Long Beach Island

Beach Haven is located on Long Beach Island that is comprised of many towns down the coast with the ICW on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. The locals refer to it as LBI and say it's a patch of heaven. 

Across the street from our marina is probably the best Maritime Museum that we've seen this entire trip.  The private owner lives in the upper level and has a great view of the water.  She's a certified diver and has found some of the artifacts displayed in the museum.  

 It is fairly new, free and even has a library to borrow books.  There's a large stock of free CD's that feature shows of many marine topics of shipwrecks, sharks and pirates too.  

Each week people come to donate new items and speakers give presentations. There are computer stations with wi-fi, and a database with over 7,200 maritime losses all in New Jersey.  

Morgan collects postcards of each port we go to and their walls were full of them.  It reminded me of my Dad's collection of license plates on his garage walls. 

There was an entire room dedicated to the Morro Castle. It was a cruise line from 1932 that took people from New York to Havanna, Cuba.  It was 20 nautical miles out to sea off the NJ coast when it was believed to be set on fire from a disgruntled employee. It was towed into shore and grounded here near the beach as onlookers watched in horror. Many people died that day. 

This photo was taken next to the sailboat in my last posting.  It overlooks an amusement park with water and roller coaster rides.

 The shops were quaint, but it is still pretty early in the season.

 My sister, Michelle, and I went to Las Vegas and our favorite slot machine was 'Red, White and Blue.'  Of course the arcade had one just like it! 

Two men were fixing a plumbing line under our dock this week and borrowed our kayak to make the job a bit easier.  They were very gracious and came back later with a bag full of fudge.  It was delicious!

 We're getting to know the staff at the marina and it was mentioned that Craig was an interior woodworker prior to his sabbatical.  Sure enough they asked him to help out with a few projects at the marina.  He gathered his tools and realized he forget a 'square'......so he borrowed Jaxon's!   

 The kids and I were left with rainy day activities that included sewing, crafts, cleaning and cooking.

 Jaxon made meatballs for dinner and was my little buddy the entire day.  This is his second pumpkin pie and he does the whole thing....except clean up!

Ryann loved playing Club Penguin with her cousin Elizabeth.  They were able to enter into rooms, dress up, challenge another player and work as a team. They laughed, sang and really had fun.  I've been playing 'Words with Friends' on the iPad with my sister, brother-in-law Rob, my dad, cousin Kelli and friend Megan. It's just like Scrabble, free and a great way to connect with friends on your own time. 

The kids met an 8 year old girl, Anna, last night as I visited with her mom. Craig ended up working all day and the owner of the marina gave the kids Klondike ice cream bars!  As we headed back to the boat the winds were picking up and there was a coastal flood advisory in the area. Cars were being moved from the parking lot and water was almost over the dock. 

 The public library was was built in 1924 and the director, Jean, said they're trying to keep the same look and feel from that era.  They still use the old card system for checking out books too.

The kids loved reading new books and when we left, Jean, gave them all a half dozen books each.  She claimed that many locals donate books each day and they just simply don't have room for it all.   

Ashley's Playground as the sign states over the trellis is in the church parking lot and next to a community garden that had over a dozen plots in the center of town. 

 Ryann's really been loving the bike rides everyday!

The small craft advisory has not been lifted in over seven days and will continue throughout the week.  The fog is very thick too.  We officially feel like 'liveaboards' and not cruisers.  Hoping for seas under 6 foot by the weekend.  If it were all ICW no problem, but heading into the ocean changes everything.  The Erie Canal is still closed, so taking this time to regroup has been beneficial.
Morgan just lost her 15th tooth and the new one is already coming in!   

Beach Haven, New Jersey

Beach Haven Yacht Club has been a great stop for us!  They have the best fuel price around, friendly staff, laundry and are only a few blocks away from a great market (with Boar's Head meat :-), the beach, parks, museum, arcade, shopping, etc.  They have the most reasonable price in all of Beach Haven too!  You can't beat the great sunsets! 

