Waterway Updates

The closure date has been extended to February 28, 2012 per CG 5th District NTM.

The following is from the CG 5th District NTM 33/11.

Mariners are advised that the Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the drawbridge operating regulations for the Route 30/Absecon Boulevard Bridge, at NJICW mile 67.2, across Beach Thorofare in Atlantic City NJ. Under this deviation, the drawbridge will be closed to vessels requiring an opening beginning at 7 a.m. on Friday, September 16, 2011 through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, January 13, 2012. This closure is necessary to facilitate extensive rehabilitation and to maintain the bridge’s operational integrity. The available vertical clearance in the closed position to vessels is approximately 20 feet, above mean high water. The navigable channel will not be obstructed so vessels that can pass under the bridge without a bridge opening may continue to do so at anytime. The Atlantic Ocean is an alternate route for vessels with mast heights greater than 20 feet and the drawbridge will be unable to open in the event of an emergency. At all other times, the bridge will operate in accordance withdrawbridge operating regulations set out in Title 33 Code of Federal Regulations Part 117.733(e). Mariners able to pass under the closed span may do so, adjust their transit accordingly and use caution when transiting the area.

Mariners are advised that the new channel of the ICW mile 80.4 under the Route 52 Causeway Replacement Bridge Project (aka 9th Street Bridge) over Beach Thorofare in Great Egg Harbor Bay in Ocean City, NJ is now open with a vertical clearance of 55 feet, above mean high water. The temporary vertical clearance of 44 feet 8 inches is no longer in effect as of Wednesday, October 19, 2011. Mariners are urged to continue to use caution when transiting the area until demolition of the old bridge is fully completed. 

The very tip of Sandy Hook is not accurately depicted on most electronic charts.and is actually in an area that used to be part of the old false hook channel. Most recently this was discovered by a 57 Carver Voyager, at night , at high speed. The result was injuries and a salvage. Over the last three years there have been quite a few mariners running aground on this spit of sand. Most of them have been a night on the way out to the ocean, but included in the group has been a local party boat and last fall a very expensive catamaran which very quickly became a total loss in the surf. Looking at your plotter or depth sounder while moving at speed will not help you, since the chart is inacurate and the depth goes from 40 ft to dry sand in a distance of 20 yards.

Delivery Captain

5 years ago this morning I had to tell my children that their dad had died. It seems like yesterday but still like forever ago. 5 years ago today I lost the best friend I ever had.

Elaine Reib

Exactly five years ago today, I got out of bed and checked my email and saw
there was one from Skipper Bob. The evening before, I had sent him my
latest batch of updates for the New York Canals book. The email was a
short thank you note from Bob, time-stamped exactly 8 AM that morning. I
could picture Bob sitting at his desk, probably looking forward to doing
some editing on the books that morning.

It turned out sending me that email was the last thing Bob did … and then
he slumped to the floor and died. The email remained on his screen
afterwards.

Bob is a great guy. He wrote the Skipper Bob books to asist the long
distance cruisers, and with the help of his wife Elaine Reib, he did a
mighty fine job.

I first saw a copy of the New York Canals book, on my first visit up here
in 2003. I was amazed how it contained absolutely everything I needed to
know for my cruise, and I got my own copy the first chance I had. Kathy
and I spend many days planning our future trips with the Skipper Bob book
open as the ultimate reference. It wasn’t very wordy, but it was concise
and to the point, the perfect cruiser’s helm reference. I loved the book,
so I contacted Bob and started helping with it.

Since about 2004, I had been sending Bob all kinds of updates and
corrections, so that the book might be correct and complete and benefit
future boaters, as it had done for me. The books are now continued by Ted
Stehle, who continues Bob’s excellent work, and I continue to send Ted
updates for it. Bob is often in my mind as I gather info for the next
updates.

When Bob died, he left a big gap, but I always talk about Bob in the
present tense as he will always be around. He will live on in the memory
of those who knew him, those who worked with him, and his family. Skipper
Bob is out there on the canals and waterways somewhere even now. You may
not see him on your cruises, but he’s out there with you.

Skipper Bob, December 11th, 2006. May he cruise with us forever.

Fred Wehner

We just completed the NJ-ICW in a 32 foot trawler with a 3.6 foot draft.
We had no trouble from Cape May to Beach Haven. We travelled from Beach
Haven to Bay Head without paying attention to tides and we bumped and
churned up mud just north of Atlantic City. We ran hard aground in Great
Bay at R130 at mid tide.
We managed to get off after waiting half an hour. We called Tow Boat US
for advice. He said there is considerable shoaling well into the channel
and we should go well away where our chart shows 1 foot. We were aground 30
feet away from R130 where the chart showed 6-11 feet with the mark on our
port while travelling north.
We found some skinny water from Bay Head to Manasquan but had no trouble
since we paid attention to the tide.
Pay attention to tides, go slow and ignore the magenta line and you may not
have any trouble. I would take the outside route next time.

Simone and jerry on North Star