a day trip but I have never done this run or been this far so I'm not sure what to expect.
Click to expand...

My family refuses to go on the Ocean route (waves, cross seas at the inlet) so I would have to go on the ICW. Given the tides, I can only make it down between 8:30 - 10:30 that morning but I could not make it back until the evening high tide that day (approx. 10:00 pm - ICW is too dangerous at night) so I would need to stay the night and come back north the following morning.
 
You guys should have joined the convoy for the Atlantic City Rendezvous last month. We went out Barnaget and took the ocean down.

132.jpg
 
Fell 4 it said:
My family refuses to go on the Ocean route (waves, cross seas at the inlet) .....
Click to expand...


You still have to navigate an ocean inlet twice....you have to go out the Absecon inlet to see the show and back in the Absecon inlet to get home. PLUS....you have to spend hours in the Ocean at anchor watching the show. AND, more often then not, the ocean will be bouncy while on the hook.......just sayin'
 
osd9 said:
You still have to navigate an ocean inlet twice....you have to go out the Absecon inlet to see the show and back in the Absecon inlet to get home. PLUS....you have to spend hours in the Ocean at anchor watching the show. AND, more often then not, the ocean will be bouncy while on the hook.......just sayin'
Click to expand...

I know, I know - at this point, we are planning is to stay at Trump Marina and watch the show from the Boardwalk. If by any chance the ocean proves to be completely flat without as much as a ripple, maybe they will let me go out the inlet and anchor.
 
Getting into town from the marina, during the air show, and then back to the marina, after the air show will be a nightmare!!!!! Hundreds of thousands of people will be coming in to see the show by land. I did that about 5 years ago.....NEVER AGAIN!!!!!

You may want to go late and leave early.....

Three years ago I day tripped by boat to see the show....the ocean was bouncy as hell...I bent my freakin' anchor anchored in sand....(posted about it here). Last year, we day tripped and the ocean was flat as a lake, and we enjoyed the show sitting on the swim platform with our feet in the water.

This year, we tentatively have reservations for two nights at Farley's. Heading down EARLY AM Wed via the ocean.
 
Fell 4 it said:
My family refuses to go on the Ocean route (waves, cross seas at the inlet) so I would have to go on the ICW. Given the tides, I can only make it down between 8:30 - 10:30 that morning but I could not make it back until the evening high tide that day (approx. 10:00 pm - ICW is too dangerous at night) so I would need to stay the night and come back north the following morning.
Click to expand...

Leave early. Couple years ago I and several other boat had a problem at the Dorset Ave bridge. We ended up waiting for over an hour on the pretense that there was an ambulance was coming over the bridge. And this was a "normal" saturday afternoon and not while the airshow was on.

The extended marine forecast makes it like that it will a bit rough on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Good luck
 
right now, the basic forecast looks pretty good wih favorable winds and no rain...

acairshowweatherforecast.jpg
 
Last edited:
Based on the weather forecast I have now decided to cancel - will try again next year.
 
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