It’s a sunny day as we prepare for our journey north.  From here we go 45 more miles on the ICW then venture out into the Atlantic Ocean for a 26 mile stretch to Sandy Hook, NJ and from there into the Hudson River.  Made a big grocery run, laundry, gas, water, etc. and just as we started loading bikes into the boat the dockmaster informed us that the Manasquan Inlet was closed.  There was a 64 foot scallop boat that was unable to control his vessel after its hydraulic hose broke, and they lost their clutch and steering and began drifting toward the rocks on Wed. The three men aboard were able to get off the boat with help from the Coast Guard, but it is overturned and blocking the inlet now.  Photo from www.app.com

The Manasquan Inlet is very popular as it’s the most reliable for a marked channel inlet on the NJ coast.  We’ve received very strong advice from many locals and TowBoat not to risk the dangers of the other inlet nearby, Barnegat and warned of hazards in Little Egg Harbor Inlet (which is backtracking anyhow). 

We have decided to stay here for a couple more days and wait out more bad weather storms for the weekend and hoping they can clear the inlet by then. I guess Friday the 13^th wasn’t our lucky day to travel after all.

A fishermen on the dock was filleting his catch of the day and gave us some striped bass to try. It was delicious, but Ryann and Jaxon didn’t enjoy watching him go from alive to the dinner table.

 This inclement weather has made a small craft advisory and hazardous waters in effect for the past few days.  The forecast calls for another storm over the weekend that might linger on through the first part of the week....

This sailboat is set in the middle of many local shops.

The area here is quite pretty, clean and we’re really enjoying our stay.

My parents have a few bottle trees at their home in Michigan.

 Man vs. Food is from the Travel Channel and Adam Richland is a man that goes around the nation to popular restaurants to try new foods or take on their ‘food challenge.’  ‘Chicken or the Egg’ is a local favorite that was featured on the show for the Ludicrous Wing Challenge where you eat 12 super spicy chicken wings in a certain time frame. I think Craig would be a good contender!

The local arcade in town called Fantasyland is truly a kids casino!

We played Wheel of Fortune (see game on right) and won enough tickets so the kids could get good prizes. Jaxon loves his new Transformer and it made for some great laughs and fun times. 

 Storm clouds cover the sky with the sun trying to peer out.  

Provisioning is always more enjoyable when the bikes carry the load.

My nieces name is Dalilah, just like this sport fish boat!

We've been 'stuck' many times on the east coast, but this is a good port to be in and we'll make the most of our stay here.  Hoping now for a good weather window as we talk to locals and watch the weather sites.

New Jersey

Weather seems to be a constant factor on our east coast travels. We wait for good travel days and it makes a big difference.  We did try to venture out earlier this week only to be hit with 4-6 foot waves....so we turned back and enjoyed a day at the dock.  Someone once told me.....wait for good weather and then leave the next day as it'll be even better! 

Our last leg of the Chesapeake Bay was uneventful and we entered into the C&D canal. The anchorage in Chesapeake City was full by the afternoon and you can see our boat in the far back of this photo docked at the free wall. Later that night there were a total of ten boats anchored out and most left with us at 6:00 am the next  morning. 

In the middle of two large waterways!

In Chesapeake City there is a museum that explains how the Delaware and Chesapeake Bay were connected many years ago.  There were two locks built in the early 1800's and this is the original pump house that would pump water into the canal. 

They claim its the largest water wheel around.  

Morgan found a small boat called 'Paddle to the Sea' where a school put together a boat and floated it down the river hoping anyone that found it on the shore would put it back into the water to continue it's journey. This particular one was put in near Plymouth, Pennsylvania.

Chesapeake City, Maryland was a quaint town with historic buildings and interesting shops lining the streets. 

We decided to put together our own boat to sail down the river!  We found a piece of driftwood, carved our info into the boat, Morgan sewed a sail and we let it go with the other boat from Chesapeake City, Maryland. 

We hope it makes it around the loop...haha!

Sunrise on the morning of our Delaware Bay crossing. 

We traveled near the shipping canal all day and saw a lot of freighters along the way.  This particular one raised an enormous wake under the bow as it cut through the water. 

This lighthouse was in the middle of the Delaware Bay.  There was a loud long horn that sounded every 30 seconds to warn vessels of the shoaling in that area. 

Waiting for the good crossing day allowed Captain Craig to take a short power nap on the bow of the boat.  We had great weather and calm seas the entire day!  The Delaware Bay is known for being quite treacherous in areas.  We were very fortunate to have such a great day to travel. 

