John E3
Active Member
My nephew's been studying the NJ ICW and getting feedback elsewhere, but I figured it can't hurt to ask here too. It's not sounding great to him.
We are running his newly acquired 1929 50' Elco from Toms River to Kent Narrows sometime next month. While some might already have chills thinking about that in this boat, I grew up on an identical boat and probably logged over 1000hrs behind the wheel. He was a toddler when it was last run before haulout and eventual sale. He and his late father (my brother) lamented for years that they could not afford the restoration cost and stood by as it was hauled away. I was equally sad. A new era has begun with this purchase.
So to the point, it sounds like there are some really questionable spots along this route, especially south of Barnegat inlet and in the "west canal". This boat draws 3ft, so should not be a major concern, but 3ft looks questionable on Navionics charts. Obviously running outside, weather permitting, makes clear sense. But my father and a close friend of his (who had the same boat back in the 70's, but upgraded to bigger Trumpy's over the years, and is a commercial captain out of Baltimore) both are pushing for the ICW for a very specific reason - If anything goes wrong you can stand on the hardtop till BoatUS shows up. Not so outside.
Ironically we never ran the ICW when we went north, "back in the day"! But our boat was much younger back then!
Anyone have any firsthand, or maybe secondhand, comments on the current conditions of the NJ ICW?
We are running his newly acquired 1929 50' Elco from Toms River to Kent Narrows sometime next month. While some might already have chills thinking about that in this boat, I grew up on an identical boat and probably logged over 1000hrs behind the wheel. He was a toddler when it was last run before haulout and eventual sale. He and his late father (my brother) lamented for years that they could not afford the restoration cost and stood by as it was hauled away. I was equally sad. A new era has begun with this purchase.
So to the point, it sounds like there are some really questionable spots along this route, especially south of Barnegat inlet and in the "west canal". This boat draws 3ft, so should not be a major concern, but 3ft looks questionable on Navionics charts. Obviously running outside, weather permitting, makes clear sense. But my father and a close friend of his (who had the same boat back in the 70's, but upgraded to bigger Trumpy's over the years, and is a commercial captain out of Baltimore) both are pushing for the ICW for a very specific reason - If anything goes wrong you can stand on the hardtop till BoatUS shows up. Not so outside.
Ironically we never ran the ICW when we went north, "back in the day"! But our boat was much younger back then!
Anyone have any firsthand, or maybe secondhand, comments on the current conditions of the NJ ICW?