We were happy to see the New Jersey shore as we entered into the west inlet.  Loopers be aware that you should stick to the portside of the channel when entering.  Skipper Bob's claims to stay away from the ferry's, but locals will warn you of shallow waters on your starboard side.  

New Jersey has proved to be the most challenging navigable waters yet. My advice to all loopers, travel the ICW during high tide only.  The waters are rather skinny in so many areas and the anchorages don't seem to hold a lot of depth with a 5 foot tidal drop in most areas. 

As we came into Cape May, New Jersey the winds started to pick up. Our first anchorage founded us in too shallow of water so we pressed forward to a nearby marina.  Two miles south of the marina we grounded the boat IN THE CHANNEL!!!  Every boat that stopped said it wasn't our fault and that NJ does not maintain their ICW.  Loopers DO NOT cruise the ICW unless you are in a high tide!!  We are literally 50 feet from a buoy in this photo as TowBoat pulled us out.  When you are cautioned to HUG the buoy or FAVOR it...don't take it lightly as you'd be better off hitting it!!! The irony here is that Craig looked at me during this last stretch and commented on it was puzzling that no one else was traveling the waterway at this time. Once towed out, we watched an actual boat from Sea Tow being hauled that had run aground and had a crabpot re-rod embedded in his shift. 
Loopers FYI - Mile Marker 386A (still keep the buoy on your starboard side just stick close to it).  

Once into a safe harbor in Avalon, NJ we watched a storm pass through to the south.  Robert from the TowBoat company reminded me so much of our brother-in-law, Mark, who owns many car towing businesses in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area.  He was very professional and a great guy just like Mark! Morgan drew a picture of his boat while he 'dredged' under our boat for quite some time. He actually caught up with us on the waterway the next day and continued to offer great advice!

The next morning we traveled through NJ ICW wandering around their hairpin turns and marshy areas lifting a ton of bridges and hoping for deeper waters.  This picture from the stern shows the community in Ventnor City built around the ICW and a small lift bridge in the middle.

It's one thing to lift your boat from the salt water, but we've never seen the keel out of water too! 

Atlantic City was going to be our destination, but was strongly advised not to stop there due to the high crime rate in the area.  It was great to see all of the casinos lining the skyline. 

We lifted a dozen bridges or so in such a short period of time. They were all very narrow. This one was at 20 feet and Craig claims we can clear 17 and 1/2. It seemed close, but not close enough to ask for a lift.  There are heavy fines if you ask for a lift when it's not needed! 

Very fun to see these up close!

We were happy to get into Beach Haven, New Jersey on Long Island.  Once settled we toured the town and Ryann loved the phone booth!  "Do people really use these" she said to me!  It's hard to imagine people not having cell phones to her. 

We enjoyed playing Putt Putt Golf on this hot day!  It was a perfect way to spend Mother's Day! 

Long Island, NJ has a great beach that we loved walking and playing on!

'Boat bruises' is the only way to explain Ryann's bruise on her head.  It happens to all of us daily.  She was in her bed almost asleep when she turned too close to a side railing in her bed.  She remembered doing it, but went right back to sleep after the bumping.  

We watched another beautiful sunset at the park and have had a lot of fun here over the past few days. 

Ryann is the proud new owner of her own bike now!  It's even her favorite color, PINK!  I am now perfectly situated between my two guys, Jaxon and Craig where I can so conveniently take photos all the time! Luck will have it, the bike was sitting roadside for trash pick-up as the rear brakes were stuck so we removed them. 

 Jaxon was the big winner at the 'kids casino' a.k.a. local arcade in town.  They had slot games set up exactly like you would see at the casinos in Las Vegas except your winnings were in tickets, not coins.  

 A jetty at Long Island Beach was a great place to watch the sunset each night.

 A live horseshoe crab came up for a short visit. 

 A little game of 'slow ride' to see who would cross the finish line last without touching the ground.

Prior to leaving for this journey I told Craig that I couldn't wait to see the many different sunsets each night...I have not been let down at all!!!   

If you have time, PLEASE take a look at our friends, Pete and Anna's blogspot www.blueyondergreatloop.blogspot.com. There's an awesome video posted that sums up the trip and really touches on the experience of doing the great loop. We love it and miss them so much. We were even in the video!